Brandon Hill chosen by Texans, 8th Pitt defensive back drafted in past 6 years
The list of Pitt defensive backs recruited and developed under coach Pat Narduzzi and eventually drafted by an NFL team grew by two to eight Saturday when the Houston Texans selected strong safety Brandon Hill in the seventh round (No. 249 overall).
Hill’s partner at safety, Erick Hallett II, was chosen by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round (208th).
Hill and Hallett were preceded by Pitt defensive backs Damarri Mathis, Jason Pinnock, Damar Hamlin, Dane Jackson, Jordan Whitehead and Avonte Maddox. All were drafted from 2018 through Saturday.
Hill (5-foot-10 5/8, 194 pounds) played five seasons at Pitt, initially making his mark as a redshirt freshman in a victory at Florida State in 2020. In his first collegiate start after Paris Ford left the team, Hill returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown, collected eight tackles and forced a fumble against Florida State. He also had eight tackles and a forced fumble the previous week against Notre Dame.
During the next two seasons, Hill played in 26 games, with 25 starts. Including the 2020 season, he ended his Pitt career with three interceptions, nine pass breakups, 175 tackles (three for a loss), three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. His 30-yard scoop and score last season helped Pitt avoid an upset loss to Duke.
He was second-team All-ACC in 2021 before earning honorable mention last season.
Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.
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