One of the more intriguing Irish prospects in the 2023 class, two-way athlete Brandyn Hillman made his commitment official.
Hillman hails from Portsmouth, Virginia, and played for Churchland High School. He signed his national letter of intent Wednesday to play at Notre Dame.
Hillman was a late add to this class for the Irish. He visited Notre Dame for the Stanford game in October, but he followed that by unofficially visiting Virginia Tech and North Carolina. He also officially visited Kentucky. Most analysts predicted Hillman to end up at Virginia Tech, but on Dec. 7, he committed to Marcus Freeman and the Irish.
Hillman spent most of high school as a dual-threat quarterback and defensive back. He was the Virginia Class 4 Region A Player of the Year in 2021. Additionally, Hillman threw and rushed for over 1,000 yards each in both of his final two seasons. As a senior, he accounted for 33 all-purpose touchdowns, notching 11 scores through the air and 22 on the ground. He threw for 1,312 yards and added 1,236 on the ground. He was not only a first-team all-region quarterback this season, but a second-team all-region defensive back. Hillman was also the offensive player of the year in the region again in 2022.
Several schools recruited Hillman as a defensive back, while Virginia Tech pursued the three-star as a quarterback. Many consider defensive back to be Hillman’s long-term fit, but both offense and defense remain viable options. As for Notre Dame, it’s a little undecided where he could see playing time.
Depth concerns at wide receiver and safety could give Hillman an early opportunity at playing at either of those positions. With a dual-threat quarterback already rostered in Tyler Buchner, Hillman is unlikely to see time under center. Hillman could also feature at cornerback and running back, although the Irish are currently deeper with younger talent at both of those positions.
Hillman joins defensive end Armel Mukam as the only other recruit from Virginia in this class for Notre Dame. Although a lower-graded recruit, Hillman’s versatility and explosiveness could earn him a role early in his collegiate career.
