USF Athletics

Bull In The Spotlight: Matthew Hill

October 21, 2021

USF (1-5; 0-2 American) vs Temple (3-3; 1-1 American)
Saturday, Oct. 23 • 7:00 P.M. •  Tampa, Fla. • Raymond James Stadium (65,857)
SURFACE: Tifway Bermuda
TV: ESPN+: Courtney Lyle (p-by-p) & Brandon Weeden (analyst) 
RADIO: 95.3 FM WDAE
AUDIO STREAM: iHeartRadio - Bulls Unlimited1
SERIES: Temple leads, 5-2
IN TAMPA: USF leads, 2-1
IN PHILADELPHIA: Temple leads, 4-0
LAST: Temple won, 39-37, in Philly in 2020
STREAK: Temple has won three straight
GAME NOTES (PDF)

By Joey Johnston

USF sophomore strong safety Matthew Hill knows what it's like to be on top. He was all-everything in high school – a big-play receiver who also worked on defense, a national top-100 prospect and a guy who had his pick of colleges.

Hill also knows what life looks like from the bottom, when nothing seems to click, your confidence is shattered and you are forgotten. Those times when the people back home wonder if you're still on the team. That's when anxiety and depression aren't just words. They are part of your daily existence.

"I wasn't sure if I wanted to play football anymore,'' Hill said, speaking about the end of his three-year tenure at Auburn University, where he barely made a ripple.

As it turns out, that old saying was always right. It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters. Hill has responded in the best way possible, using Auburn as a learning experience while moving on to find a new home at USF and becoming an invaluable part of the Bulls' defense.

Hill has played nearly every snap at strong safety this season, twice leaving the field only when compelled to because his helmet was knocked off. He's tied for the team lead in tackles (39) and had an interception in the first college game he ever started in the season-opener at NC State.

"My first snap of defense in college,'' Hill said. "There wasn't much time to think about it. I've been on the go ever since.''

The Bulls (1-5, 0-2 American Athletic Conference) will again be counting on Hill when they face the Temple Owls (3-3, 1-1) in Saturday night's game at Raymond James Stadium. That's nothing new. He likes that responsibility.

"I'm grateful for it,'' Hill said. "It's an opportunity. It's what you came here to do. I earned it.

"At Auburn, I messed up my opportunities. The coaches couldn't trust me. I wasn't doing the small things. When I came to USF, I told myself the small things are going to be big things for me. These coaches are going to be able to trust me. I don't care if they want me to babysit their kid or watch their dog, I'm going to do it. I'm going to be there for them.''

USF coach Jeff Scott said he's pleased with Hill's progress.

"As coach, you're looking for them giving effort,'' Scott said. "Do they continue (to play hard) even when they get beat on a play? Do they come back and make the next play? That's what you build off of. As a coach, you appreciate that effort and that's what Matt Hill gives us.

"Has Matt been perfect? No. But nobody works harder, nobody wants to improve more, nobody comes back and watches it on video more and nobody swings harder than Matt Hill. That's why we're encouraged. I can't wait to see the progress Matt Hill makes during his whole career here.''

When Hill arrived at Auburn, he understandably played behind Ryan Davis, who would become the school's all-time leading receiver. But as time passed, Hill seemed to be running in place, even losing ground. It no longer mattered that he was a four-star prospect out of Brockwood High School in Lawrenceville, Ga., one of the best to emerge from Gwinnett County in suburban Atlanta. At Auburn, he became just another guy.

It was a far cry from his high-school days, when his every move was well-chronicled. He made the prestigious Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11 preseason team among the best players in Georgia, sharing a spot with Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, now highly touted NFL rookie quarterbacks.

Hill redshirted at Auburn, then mostly served as a reserve wide receiver and special-teams player. He had eight receptions in his second full season, including two catches in a riveting 48-45 victory against Alabama, a result that knocked the Crimson Tide out of the College Football Playoff and sent Auburn to Tampa's Outback Bowl.

In 2020, Auburn converted Hill to defensive back, a challenging enough transition. Then came COVID-19 and a splintered season. Hill played in three games, all on special teams, then entered the transfer portal. The USF connection? Hill had considered Clemson, where Scott was an assistant coach, where they liked him better as a defensive back.

"I was in a dark place mentally,'' Hill said. "I went through a little phase of anxiety and depression because of who I was in high school and who I was at the moment at Auburn. I felt I should've gotten a few more snaps. I wasn't playing at all. Rightly or wrongly, you tend to make your identity into how you're doing in football because that's how you're known.

"It showed me reality. It showed me life. Adversity hits whenever it wants to. And it hits like a truck. I'm so thankful I found a great new place at USF and I'm happy again. We're going to work through this and get this team right. I know what it's like to battle through hard times.''

Hill was still learning the nuances of his new role, ready to split time with fellow transfer Will Jones II, in the final practice before the season-opener. Then Jones tore his ACL in a non-contact drill during the practice's final 10 minutes. Hill knew instantly.

"I was right in front of it when it happened,'' Hill said. "I was honestly speechless. My jaw dropped. It wasn't a good thing. I was sick. But that's what happens in this game. No matter what, you keep going.''

It changed Hill's role, but he has been up for the challenge.

"They ask a lot of Matt Hill at that strong safety position, but one thing I can say is Matt Hill never backs down from anything,'' USF defensive back Vincent Davis said. "He gives the full-speed effort we need. You can see it play after play. I want to be there on the field with that guy.''

Hill has been the constant in a secondary that has played at times without many of its projected starters, due to injuries to Jones, Christian Williams and TJ Robinson.

"What I found out was with the position I play — and in life, too — you've got to keep moving, no matter what,'' Hill said. "It's all short-term memory and I struggle with it a little bit. When you're a receiver, you just run your route. On defense, you've got to watch the run, get the coverages right, a lot more responsibility.

"But I'm good with it. I love being part of this team. I want to be perfect, but I know that nobody's perfect. I'm playing the whole way. If you beat me, I'm coming for you on the next play. It's all going to get better. It's different for me now. I can see the light.''

From a dark place to sunshine, Hill has found himself.