Jackson Hill flips commitment from UCLA to Notre Dame: 'I had to bet on myself'

West Hills (Calif.) Chaminade offensive lineman Jackson Hill has flipped his commitment from UCLA to Notre Dame. 

Hill is one of the top tackles out West and checks in with a high three-star 88 Rating and is the No. 42 player in the state by Rivals.com. 

He was one of our top performers at teh recent Under Armour Next Camp in Los Angeles and combines a prototype tackle frame at 6-foot-6.5, 300 pounds with an 84” wingspan and natural bend.

Hill committed to the Bruins back in early April and looked very solid in his commitment. That all changed after the Irish offered him three weeks ago. 

“Notre Dame is the only school I would have flipped from UCLA for,” Hill said. “It was a hard decision because I really love UCLA and the coaching staff. It was so hard to tell coach Hill and coach Chesney that I was making the change and going somewhere else.

“I have so much respect for those guys and I have no doubt they’re going to win. Coach Chesney is going to turn that program around it would have been fun to be a part of that but I had to make this move and I really feel it’s the best thing for me for what my goals are.”

Hill said he knows he’s taking a tougher road in a lot of ways. 

“I’m betting on myself,” Hill said. “Notre Dame only recruits four and five star offensive linemen. They recruit the best of the best and it might take a few years to get on the field but when I do play, I’m going to be ready. Coach (Joe) Rudolph is one of the best if not the best offensive line coaches in the country. 

“Notre Dame gets guys drafted every year and that development is what I’m looking for. I know it’s going to be tough and a struggle but that’s what I want. I don’t want the easy road, you don’t get better by taking the easy path. You have to fight and scratch and adapt when things are hard and that’s what I’m about.” 

Hill visited Notre Dame two weeks ago and was offered in-person on the visit. 

“Kenny Sanders (assistant GM) came to my school about three weeks ago,” Hill said. “Then I got a call from coach Rudolph saying they wanted me to come visit a week later to meet everyone. That’s short notice but we flew out there and spent all day, about 12 hours on campus. 

‘We met with coach Freeman, coach Rudolph, the OC, Mike Martin (GM), the support staff and just about everyone else. I toured the facilities, indoor and weight room and it was incredible. You can see why Notre Dame is so good. The commitment to win is crazy and you can just feel the tradition walking around the campus.”

A week later, Hill got a call from Freeman that sealed the deal. 

“He called from Korea,” Hill said. “That was crazy because he was out there with his family, all his kids and he’s taking time out to call me. He wanted to make the point that I’m good enough to play there and said he hasn’t heard coach Rudolph talk about many players the way he was talking about me.

“Like said, I’m not afraid of competition but at the same time, I know how hard it’s going to be. He made a point to say if they didn’t think I was good enough to play, they wouldn’t be recruiting me. It was shortly after that call, I called up coach Rudolph and told him I was ready to commit.”

Hill said he’s looking forward to seeing a new part of the country and even experiencing the four weather seasons.

“I actually like cold weather,” Hill said. “Now I know cold out here compared to cold out there is radically different. Cold here is in the 60s and it gets way lower out there but I’m excited for it. 

“I’m moving to a different part of the country but I can’t wait. I’m excited to see a different culture and shock my system a little. I’m going to learn how to handle life on my own but I really feel like I’m going to be better for it on and off the field.”