Columbus High School senior Kylin Hill feels good about his future after giving a verbal commitment to Mississippi State earlier this summer.
For Hill, the present is pretty bright as well.
Columbus begins the season as one of the favorites for the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A championship. A large reason for that is the 5-foot-11, 210-pound running back.
“Really, my focus right now is on winning the state championship and school,” Hill said. “I am looking forward to making the most out of my senior year. My teammates and my coaches are pushing me to do great things. As a team, we are going to try to do great things. It is an exciting time to be around this program.”
During his junior campaign, Hill, the Dispatch’s Large Schools Player of the Year in 2015, ran for 1,801 yards and 18 touchdowns. In the receiving department, Hill had 21 catches for 336 yards and three touchdowns.
“In a lot of ways, it feel like we are just getting started,” Hill said. “Last year was good, but this year, we want to do even better. We are trying to change the attitude about Columbus football. We have worked really hard. The summer has been really good. More players than ever before have been in the weight room, lifting, working out, becoming brothers. The chemistry is good. I think you will see that carry over to the field on Friday nights.”
Columbus finished 8-4 a season ago. The eight wins were the second most in program history. Columbus made it back to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. The year ended with a 56-42 home loss to Clinton in the first round.
In the loss, Hill did his part with 382 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Hill also had two kick-return touchdowns in a win over Kemper County. For the season, Hill had four games of 200 yards or more.
“Man, it was crazy,” Columbus junior wide receiver Kenneth Martin said. “Clinton tried all night to stop him and couldn’t do it. It was a lot of fun to watch. This year, we know defenses will be more keyed in on trying to stop Kylin. That is when we have to do our work. We have to hit some passes in the passing game, so they respect us. With all of the attention going to the running game, that should open up some holes. We know every Friday night what Kylin is going to do.”
This season, Hill will be out to show more versatility. He already proved he was a dangerous target out of the backfield on some pass plays a season ago. As senior quarterback C.J. Gholar continues to grow and develop as a passer, Hill will help take the load off his close friend by running the football with authority.
“We have played together forever,” Gholar said. “When you start feeling that (Hill) is heating up, you go to him more. The amazing thing is running just as hard on the 20th carry as he is on the first one of the game. It’s great to have him in backfield with me. Even if it is long yardage we need, you feel like he is going to break a long one. Anytime he touches the ball, he can score.”
A four-star prospect by 247, Hill is ranked as the second best running back in the state and fourth best player overall. An impressive performance at last season’s Big Dawg Camp opened the door for an official offer from MSU. The 247 site lists nine offers for Hill.
“Kylin is strong physically and mentally,” Columbus third-year coach Randal Montgomery said. “He can do so many different things with the football. We look forward to using him in even more ways then we did a year before.”
For Hill, the pressure is now off with the commitment to his hometown university in the books. West Point junior Marcus Murphy soon followed and also committed to the Bulldogs. For Columbus, defensive end Tahj Sykes has committed to Southern Mississippi.
“I really wanted it over with as soon as possible,” Hill said. “The recruiting process was fun but I knew in my heart what I wanted to do. Now, it’s time to focus on playing football and making good grades. Last season, we got better each week. This season, we want to do the same.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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