Top-100 EDGE Justin Hill locks in commitment date

When speaking with On3’s Kyle Kelly last week, Cincinnati Winton Woods four-star EDGE Justin Hill said that he was eyeing a commitment on his birthday, July 3.

On Sunday, the touted defender confirmed those plans via social media. He will announce his college decision in less than two months and will choose between Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon and USC.

“I’m down to four main schools: Ohio State, Oregon, Alabama and USC, not in any order,” Hill told Kelly last weekend at the Under Armour camp in Canton, Ohio. “Those are the schools I’m kind of locking in on. I recently had Penn State in my top five but realized that I couldn’t take any more than four OVs before I commit. And I didn’t want to put that stress on my parents of doing [weekday] OVs because that gets tiring. I’ve had a weekend visit there. So I just cut it down to those four.”

Official visits will begin at the end of the month, as he’ll begin with his latest trip to Columbus from May 31-June 2. He’ll then head out west to Los Angeles for the June 7 weekend. Tuscaloosa will follow on June 14 before Hill rounds things out with a trip to Eugene on June 21. His commitment will come soon after.

“I’m just trying to be 100 percent,” Hill said. “This is probably the hardest choice I’ve made so far throughout my life, and I don’t want to mess up. I know the transfer portal is a thing but I don’t feel like I’m the guy to jump from school to school. I feel like loyalty is a big thing.”

Hill took spring visits to each of his four contenders — most recently an April trip to Bama. Ohio State is currently trending to land the in-state blue-chipper, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). Back in March, On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons became the latest to log a pick in favor of the Buckeyes.

Hill is the No. 96 overall prospect and No. 14 EDGE in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 5 player in Ohio.

On3 ranks Hill higher than other recruiting services. He checks in at No. 52 overall, No. 7 at his position and No. 2 in Ohio in the updated 2025 On300.