Young Hill helps Knights’ defense
Almost two months ago during the American Athletic Conference media day in Rhode Island, Jamiyus Pittman said he knew freshman defensive lineman Trysten Hill would be a star.
And the buzz surrounding Hill, a 6-foot-1, 295-pound defensive lineman from Live Oak Suwannee High who was once committed to Virginia and Georgia Tech, has proven out so far this season.
Hill, 18, has played a major role for a UCF defense that entered the week ranked No. 19 in the country among Football Bowl Subdivision teams. The transition from high school to the Football Bowl Subdivision level has been so seamless, in fact, that even Hill said he’s been surprised by the smooth jump.
“We’re playing lights out. That’s what we’re supposed to do, that’s what coach teaches us and that’s what everybody on the coaching staff teaches us,” Hill said.
Now, UCF (2-2) will count on young players like Hill to keep positive momentum going as the team prepares to open conference play this weekend at East Carolina (2-2).
While the Knights have already faced one of their toughest opponents on the schedule during a road loss to then-No. 5 Michigan, older players understand the increased challenges of conference play.
That task, of course, is slightly heightened against the Pirates, who suffered a heartbreaking 32-20 loss the last time the teams met in Greenville, N.C., courtesy Justin Holman’s 51-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to Breshad Perriman.
The scope of ECU’s crowd won’t be anything compared to 100,000-plus audience UCF faced at the Wolverines’ famed Big House. But the emotion from Pirates fans has potential to be much more visceral.
“All I told [Trysten] was this, [ECU is] the next game, so it’s important, but at the same time, you gotta know we’re trying to win this conference,” Pittman said. “I know he’s gonna go into this game with the same mindset, a good mindset just like these other few games before this. I just have faith in him. I feel like he handles himself well.”
Hill’s thirst for competition is probably his best quality, according to coaches and players.
Coaches are hoping the Knights’ steady during the first four games of the season will serve as a precursor of things to come during AAC contests. And for defensive line coach Mike Dawson, that means seeing continued growth out of his group, which includes young Hill.
“The thing about Trysten is that he’s very intelligent and he can pick up on the nuances of the game quickly, in particular for a young guy. I’m not saying he knows everything about it right now because he doesn’t, he still has a long way to go. But he at least puts himself in a position to know and understand what’s going on and he has a pretty good physical presence,” Dawson said.
“He’s bigger than a lot of freshmen in not just here, but in other places that I’ve seen and been, so he has a step ahead in the right direction that way.
“He takes great pride in what he’s doing and wants to be correct and won’t be the guy that’s not doing it correctly and holds himself to a high standard. So that combination of all those things puts him in a position to be able to contribute.”