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What Texas and Texas A&M need to do to land five-star LB Anthony Hill

Denton (Texas) Ryan five-star linebacker Anthony Hill dropped his final two on Wednesday afternoon as Texas and Texas A&M will tap into their deep-rooted rivalry to go head-to-head for one of the Lone Star State's best.

Hill is coming off of four official visits in the month of June with the last being to Texas this past weekend where momentum and buzz swirled around Austin after the commitment of Arch Manning.

"It definitely stood out," Hill said about the visit. "They showed what type of family atmosphere it's gonna be when I get there. I know a lot of the freshmen that were incoming there and it just looks like a big bond. I talked to (linebackers coach Jeff Choate) talking about football and a little bit of everything, just trying to get to know them more. I feel like last year is not the type of program they're gonna be. With all of the development that they showed us this weekend and the things they've been doing, it's a big part of believing in the coaching staff."

However, Texas A&M has been the mainstay in his recruitment since almost the beginning as the Aggies have made major impacts through Jimbo Fisher, linebackers coach Tyler Santucci and newly-hired defensive coordinator DJ Durkin.

"The culture and what they did on defense last year definitely," Hill said to AggieYell.com about what stands out about the Aggies.

With only two schools left in contention, what does each need to do to land the coveted five-star? Let's discuss.

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TEXAS A&M

The Aggies have the advantage of having the longer, more impactful relationship with Hill going back to when he was a freshman. Multiple staffers have gone all-in on Hill, and despite last year's record-shattering class for Texas A&M, there is a hole at the linebacker position that Hill would be able to solve day-one.

What Texas A&M needs to do is to get him back on campus in late July, as planned, for the Aggies' annual pool party. That visit could be the last shot the Aggies get at halting Texas' momentum in this recruitment before a decision. A thought-out plan on how Hill can come in and play immediately would jump out to the family, but re-establishing and furthering his relationship with Santucci and especially Durkin could go a long way in helping to secure his pledge.

The vision is already sold, as the Aggies have arguably more talent on campus than any other program in the country. It will ultimately come down to proving it on the field early in the fall.

TEXAS

Texas is on a heater on the recruiting trail unlike anything seen in the 2023 recruiting cycle, and the fact that they were even able to make as much buzz as they did with Hill coming out of the visit is a victory in itself. However, there is still work to be done to beat the Aggies.

Texas needs this to extend into the fall as Texas A&M will secure an official visit at some point, also with on-field production possibly being what could help either school potentially win the battle. Getting Hill back to Austin during the fall would also be crucial as the five-star has multiple former high school and 7-on-7 teammates on the Texas team, and those relationships would only further develop for a game visit. Furthermore, Hill is already guaranteed one more visit to College Station and could make it two if he decides to use his last official in the fall.

While sources have told Rivals that Hill is believing in Steve Sarkisian moving forward, the vision has to be crystal-clear to earn his commitment.

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