4-Star Justin Hill Commits to Alabama over Ohio State, USC, More; No. 4 Edge in 2025

zach bacharContributor IJuly 3, 2024

Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Alabama’s 2025 recruiting class continued to grow on Wednesday.

Four-star edge rusher Justin Hill officially committed to the Crimson Tide, according to Kennington Smith and Cameron Teague of The Athletic.

Hill is the No. 58 overall player and No. 4 edge rusher in the 2025 class, per 247Sports’ Composite rankings. He received offers from Ohio State, USC, Oregon, Florida, Notre Dame, Miami, Kentucky, and several other schools before choosing Alabama.

While the Cincinnati native appeared to be a strong candidate to become a future member of the Buckeyes, he’ll be joining the Crimson Tide instead (via Smith and Teague).

Hill received his offer during former head coach Nick Saban’s tenure, although the hiring of new head coach Kalen DeBoer didn’t affect his desire to commit to Alabama. He visited the school on June 14, and it appeared to leave a strong impression on him.

“Obviously they’re the standard when it comes to college football,” Hill said about Alabama, per Andrew Bone of On3.com. “They have been for awhile. I’ve always liked the school and how they’re ran. I fell in love with how the campus is, how calm it is, how they play football. How the staff is open.”

At 6’3″ and 220 pounds, Hill improved even further in his junior season after an impressive sophomore year. During his 2023 campaign, he racked up 36 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 11 games (h/t 247Sports).

He’s already the second four-star prospect to commit to the school in July, as tight end Kaleb Edwards announced his decision to join the Crimson Tide on Tuesday. After Hill’s choice on Wednesday, Alabama now owns the No. 2 recruiting class in 2025 (via 247Sports’ Composite).

DeBoer’s inaugural class is already shaping up to be a strong one.