Four-star quarterback Antwon Hill Jr., who garnered interest from more than 20 of the top college football programs in the country, has committed to the University of Memphis.
Hill announced he chose the Tigers over Florida on Saturday. Most recruiting ranking services don't go back more than 25 years, but Hill appears to be one of the highest-ranked recruits in program history.
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound quarterback is entering his senior year at Houston County High School in Warner Robins, Georgia. He had initially committed to the University of Colorado last year but reversed his decision and took an official visit to Memphis in early June. Although he received offers from all over the country, he seriously considered the University of Florida and took an official visit to Gainesville prior to visiting Memphis.
He threw for 2,732 yards and 31 touchdowns with just five interceptions and three rushing scores in his third year as Houston County's starting quarterback in 2023. He has a high school career total of 7,278 yards and 79 touchdowns.
Opportunity undoubtedly played a role in Hill's decision. Memphis' current quarterback, Seth Hennigan, will be out of eligibility after the 2024 season. Memphis has three quarterbacks available to return in 2025, but Hill certainly has a path to playing immediately if he steps foot in the Bluff City. He won't turn 17 until July, so he'll likely enroll in early January.
Hennigan started as a freshman and has been Memphis' starter ever since. The quarterback for the 2025 season will be Memphis' third quarterback since Brady White took over in 2018.
Meanwhile, Florida has five-star quarterback DJ Lagway as a future starter. As a true freshman, Lagway was ranked as the top quarterback prospect in the country for the class of 2024. Hill had 30 offers, according to 247Sports, but ultimately chose between Florida and Memphis.
The Tigers made a big push for Hill all spring, even inviting his high school teammate, four-star offensive lineman Peyton Joseph, to campus for an official visit after Hill sparked Joseph's interest in Memphis after an unofficial visit earlier this year.
Memphis also had an impressive spring in terms of transfer acquisitions, acquiring multiple former starters from SEC programs, no doubt due in part to FedEx announcing in April that it would spend $25 million over five years on name, image and likeness (NIL) contracts with Tigers players.
Hill's arrival energized Memphis fans, and the prospect of him joining the team began to heat up. Rappers Quavo (who is from Hill's home state of Georgia) and Moneybagg Yo (who is also from Memphis) encouraged Hill to join the Tigers in Instagram posts after his official visit. Hill announced the move in an Instagram Live video with Quavo on Saturday.
Hill is the No. 16 quarterback in his class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
Sportswriter Jonah Dylan can be reached at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or X @thejonahdylan.
