3 BEST DEACON HILL TRANSFER PORTAL DESTINATIONS AFTER LEAVING IOWA FOOTBALL

The spring transfer window has officially opened in college football. With it, more movement has commenced. Players may be finding themselves in more reserve roles than they may have imagined and want to find more playing time elsewhere. One of those players may be Iowa quarterback Deacon Hill. Hill started ten games for the Hawkeyes last season. His numbers weren’t pretty in those games, but he did help them win seven of those en route to a Big Ten West division crown.

Hill filled in as the starter for the Hawkeyes after Cade McNamara went down with a torn ACL. With McNamara returning as well as Iowa bringing in three-star freshman James Resar, Hill must have saw himself as the odd-man out of a potential quarterback competition. However, with other quarterbacks entering the portal, there could be an opening for Hill to compete and win a starting job elsewhere. He could compete at spots like Pittsburgh, Arizona State, and Toledo.

Pittsburgh Panthers

If there’s anybody outside of Iowa who plays the most like Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes, it would be Pat Narduzzi and Pittsburgh. Though the Panthers aired it out a couple years ago with Kenny Pickett and Jordan Addison on the team, that hasn’t been the case in the two previous seasons. Pickett threw it 497 times in his final season as a Panther (2021). In 2022, they threw the ball a combined 391 times. Last year, that number dipped even further to 360 attempts.

Narduzzi and Pitt could lean into that style of play even more so with Deacon Hill. They could potentially expand on it even further as well. Hill is a big guy at 6-foot-3 and 258 pounds. He was very good in short yardage situations for Iowa and helped them extend drives. He has a lot of work to do as a passer, but last year was his first stint as a starter in college football. It would be hard for him to be much worse.

Pitt’s quarterback play last season wasn’t exactly overwhelming either. Christian Veilleaux, their leader in attempts from a year ago, completed only 51.1% of his passes and threw for seven touchdowns compared to eight interceptions. He is now in the transfer portal. Perhaps Hill’s play could improve in an enhanced offensive system. Maybe Pitt could be that place for him.

Arizona State Sun Devils

Another program whose quarterback has entered the transfer portal during this spring window is Arizona State. Jaden Rashada recently announced his intention to leave, which is a big deal for the Sun Devils. He had a chance to win the starting job in Tempe. Rashada has already taken a visit to the University of Georgia and an announcement for his new destination seems like it will come in a matter of days.

That leaves Trenton Bourguet as the likely starter for Arizona State. Bourguet had his moments last season as the Sun Devils competed against the big dogs of the Pac-12 conference, but his season as a whole was lackluster. He completed just 60.9% of his passes and had one touchdown to four interceptions.

Bourguet may wind up as the starter even if Arizona State brings someone in. But, it would be wise for the Sun Devils to bring in some competition for that spot. Hill could be just that.

Toledo Rockets

If Deacon Hill wants a more clear path to a starting gig, he may have to go the Group of Six route. The best place for him among those teams may be the Toledo Rockets. Toledo has been one of the better Group of Six programs in the country for the past 10+ years. They’ve finished above .500 in every season since 2010 with three different head coaches. They’re a very good program.

They also have an opening at quarterback. Dequan Finn has been excellent for the Rockets over the last few years, but he transferred to Baylor in the winter. Tucker Gleason is the only other quarterback on Toledo’s roster from a year ago that has any worthwhile experience. This could be a great spot for Hill to start games and win a lot of them. If he were to go the Group of Six route, Toledo has to be a place for him to consider.

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The post 3 best Deacon Hill transfer portal destinations after leaving Iowa football appeared first on ClutchPoints.

2024-04-23T23:01:15Z dg43tfdfdgfd