JUCO DE Demetrius Hill will make an official visit to Minnesota this weekend.
Demetrius Hill, a 6-3, 260-pound defensive end from Fort Scott (KS) CC, will visit Minnesota this weekend. Hill, who will graduate early and sign in December, led his team in tackles for losses and sacks and was second on the team in total tackles.
Gopher Hole caught up with Hill to learn the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: You are coming up this weekend for the Penn State game. What do you know about the University of Minnesota?
Demetrius Hill: I really don’t know too much about Minnesota. I just know that they have a good football team. They have a really nice football coaching staff that has been together for quite a while, for over ten years if I am not mistaken. I like Coach Kill. I like how he coaches the game. I watched a couple clips of their football games and I like how he gets after the players and the way that he just coaches. Something about the way that he coaches the players and the way that they play for him. It is nice the bond that the players have with the coaches. You can tell that they have a really nice bond with the coaches. When I was watching them, you could tell that they looked crisp and they showed a lot.
Gopher Hole: What other visits do you have set up?
Demetrius Hill: I am going to Baylor December the 6th. I go to California December the 13th. USF November 29th.
Gopher Hole: How many schools are you really considering right now?
Demetrius Hill: Just five.
Gopher Hole: You are planning on trying to sign in December and enrolling at a college in January. Is that right?
Demetrius Hill: Yes, sir.
Gopher Hole: How much do you think that will helps you be ready as a player due to the fact that you will be able to go through spring football?
Demetrius Hill: I think that is going to help me a lot. Just getting used to the program eight months before the first game. I think that will help me get strong and help me learn the techniques from the coaches who have been there, done that and sent people to the NFL. I have technique right now, but it is nothing like learning from a professional coach that still cares and has been around Division I athletes and can help you out and get better than you were.
Gopher Hole: Will this be your first official visit?
Demetrius Hill: No, sir. My first official visit was going to Northern Illinois and that was October 19th.
Gopher Hole: Did you know much about Coach Kill as an Illinois kid about his time at Southern Illinois and Northern Illinois?
Demetrius Hill: I kind of knew that Coach Kill had coached at Pittsburgh State before I came to Fort Scott, Kansas. Minnesota has been recruiting Fort Scott every year and I have been talking to Coach “Z” and Minnesota has been recruiting me ever since I got here. I have been talking to someone live. I really don’t know too much about Coach Kill. Not too much, but I knew a little bit about him.
Gopher Hole: How did you end up at Fort Scott?
Demetrius Hill: I came out here with a running back. His name was Calvin Phillips (who ironically had committed to Minnesota in July of 2009). I was actually supposed to go to Arizona Western, but he didn’t want to go. I just decided to come here with my buddy, but he ended up quitting two weeks into the season, so now I was stuck at Fort Scott.
Gopher Hole: To be honest, I have been to some of those JC towns in Kansas and there isn’t much to do besides play football and study. It sounds like you have been able to utilize that since you are graduating early.
Demetrius Hill: Right. See that is all it is to do out here at Fort Scott, is to just play football and like you said, hit them books hard and to tell you the truth, that made me hit the books even hard. Being away from a lot of stuff and in a town that don’t have nothing going for it. Nothing to do here. That just made hit the books even harder.
Gopher Hole: What is going to be the main thing that makes you pick School A over School B or C?
Demetrius Hill: The main thing is just the bond that I have with the coaches. Like how can I see myself fitting, being around the coaches and the players. How the atmosphere is. Depth-chart wise. Are they stacked or are they low on guys? My mom is going to help me make my decision.
Gopher Hole: Is she going to come up with you?
Demetrius Hill: I wish she could, but she wouldn’t be coming up.
Gopher Hole: I know that Fort Scott struggled at 2-7, but you led the team in tackles for losses with 14 and 5 ½ sacks. You had two fumble recoveries and forced three fumbles. How pleased were you with your individual play this season?
Demetrius Hill: It was pretty nice. I felt that if I would have had more and better ball players that were swarming to the ball a lot more, that I would have had more tackles and more sacks. A lot of times, I was playing end and teams were keying on me. I did what I could and ended up being a pretty nice season. I made first team All-Conference and the All-Region VI team, so I can’t complain.
Gopher Hole: What do you see as your strengths as a football player?
Demetrius Hill: Pass rush. Getting up the field.
Gopher Hole: What things are you working on to continue to improve yourself and get better as a football player?
Demetrius Hill: Technique. Footwork. You can never feel too comfortable. I mean you can feel comfortable, but you can never not think that don’t need to put in more work. I need to get stronger as a defensive end. Once I feel that I have gotten stronger, I think it will seem slowerat that position. I am pretty good with my hands . I have pretty nice footwork.
Gopher Hole: You mentioned getting stronger is that something schools have said to you that they would like you to get up to 280 or 290 pounds?
Demetrius Hill: Not specifically. No school came in and said that I need to get bigger. They always said that my size is all right. I already know that it is mandatory, regardless, I want to put on weight when I get to that level. I’ll probably put on 20 to 30 pounds before the first game of the 2014 season. You never know. With a D1 program that is all I need. Me being under a D1 program is really going to help me, not only on the field, but off the field as well.