Elbert Hill, a five-star recruit, is expected to join the Ohio State Buckeyes. Target: Oregon Ducks
Five-star cornerback recruit Elbert Hill is being courted by the Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks for his commitment. Hill is ranked as the top cornerback in the class of 2026 and the 15th overall prospect in the country. Hill is expected to pledge to Ohio State, under coach Ryan Day, rather than Oregon, under coach Dan Lanning.
Five-star cornerback recruit Elbert Hill is being courted by the Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks for his commitment. In the class of 2026, Hill is ranked as the top cornerback, the 15th best prospect in the country, and the top player in Ohio.
The defensive back, who stands 5’10” and weighs 175 pounds, has already made two trips to Eugene and coach Dan Lanning. Hill has made the most trips to Ryan Day’s Buckeyes, but he has also visited the Michigan Wolverines team.
Hill is particularly interested in the in-state Buckeyes football team, according to Archbishop Hoban of Ohio, and On3 has recorded an early prediction that Hill will commit to Ohio State.
The top athlete has been offered by around 30 schools, including USC, Alabama, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, and Tennessee.
It would be a huge addition to Oregon’s 2026 recruiting class, which currently leads college football with 10 commits, if Lanning can sign Hill from Big Ten foe Ohio State.As one of the top pass breakers of the evening, Hill was a highlight of Oregon’s Saturday Night Live showcase, which took place over the summer at Autzen Stadium and included visits from the Ducks when they hosted the Maryland Terrapins.
Hill remarked, “(Lanning) is a good coach,” “He’s building something special at Oregon.”
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Penn State is also considered a serious contender along with Oregon and Ohio State to land the recruit. Hill narrowed his list of potential schools to 10 in September: Ohio State, Tennessee, Oregon, Michigan, Texas A&M, USC, Alabama, Notre Dame, Penn State and UCLA.
“At this time, there isn’t a specific timeline,” Hill stated on3. “I really just want to see all of my options, go on a few official visits, and by the time I enter my senior year next year, I’ll probably be committed.”
The Ducks and Lanning have excelled in their first season in the Big Ten Conference. Before the season, Lanning talked about the recruiting advantages to competing in one of the most prestigious conferences and experiencing news venues and traditions.
“No. 1 (advantage) is having a clear vision of our future. Obviously this is a premiere league in college football and getting to be apart of that, to be apart of some of those storied traditions,” said coach Lanning. “I’m really excited about going to some venues that we haven’t experienced.”
“It also gives us an opportunity,” Lanning continued. “We’ve always been a team that has recruited nationally but it has certainly made our footprint stronger here in the Midwest. Where that is states in the area that we had not tapped into as much. It gives us the opportunity to recruit those kids.”
Oregon and Ohio State are battling on the recruiting trail and also will face each other in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 in the College Football Playoff.
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