Hill excited about upcoming visit

It's been a busy week so far for Oakland (Calif.) McClymonds defensive lineman Derrick Hill. Hill has been entertaining colleges on home visits, preparing for the city title game later tonight and looking forward to his official visit to USC this weekend.

Hill, 6-1, 280 pounds hosted Arizona this past Sunday night, the first night college coaches were allowed to come in for in-home visits.

"I really like Arizona a lot," Hill said. "My whole family does, when they talk to me, they're not just talking to me about football but talk a lot about academics and the school itself and I like that about them. I can tell they're making me a priority and have been recruiting me harder than anyone right now."

On Monday, Cal and Oregon dropped by and Hill said USC will be coming over next Thursday.

"All the visits have been great so far," Hill added. "Cal and Oregon are great schools and have everything I could want in a college. I loved my trip to Oregon and felt right at home there. It's a lot different than city life, which is what I'm used to being from Oakland, but I just liked how peaceful it was and how friendly everyone is out there.

"Cal is a school I've liked for a long time. They were the first to offer me back when I was a sophomore and I've been going to their camps forever. I'm taking a visit there on (Dec. 9) and that will be my last trip. I should be ready to make my decision shortly after my last visit."

This weekend, Hill will be visiting USC and he said he can't wait.

"I'm most excited about seeing the game," Hill said. "I've heard a lot about the rivalry with UCLA and I think it's going to be a crazy atmosphere there. I've been to Cal-Stanford games and on my trip to Oregon, they played their rival, Oregon State but I think this game will be a lot more intense. There is so much riding on this game and both teams having just one loss between them, I just can't wait for that.

"I camped at USC this summer but this time, I'll be able to spend more time with the coaches and see more of the city. I'm mainly interested in how I fit in there and if I'll be comfortable living there in Los Angeles. I love the football team and the coaches. I think I'll be able to play early at any of the schools I'm looking at right now so depth charts aren't an issue, the main thing for me is just seeing where will I be most comfortable away from the football field as just a regular student."

Later tonight, the Warriors will play Oakland Tech for the city championship. McClymonds beat Oakland Tech 32-14 just a few weeks ago.

"For some reason, those guys are still talking like crazy," Hill said. "We hammered them but they're acting like they won or something so we can't wait for the game tonight. We played in the city finals last year but lost to Skyline so this is my last chance at a championship and I can't wait for game time."