Interview with Talented 2019 Mission Viejo DE/TE Reece Hite

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG

There are few high school players across the country that are getting it done across the board the way Reece Hite is for Mission Viejo High School. The 6-4, 235-pound, defensive end worked his magic on the field against top Division-I California talent for 33 tackles, 20 solo, nine tackles for a loss, five sacks, and one fumble recovery through nine games played during a fantastic 12-1 season for the Diablos. Off the field, Hite is a standout in other ways carrying a 4.09 GPA with a 1310 scored on the SAT. The big play and hard work in the classroom has led to four offers thus far, Brown, Pennsylvania, Columbia, and Yale, with other top Division-I programs taking notice. In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I sat down with one of the rising star’s in the Golden State’s 2019 class to learn more about his game and recruiting process.

Interview

Reece, which game was your best last season?

“My best game last season was against Santa Margarita. That was my first game back off my injury.”

What did you do well in that game?

“My pass rush worked well, I was getting down line on down blocks, good pursuit of the ball. I had a lot of solo tackles in that game.”

You’re also listed as a tight end with the Diablos, how much tight end did you play last year?

“Last season, I played in one game in the playoffs to help. I will be starting at tight end this season.”

Are you excited about playing tight end in addition to defensive end?

“Yeah, I am very excited. I was playing receiver and defensive end as a freshman.”

Which is your favorite position?

“That’s a tough one. Right now, I’d say defensive end, but after a season at tight end that could change.”

How did your overall game improve last season?

“I was a lot faster off the edge last season. I worked on my hand fighting during the offseason and my overall understanding of the game grew a lot. I only started playing football in high school. My football IQ jumped a lot last season. That helped improve my game.”

What do you consider to be the strengths of your game?

“My strengths are my speed, I have more speed than most ends, my length – I can separate from tackles and push them back.”

What are you working on this offseason?

“I am doing a lot. I am bulking up in weight room, doing speed and quickness training, and a lot of hand fighting. I am working with Giant Skillz to train on that.”

Where are you seeing the biggest gains with your offseason workouts?

“I have gotten faster and I am a lot stronger, and I have put on some weight.”

Have you maxed out this spring?

“I have maxed out. My squat was 405 and my power clean is 270.”

Have you attended any camps or combines this spring?

“I competed at the Under Armour, Rivals Three-Stripe, and the Nike Opening Regional.”

Which was your best camp performance?

“My best camp was probably, all were pretty good, but I’d say the Three-Stripe camp.”

Nice. Which schools are showing interest you but have not offered yet?

“Cal, Arizona State, Northwestern, Purdue, Fresno State, Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, and Oregon State.”

How many offers do you have now?

“I have three.”

*Hite received offer No. 4 from Columbia on Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Have you visited any schools yet?

“I visited Northwestern during the season.”

Do you have any planned visits upcoming?

“I am planning on visiting Arizona State, Cal, and Stanford. I am also planning an east coast Ivy League loop next week.”

That’ll be fun. When you take the visits upcoming, what will be most important to you in your evaluation process of each school?

“Education. Education is very important to me. I want a good degree to prepare me for life after football. Having a connection with the coaches and the overall feel of the campus is important to me as well.

Do you have any college camps set for this summer or any you might attend?

“Colorado is coming out to So Cal, I am going to that camp, but aside from that, nothing is planned yet.”

Reece, thanks for your time today and good luck with all of your upcoming visits.

“Thank you.”

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Photo credit: hudl.com; No. 14 Reece Hite in action

Photo credit: twitter.com; No. 14 Reece Hite on the field