The first day of the Early Signing Period has already been eventful.
Days later, Michigan flips 5-star safety Daxton Hill back from Alabama
Hill’s commitment to Alabama lasted less than two weeks.
Daxton Hill, an elite safety recruit out of Tulsa (Oklahoma) Booker T. Washington initially committed to Michigan in September. He decommitted in early December and flipped to Alabama but recommitted to UM on the Early Signing Day, signing with the Wolverines then.
Hill is a consensus top-10 player nationally. He is a freakish athlete at 6’1 and 195 pounds, with blazing speed, great quickness, and a knack for laying big hits. He also has plus instincts and can really cover. It’s not often that safeties are rated as highly as Hill is, but he deserves it. Hill was a finalist at The Opening and is in the All-American Bowl.
Hill shocked seemingly everyone, though, when he flipped his commitment in early December to Alabama. He had taken his official visit to Tuscaloosa back over the summer, and while Alabama was certainly still recruiting him, Hill was not being discussed as a likely flip by many. It was one of the more surprising flips of the 2019 recruiting cycle.
But Michigan did not give up. Some Michigan media even wondered if Hill had flipped to Alabama only to create drama to perhaps flip back to the Wolverines. Certainly, the Wolverines’ staff did not stop recruiting him.
While there’s no evidence Hill’s flip to Alabama was anything but genuine, it did not last, as less than two weeks later, Hill has flipped back to Michigan. Michigan’s persistence paid off.
Hill becomes Michigan’s highest-rated commitment in the class. He is an elite safety who can cover down the field and patrol the middle for defensive coordinator Don Brown’s aggressive defense.
The 6’, 186-pounder is the No. 8 player in the class and the No. 1 safety. He will instantly compete for a starting job in 2019 with senior Tyree Kinnel graduating.
Don’t feel too bad for Alabama, though, as the Tide are going to to be just fine with Jordan Battle, a four-star Ohio State commit they flipped the same morning:
