Washington Huskies land four-star defensive line commit JD Hill

DerekJohnson · 7:27AM

By Andy Yamashita Seattle Times staff reporter

Just a few months ago, JD Hill being in this position might’ve seemed unbelievable.

Back in July, when he initially committed to FCS Northern Arizona, his only FBS offers were from San Diego State and New Mexico. Less than four months later, Hill punctuated his meteoric rise through the recruiting rankings during a video posted on his Instagram account Thursday.

“I’ll be playing at the University of Washington,” he said. “Go Dawgs.”

Hill, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound defensive lineman from Mission Viejo, Calif., became the 21st player to join Washington’s 2026 recruiting class, choosing it out of a final two that also included West Virginia. Hill can officially join Washington during the early signing period that begins Dec. 3.

Hill is ranked as the No. 20 player in California, the No. 21 defensive lineman and the No. 181 player nationally by the 247Sports composite rankings. However, 247Sports’ own ratings are significantly higher on Hill, considering him the No. 13 defensive lineman, the No. 12 player in California and the No. 103 player in the country. Hill also held offers from Arizona State, Colorado, Miami, UCLA and Utah along with Washington and West Virginia.

A composite four-star prospect, Hill is the 10th blue-chip recruit to commit to the Huskies during the 2026 cycle — a group that includes Mission Viejo High teammate and composite four-star cornerback Jeron Jones. Hill is also Washington’s third defensive tackle commit, joining 6-3, 307-pound Tufanua Ionatana Umu-Cais out of Cherry Creek High in the Denver area and local prospect Ta’a Malu, a 6-3.5, 280-pound defensive lineman from the Annie Wright Schools in Tacoma.

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Hill’s commitment to UW comes after a remarkable rise in reputation among recruiting experts. A multisport athlete who also threw the discus and shot put and played basketball at Mission Viejo, Hill recorded 54 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss and nine sacks as a sophomore, according to MaxPreps. He added 90 tackles, 16.5 sacks, an interception and two forced fumbles as a junior, according to 247Sports.

Despite the undeniable production, however, Hill’s recruitment remained stagnant. He didn’t receive an FBS scholarship offer until San Diego State reached out in the middle of June, and on July 23, Hill committed to NAU. He entered his final season of high school football as the No. 1,223 prospect nationally, according to the composite rankings.

But Hill continued to produce as a senior. Through 11 games, he made 108 tackles including 25.5 for a loss, 13 sacks, three pass deflections and two forced fumbles, according to MaxPreps. Larger programs — finally — began to take notice.

Utah became the first Power Four program to offer Hill on Sept. 10. Arizona State, West Virginia, Miami and Colorado followed in the next few days, and Hill decommitted from NAU on Sept. 15. Washington was the last team to offer the Mission Viejo defensive lineman, reaching out Oct. 30. He was invited to the Navy All-America game Nov. 13.

Hill’s commitment is important for a Washington defensive line that will likely lose a host of defensive tackles following the 2025 season. Sixth-year nose tackle Logan Sagapolu and fifth-year nose tackle Simote Pepa will both exhaust their eligibility, along with senior defensive tackle Ta’ita’i Uiagalelei, who’s been one of the surprises of the season along the interior.

Senior defensive tackle Anterio Thompson also has a decision to make upon the season’s conclusion. He has technically played four seasons of college football: one at Iowa, one at Iowa Western Community College, one at Western Michigan and one at Washington.

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However, Thompson may have another season of eligibility after the NCAA’s decision to grant a waiver to former junior college athletes for 2025-26 following the court injunction granted to Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia before the season.

The NCAA hasn’t officially announced junior college seasons no longer count against its eligibility clock, but it’s hard to imagine it will suddenly prevent former junior college student-athletes from getting years back after letting them play this season. Thompson said Tuesday that he hasn’t made any decisions about his future, but he’d certainly consider a return to Washington in 2026 if allowed.

Along with a potential final season for Thompson, the rest of Washington’s defensive tackle group in 2026 will likely consist of experienced returners Bryce Butler, another nice surprise for UW this season who also has some junior college years he’d be able to get back; Elinneus Davis, who has 23 tackles and a pass breakup in 10 games; Armon Parker, who made his long-awaited UW debut this season but suffered another season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury before facing Purdue on Nov. 15; and Jayvon Parker, who missed essentially the entire 2025 season recovering from an Achilles tendon injury suffered in 2024.

Behind them, there’s the unproven group of youngsters that includes current redshirt freshman Omar Khan and true freshmen Caleb Smith and Dominic Macon. Khan is a former Kalen DeBoer recruit who’s played four defensive snaps in two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. Smith, who can also play edge rusher, and Macon, a highly touted high school wrestler, have not appeared in a game this season.

Umu-Cais is a composite three-star prospect, but is considered a four-star recruit by 247Sports. He’s the No. 5 player in Colorado. Malu is a composite three-star prospect and the No. 18 player in Washington.

Hill immediately becomes the fifth-highest-rated player in UW’s class, behind only Mater Dei High offensive lineman Kodi Greene, Valencia High running back Brian Bonner Jr., Kennedy Catholic High edge rusher Derek Colman-Brusa and McClymonds High defensive back Rahsjon Duncan.

“Likely to find a ton of success with inside games at the next level as he can slide through gaps while building momentum,” 247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins wrote about Hill. “Projects as a potential impact player for a College Football Playoff hopeful with multi-year starter upside that can bring valuable energy to a rotation.”

UW’s 2026 recruiting class

Name	Position	Composite rating	Height / Weight	School	Hometown
Kodi Greene	OT	★★★★★	6-6 / 320	Mater Dei	Renton, Wash.
Brian Bonner Jr.	RB	★★★★	6-0.5 / 185	Valencia	Valencia, Calif.
*Derek Colman-Brusa	EDGE	★★★★	6-5 / 267	Kennedy Catholic	Burien, Wash.
Rahsjon Duncan	CB	★★★★	6-1 / 186	McClymonds	Oakland, Calif.
JD Hill	DT	★★★★	6-2 / 275	Mission Viejo	Mission Viejo, Calif.
Gavin Day	S	★★★★	6-3 / 190	Faith Lutheran	Las Vegas, Nev.
Mason James	WR	★★★★	5-10.5 / 175	Norman North	Norman, Okla.
Dre Pollard	ATH	★★★★	6-0 / 175	Ed W. Clark	Las Vegas, Nev.
Derek Zammit	QB	★★★★	6-1 / 195	DePaul Catholic	Wayne, N.J.
Jeron Jones	CB	★★★★	6-0 / 165	Mission Viejo	Mission Viejo, Calif.

*local recruit

Andy Yamashita: ayamashita@seattletimes .com. Andy Yamashita is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times, primarily covering Washington Huskies football.