Interview: 2018 Arkansas QB Jaden Hill has Ashdown Firing on All Cylinders

Please help keep RecruitingNewsGuru.com FREE!

If RNG has helped you, a friend, or a family member through an article, video, or stylized interview with our countless hours of free promotion for high school, junior college, and college athletes – please donate. Any amount is appreciated!

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

There is nothing worse for a defensive coordinator than going up against a dual-threat quarterback who has control of his offense and weapons all over the field. Class of 2018 quarterback Jaden Hill has come out of the gates throwing the pigskin all over the yard helping Ashdown High School gel at the right time entering the heart of their conference schedule. The Panthers are one unit most teams do not want to play in 2016.

Signs of things to come took place during the 2015 season when Hill guided the Panthers to an 8-4 mark earning All-Conference and All-Area honors after passing for 1,069 yards with eight touchdowns adding 60 yards on the ground with seven scores. The game manager role has been put aside for a playmaker role lighting up opposing Arkansas defenses for 1,183 yards with 10 touchdowns via the Panthers air attack in just five games. As his skill set evolves, Hill’s ability to crush defenses in multiple ways grows as well. Through the same five games he has 167 yards on the ground off 22 carries with three additional scores.

Ashdown is sitting at 4-1 in a very competitive 4A classification with tough games coming up against Nashville and Robinson. The Panthers lost a tough 24-23 road game to Hamburg but have settled in winning their last two games. Going forward, Hill has the luxury of handing the ball off to Tre Green or dropping back finding four different receivers with double-digit receptions on the year. Montaric Brown (Arkansas commit) leads the team with 308 yards off 18 passes hauled in with two scores but Tajhnick Bishop is equally as dangerous with a team-high 23 receptions covering 285 yards with another team-high five touchdown receptions. Just when defenders thought it would be easier to lockdown two receivers, Ladarius Bishop has proven to be the most explosive Panther with 230 yards off 10 receptions with one score. When Green is not splitting the defensive front seven on the ground, he is challenging the back seven in the passing game pulling in 11 passes for 196 yards proving to be a true all-purpose running back.

Hill’s athletic ability transcends across different sports with the 6-3, 196 pound, rising star attracting as much attention on the diamond. The power pitcher hits 93 on the radar while mowing down batters earning baseball offers from Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, and Oklahoma. On the gridiron, Hill has offers from Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Monroe, and Missouri with new interest growing.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I sat down with Hill to get an overview on his junior season to date and a recruiting news update.

Interview

Jaden, how has your junior season gone so far?

“It is going great. We started off slow trying to find our offense. As the season has gone on, we have come together. On offense, we have found what we need to do succeed.”

What have you improved upon from your sophomore to junior season?

“Getting all of my receivers involved. All the guys have a couple of touchdowns and over 100 yards receiving. I’m reading defenses better and audibling at the line of scrimmage checking us into better plays.”

I was going to ask you about that. Looks like you are doing a great job of spreading the ball around with four receivers in double-digit receptions and one close with nine. Has that been a choice of yours to spread it around or are teams trying to take one receiver away opening it up for someone else?

“They have tried to take guys away. A couple of teams tried to take Montaric away, but we have four guys that are really good. All the other guys can get it done. You have to hold all four. Then you have to stop our running back if you drop a linebacker into coverage.”

Which parts of your game are you continuing to work on as the season goes along?

“I’m working on staying in the pocket more. I have gotten better on that. I’m working on being more elusive. I’ve added that to my game but I’m still working on in the pocket. My placing of the ball, placing it for the receivers, is something I am always working on.”

What is your game preparation each week?

“It depends on who we are playing. I watch a lot of film on Sunday. I do a lot of film and chalkboard work. I go out with receivers to work with them individually on how to run different routes against the defenses we are facing that week. That is the main way I prepare and a lot of film study.”

Are you happy with your personal performance on the field so far this year?

“Yeah, yeah I am. I am happy. I tell the guys I am never satisfied even if we win by 100 I will never be completely satisfied. There is always something you can do better. But overall I am very happy.”

Which game has been your best so far?

“The first game of the year (beat Monticello 28-14). That was the first time I threw for 300 yards in a game. That set the tone on passing for our team for the season.”

You have a game against Malvern on Friday, what kind of challenge does their defense pose for you?

“Their defensive line. Those guys all look 6-3, 6-4, and they are aggressive. They like to blitz a lot but they have some holes on defense when they blitz. Hopefully we can attack those holes. They have a running back coming back from injury and their QB is quick and shifty.”

You have big games ahead against Nashville (Oct. 14) and Robinson (Oct. 28). Are you getting excited about those two showdowns?

“Oh yeah. But right now we have to take each game one week at a time. I love the hype and being out there with all the whooping and hollering. That energizes me. We still have to beat Malvern. No matter what, we have to go week by week.”

You have a lot of offers in both football and baseball. Which schools have offered you for each sport?

“Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Monroe, and Missouri in football and Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, and Oklahoma in baseball. I’m talking to LSU and Alabama right now for baseball.”

Which schools are you talking to for football right now?

“Houston. Hopefully I will get to visit Houston for the Louisville game. I have been talking to North Carolina, Purdue, Louisiana Tech, and Missouri as well.”

Do you have any visits planned?

“I plan on attending LSU sometime this season. I want to watch them play. I’d like to see them against Alabama but it all depends on our schedule. If not during the season, then after the season. I’m going to Arkansas for the LSU game this year.”

The potential visits to LSU and Arkansas, is that for football or baseball?

“Both for baseball.”

How is everything going in the classroom for you so far this year?

“Everything in the classroom is going well. I had all A’s on my first report. I really like all my classes this year.”

Have you scheduled a time to take the ACT or SAT?

“I have not set a time yet. I think I am taking the next go around with the ACT.”

There are some great college games this weekend. Are there any that you are excited to see?

“The Arkansas/Alabama game. I was planning on going to that game but we are on the road this week. I learned the hard way about heading off to a game on Saturday after a Friday night road game.”

Jaden, good luck with the rest of your season and enjoy the game this weekend.

“Thank you.”

Photo credits: Quinton Bagely; Jaden Hill.