Hill named SBLive Mississippi POTY, reveals All-American jersey

Dec. 9—Meridian High School's do-it-all athlete Daniel Hill had a big season for the Wildcats on the football field, and he was recognized last week for his efforts this fall. Hill was named SBLive's Mississippi Player of the Year on Tuesday before unveiling his All-American Bowl jersey on Friday.

Hill said his focus this season was on being the best version of himself so that he could help lead his team to the playoffs, which the Wildcats accomplished for the first time since 2017. In his Player of the Year article, SBLive's Tyler Cleveland wrote that Hill individually elevated his team more than any other player in Mississippi and cited Hill's 2,064 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns, 240 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns, as well as his three passing touchdowns.

"Being named SBLive's Player of the Year is really humbling, and I give a lot of thanks to God," Hill said. "I've always been a player able to do multiple things on the field, but there was something about this season I just felt like I had to take my play to a different level."

Hill said he is not mad about Meridian's road loss to eventual champion Oak Grove in the second round of the Class 7A playoffs because his primary goal this season was to leave Meridian in a good spot with another playoff berth.

"Daniel was just a great player for us, great leader, and all the awards and accolades he is getting right now are very deserved," former Meridian football coach Marcus Boyles said. "He was definitely a huge part of our offense for sure."

Hill is a multi-sport athlete that has excelled in football, track and powerlifting in his time at Meridian High, and Boyles deployed him on the football field as a multi-position player that could often be found running the ball out of the backfield, throwing from the pocket, catching passes while lined up out wide and returning kicks.

Hill, who 247Sports has labeled a four-star athlete, is listed as a wide receiver for the All-American Bowl. He said he is looking forward to showing his skills off and proving that he belongs among the best in the country in front of a national audience.

"It gives me an opportunity to show me where I'm really at," Hill said. "The rankings have me high, this and that, but when I'm actually there playing against the top-ranked players in the country, it gives me the opportunity to show how good I really am."

The Meridian senior, who's father Demetrius Hill was named an All-American in 1985 for his performance for Meridian's football team, said he has always wanted to be named an All-American. The younger Hill said his time at Meridian High has meant everything to him, and everything he did on the field was for the city he grew up in.

"We've got to keep the legacy going," Daniel Hill said on joining the ranks of the All-Americans. "My little brothers are coming below me, so we've got to keep it going."

Dane Hill, a junior on Meridian's varsity football team, said having two All-American family members has instilled a lot of pride in his family, and it has given Daniel's younger brothers something to chase after. Grant Hill, an eighth grader who plans to play for Meridian next season, said his older brother's accomplishments are very inspiring and motivating, and he hopes to achieve as much or more in his own high school career.

"We have a picture of him with a football and the All-American plaque from the year that I won it, and he has really worked hard and proved the point he's an All-American guy," Demetrius Hill said on his son being named an All-American. "I knew that was going to happen at some point when he started playing because he stood out in everything he did. He worked hard and never looked back and always wanted to prove that he can be that guy, and at this point he's that guy."

Steve Wiltfong, 247Sports' director of recruiting, reported on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Nov. 7 that Daniel Hill will make his college commitment at the All-American Bowl during a NBC broadcast on Jan. 6. Wiltfong wrote that Hill will have Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee hats on the table.

"It really just all lined up, honestly," Daniel Hill said on announcing his college decision at the All-American Bowl. "That's a perfect way to end high school in general, being able to make my announcement on national T.V. in the most prestigious All-American game you can play in."

Hill is a sought-after prospect with offers from all around the country, including Oregon, Michigan, Florida State and multiple Southeastern Conference schools. He said he is looking to go to a program where he can truly make a difference.

"With my skill set and how bad that I want to win, if we put a certain amount of players around me that want the same thing, I feel like we can all come together as a whole and change a program," Daniel Hill said. "I feel like with my skillset and how hard I work, nobody knows how good I can be, so if I go to college and get around the right people that push me hard enough, I feel like I can change everything about a program."

Contact Christian Knox at cknox@themeridianstar.com