Stampeding Through The USF Football Roster: #96 DE Anthony Hill

(Scratch all this. Anthony Hill isn't playing this year. Terrible job by me.)

Today's player on our countdown has some versatility that might be useful (or required) this season.

#96 DE Anthony Hill
Senior, 6'4" 283 lbs.

Stats In 2011: Hill played in 10 games, appearing as a backup defensive end and (I presume) on special teams. He recorded all of his eight tackles, two TFL, a sack, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble early in the season, against Ball State, Florida A&M, and Pittsburgh.

Current Spot On Depth Chart: Anthony is not listed on the spring two-deep depth chart.

How Did He Get To USF? Anthony's trip to USF was an interesting one. Hill originally signed with FSU, but was told he would have to greyshirt due to scholarship constraints. After what Hill said was a lack of communication between the FSU staff and Anthony, both agreed to part ways in September 2008. Former coach Jim Leavitt quickly offered Anthony a scholarship and he enrolled in January 2009.

Recruiting Rankings: Anthony was a three-star recruit out of Pensacola HS, and was rated the #37 defensive tackle in the class of 2008, according to Scout.com.

Projected Playing Time In 2012: While Hill should get a few reps at defensive end, he did begin his career at USF as a defensive tackle before moving to end after Skip Holtz took over. If Cory Grissom's injury takes longer than expected to heal and the Bulls need some more bodies at that position, I wonder if Hill might be asked to move back to tackle, even though he's now a bit undersized for the interior. If nothing else, he already knows how to play tackle, and he could be more of a pass-rushing tackle than a pure run stopper in some situations.