2021 QB Deacon Hill signs on with Wisconsin

While most Badger fans feel as though they have their quarterback of the future already on campus in freshman Graham Mertz, the staff has set up a potential heir apparent to follow his footsteps in 2021 quarterback Deacon Hill.

The Santa Barbara, Calif. product made his intentions final today, signing on with the Badgers as part of the annual early signing period.

Standing a little above 6-foot-3 inches tall, Hill is a prototypical pocket passer that can also extend plays and moves fairly well for his size. His best attribute is his arm strength though. The ball effortlessly leaves his hand, and he is able to fit the ball in tight windows, a trait that should help him at the next level.

Hill has done a stellar job of improving his body, losing weight and becoming more athletic since his commitment to Wisconsin. The California product is not only a highly regarded quarterback however, he has been an integral part in recruiting other players to join the 2021 class, and deserve a nice tip of the cap for his efforts.

With Graham Mertz looking like the present and future of the position for the next few years, Hill will probably need to bide his time before seeing the field unless he surpasses the current starter. After not taking a quarterback in the 2020 class, the pairing of Mertz and Hill will need to pan out, because there isn’t another scholarship player between them as a fallback option.

Rankings

247 Composite: 3 stars; grade: .8780; No. 483 player in the nation; No. 22 PS-QB; No. 40 CA

247 Sports: 4 stars; grade: 90; No. 14 Pro-style QB; No. 22 CA

Rivals: 4 stars; 5.7 rating; No. 21 Pro-style QB; No. 41 CA

ESPN: 3 stars; Grade: 75; No. 49 QB; No. 136 Regional; No. 84 CA

Verbally committed on June 25, 2019

Wisconsin took a chance with an early offer to Deacon Hill, his first scholarship offer for football despite only playing four games during his sophomore season. With very little film on Hill, assistant coach Jon Budmayr relied on what he saw from a Hill when he threw and projected out his progression.

Hill would go on to earn scholarship offers from Nevada and Kansas State following that initial offer from the Badgers. Wisconsin closed out his recruitment a little over a month later, representing the third prospect in the 2021 class to join the fold.

The decision by Budmayr proved to be a good one, as Hill’s stock has only increased after a huge junior season in which he led Santa Barbara High School to the state championship game while throwing for over 3100 yards and 33 touchdowns compared to only seven interceptions.

Despite a late offer by UCLA, where his three sisters all played water polo at, Hill stuck with his original decision and shut down his recruitment to become a Badger. With California high schools pushing football into the spring, Hill will finish out his senior season in the coming months before coming to Madison in the summer for enrollment.

Video highlights

Player bio (courtesy of UW Athletic Department)

• Four-star recruit by Rivals, three-star by 247 Sports and ESPN
• High school team will compete in the spring
• Invited to play in the 2021 Polynesian Bowl in Honolulu
• Named Santa Barbara News-Press All-County Offensive MVP as a junior
• Threw for 3,102 yards and 33 TDs and ran for 461 yards and 13 TDs
• Sister, Sami, won a gold medal in water polo with Team USA at 2016 Olympics