Last season as a member of the Virginia Tech Hokies, senior DE Trevon Hill kicked off his 2018 season with a bang by racking up 3 TFL and 2 sacks on the Florida State Seminoles during VT’s season-opening win in Tallahassee. After grad-transferring to Miami over the offseason with immediate eligibility, one of the newest Hurricanes is looking for another fast start to his season against the #8 ranked Florida Gators in 5 days.
“I want to pretty much level up from where I was last year - I started off pretty good, so I just want to start off even greater this year,” Hill said. “I just try to approach every day with a positive attitude, just come out here and go to work every day and just strive to be great.”
After graduating from Virginia Tech, Hill officially transferred to Miami over the summer, but was only cleared to participate in team activities by the NCAA a few days before fall camp started. Hill says that while he’s still getting back into playing shape, he’s confident that Miami’s deep rotation at defensive end will supplement his abilities.
“I feel like I’m pretty conditioned as far as a 5-play drive,” Hill said. “But once you get into 6, 7 plays, then that’s when I start to feel like I’ve got to get out, but I feel like that’s pretty normal. And with the rotation we have with (Jon) Garvin, (Scott) Patchan, (Greg) Rousseau, I feel like that’s going to be a great thing for me… I think if we come out here and work every day and reach our full potential, then it’s going to be a special year for all of us.”
In his transition to Miami from Virginia Tech, Hill credits his teammates for helping him along to understand the differences in the style of play that’s expected by the coaching staff at UM compared to what he’s been used to at Virginia Tech. As Hill has mostly worked on the second team this fall, becoming more familiar with these changes is what he feels is holding him back from a starting job.
“I’ve just been working on the techniques that are different from Virginia Tech that have been embedded in me the last 3 and a half years,” Hill said. “I picked up on a lot of things that I didn’t know from these guys, techniques that I wasn’t taught at Virginia Tech that I’m learning here now… Some of the hand techniques, some of the tackling techniques that they do differently… But other than that, (the new defense) is not too much - I’m a veteran guy, I pretty much know how to work a defense. It’s not too much different, just terminology. Overall, it’s been a great experience and now I have different tools under my toolbelt.”
Two weekends back, Hill took another step forward to being 100% comfortable in Miami’s defense, and was singled out by head coach Manny Diaz as a top defender in UM’s second scrimmage; Hill recorded 2 sacks in the outing.
“I feel like I did pretty good. I could’ve done some things better,” Hill said. “I’m never satisfied with anything, honestly. If I had 2 sacks, I want 5 sacks. If I had 5, then I want 10. I’m never satisfied with anything in life.”
In 30 games played and 17 starts for the Hokies over the past three seasons, Hill has already been one of the more productive defensive ends in the ACC, and has racked up 20 TFL and 11.5 sacks. However, in his final season of college ball, making the leap to the top of the conference and national leaderboards are some of his priorities.
“I have a lot of goals,” Hill said of 2019. “To name some - #1 ACC prospect, best defensive end in the country, sack leader on the team, sack leader in the ACC, and potentially the sack leader of the country.”
The Hurricanes are breaking in two freshman tackles this season and Hill gave his thoughts on how Zion Nelson and John Campbell are progressing.
“I think they’re pretty good, but at the end of the day we all have something to work on,” Hill said. “I have things to work on too – I’m not going to say I’m at my greatest every day, but that’s why we come to work every day, to get better.”
With the August 24th matchup against the Gators looming, Hill gave some of his takes on what he’s seen from Florida’s offense so far on film.
“They like to run Feleipe Franks a lot, especially in the red zone,” Hill said of UF. “I watched them a little bit in the summer time, watched the spring game - really wasn’t that impressed with the O-Line, but I respect all my opponents. I’m ready to get out there and play these boys and see what they’re about.”
And his prediction for how the game is going to go?
“We’re going to see when we get out on that field, ain’t going to be much talking right now.”
“I want to pretty much level up from where I was last year - I started off pretty good, so I just want to start off even greater this year,” Hill said. “I just try to approach every day with a positive attitude, just come out here and go to work every day and just strive to be great.”
After graduating from Virginia Tech, Hill officially transferred to Miami over the summer, but was only cleared to participate in team activities by the NCAA a few days before fall camp started. Hill says that while he’s still getting back into playing shape, he’s confident that Miami’s deep rotation at defensive end will supplement his abilities.
“I feel like I’m pretty conditioned as far as a 5-play drive,” Hill said. “But once you get into 6, 7 plays, then that’s when I start to feel like I’ve got to get out, but I feel like that’s pretty normal. And with the rotation we have with (Jon) Garvin, (Scott) Patchan, (Greg) Rousseau, I feel like that’s going to be a great thing for me… I think if we come out here and work every day and reach our full potential, then it’s going to be a special year for all of us.”
In his transition to Miami from Virginia Tech, Hill credits his teammates for helping him along to understand the differences in the style of play that’s expected by the coaching staff at UM compared to what he’s been used to at Virginia Tech. As Hill has mostly worked on the second team this fall, becoming more familiar with these changes is what he feels is holding him back from a starting job.
“I’ve just been working on the techniques that are different from Virginia Tech that have been embedded in me the last 3 and a half years,” Hill said. “I picked up on a lot of things that I didn’t know from these guys, techniques that I wasn’t taught at Virginia Tech that I’m learning here now… Some of the hand techniques, some of the tackling techniques that they do differently… But other than that, (the new defense) is not too much - I’m a veteran guy, I pretty much know how to work a defense. It’s not too much different, just terminology. Overall, it’s been a great experience and now I have different tools under my toolbelt.”
Two weekends back, Hill took another step forward to being 100% comfortable in Miami’s defense, and was singled out by head coach Manny Diaz as a top defender in UM’s second scrimmage; Hill recorded 2 sacks in the outing.
“I feel like I did pretty good. I could’ve done some things better,” Hill said. “I’m never satisfied with anything, honestly. If I had 2 sacks, I want 5 sacks. If I had 5, then I want 10. I’m never satisfied with anything in life.”
In 30 games played and 17 starts for the Hokies over the past three seasons, Hill has already been one of the more productive defensive ends in the ACC, and has racked up 20 TFL and 11.5 sacks. However, in his final season of college ball, making the leap to the top of the conference and national leaderboards are some of his priorities.
“I have a lot of goals,” Hill said of 2019. “To name some - #1 ACC prospect, best defensive end in the country, sack leader on the team, sack leader in the ACC, and potentially the sack leader of the country.”
The Hurricanes are breaking in two freshman tackles this season and Hill gave his thoughts on how Zion Nelson and John Campbell are progressing.
“I think they’re pretty good, but at the end of the day we all have something to work on,” Hill said. “I have things to work on too – I’m not going to say I’m at my greatest every day, but that’s why we come to work every day, to get better.”
With the August 24th matchup against the Gators looming, Hill gave some of his takes on what he’s seen from Florida’s offense so far on film.
“They like to run Feleipe Franks a lot, especially in the red zone,” Hill said of UF. “I watched them a little bit in the summer time, watched the spring game - really wasn’t that impressed with the O-Line, but I respect all my opponents. I’m ready to get out there and play these boys and see what they’re about.”
And his prediction for how the game is going to go?
“We’re going to see when we get out on that field, ain’t going to be much talking right now.”
