Once a player commits to a school like UCLA, it can be hard to turn their back on the glitz and glamor of Los Angeles. The pull of L.A. is especially strong for someone like 3-star offensive line prospect Jackson Hill, who grew up just about a half hour away from the Westwood campus in West Hills, California. However hard it might have been to resist the pull, Hill managed to do it on Thursday morning when he decommitted from Bob Chesney and the Bruins and instead flipped to Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame. In doing so, Hill talked about how much he felt he belonged in South Bend.
Jackson Hill explains why Notre Dame football felt like a better fit than UCLA
“It’s just a better fit for me,” Hill told Irish Sports Daily just ahead of his announcement. “I was talking with my coaches and teachers - even Coach (Joe) Rudolph was saying, ‘You fit into my o-line room. You’re Notre Dame goofy.’ That was funny to me, but I know what he’s saying.”
Fit isn’t just about whether he could be part of the next edition of Rudolph’s “Band of Brothers.” Hill knows there needs to be a mesh with his academic abilities. Certainly, Notre Dame fits that bill better than UCLA.
“Academically, I fit better with these guys, which will ultimately make it feel more like home,” Hill explained. “It’s far away and it’s a lot different than California. Notre Dame has fantastic schooling. It’s the golden standard of what a degree means. It’s a very powerful degree.”
Hill committed to UCLA on April 4, picking the Bruins over Oregon State, Colorado State, UNLV, Nevada, San Diego State, and a few Ivy League schools. He added an offer from Stanford on May 5, but a few days later, On3’s Mike Singer says Hill privately committed to Notre Dame after a quiet recruiting process with the Irish staff.
BREAKING: Class of 2027 OT Jackson Hill has Flipped his Commitment from UCLA to Notre Dame, he tells me for @Rivals⁰⁰The 6’7 305 OT had been Committed to the Bruins since April 4th
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 14, 2026
“The work isn’t done.”⁰⁰https://t.co/B1x46VFXGJ pic.twitter.com/QA91hYAUoU
Jackson Hill adds to Notre Dame football’s growing 2027 offensive line haul
The 3-star offensive lineman isn’t all that highly ranked among his contemporaries when it comes to the Rivals industry rankings, but he’s clearly impressed the Irish. ND hadn’t really recruited him until about a month ago and then once Freeman, Rudolph and the rest of the staff got into the action, they made a strong impression.
For a player garnering Ivy League offers alongside Notre Dame, intellect and intelligence rate high. Hill believes he sees a high level of both from the guys he’s hung out with from the Irish, as well as the man who will be his position coach.
“He’s incredibly smart,” Hill told Singer about Rudolph. “You can see the emphasis and detail he puts into his coaching. His message is focused on doing the little things right, and they will add up. I see him as someone who has high integrity and will coach me well, while also taking care of me off the field.”
With Jackson Hill now officially in the fold, the Notre Dame football team continues to build a very impressive group of offensive linemen in the 2027 class. In addition to their latest commitment, Freeman and Rudolph have secured pledges from 4-star IOL Richie Flanigan, 4-star IOL James Halter, and 5-star OT Olu Olubobola.
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