Tommi Hill describes reasons for putting ASU in his top five
It was late January, six weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools and football programs from coast-to coast, when Chris Hawkins strolled into Edgewater High School’s fourth-period weightlifting class.
Hawkins is 25, but his appearance and youthful spirit would still allow him to blend into a pack of teenagers. On this day though, he stood out. His Arizona State-logoed attire acted as flashing red lights to the high-schoolers.
The Arizona State defensive backs coach began intently watching Tommi Hill, an Orlando athlete who had recently been on the Sun Devils’ recruiting radar. He observed Hill going through a few different workouts and the two talked on the phone shortly thereafter.
“He was just talking about how he liked my abilities, he liked how I played on both sides of the ball,” Hill said of his conversation with Hawkins. “He can see my potential. He can change how I play, my leadership, just everything. He can make me better.”
The weight-lifting class sighting was Hill’s first exposure to ASU and, in a bit of a surprising move, the Sun Devils offered him after just one short phone conversation that day. But, to most around the country, he’s that special.
As a junior, 6-foot-1, 185-pound Hill caught 45 passes for more than 850 yards and nine touchdowns. Never the one to want to step off the field, Hill lined up his lengthy frame on defense, using his 4.77-second 40-yard dash time to record a quartet of interceptions, a half dozen deflections and 15 tackles as a cornerback.
The Sun Devils are recruiting Hill as a true athlete, he said, making it clear that they’ll give him a chance to showcase his ability on both sides of the ball. Pressed on the subject, Hill truthfully admitted he didn’t have a preference. Offense or defense, it doesn’t matter -- he enjoys, and thrives in, both. In that respect, Hill is unique.
“As a receiver, I just try to make the best of what I can. If there’s a 50-50 ball, you best believe I’m coming down with it,” Hill said. “As a corner, everything just feels easy. I learned how wide receivers move (from playing the position) so if they move, I can just react off their position.”
While ASU hasn’t recruited him to a sole position, other schools have taken a different approach. Among those he alluded to, Oklahoma wants him as a free safety and Penn State strictly as a receiver.
Regardless, to Hill, his ultimate role on a ream won’t be a significant factor in his decision. It’s why he’s narrowed down his 23 offers to a top five that includes the Sooners, Nittany Lions, Nebraska, Arkansas and Arizona State -- the five schools that have been recruiting him the hardest, he admitted.
Yet, the Sun Devils’ main advantage comes from its coaching staff, from the decades of combined NFL experience.
“I do want to go to a school that has contacts in the NFL. That’s a big deal.” Hill said of ASU’s Pro Model before speaking specifically of his relationship with the coaches. “They just talk to be straight-up. They don’t keep anything out.
“(Head coach Herm Edwards) just tells me everything I need to hear. How college will be. What NFL coaches would see in me. He said I have the talent but he can make me better because he’s seen it all.”
Though the pandemic has injected much uncertainty in college football and indefinitely suspended official visits (Hill said he planned on taking officials to, at least, Nebraska and ASU before everything halted), he’s not allowing that to push back his recruiting timetable. Regardless of when the recruiting process returns to normal and whether or not he eventually takes a visit, Hill wants to commit before his senior season begins in August.
“(When choosing what school I want to attend, I look at), academic-wise, how many football players graduated. How many players play in the NFL at my position. The coaching staff. I want to see their facilities,” Hill said. “There’s a lot.”
The Sun Devils sent him pictures and videos of their football facilities and campus. He was impressed with the virtual tour and all Arizona State had to offer, but there was something quite pressing he noticed.
“And they definitely have air conditioning,” Hill quipped in almost relief. “I know it’s hot out there.”
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