re: 2018 Football Recruiting Thread -- Final OP Update Edition

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Matthew Hill grew up an Auburn fan. Now, he’s going to be a Tiger.

Hill, a 4-star receiver from Snellville (Ga.) Brookwood, committed to Auburn over Alabama and South Carolina on Thursday.

Why Auburn?

"Basically, it was just the coaching saff," Hill said. "Wherever I go, I wanted to feel like home. And just playing time."

According to Hill, he knew what his choice would be "a month and a half, two months ago."

For the Tigers, this is a significant pickup.

The 6-feet-2, 185-pound Hill is the No. 32 receiver and No. 160 overall prospect in the industry generated 247Sports Composite. He is commitment No. 12 for Auburn.

"It's a lot of stress off of me," Hill said. "Because I know I can start focusing on my academics and just the team in general."

Hill is known for his speed and big-play ability.

Although Hill never publicly named a leader prior to his commitment, Auburn has been the presumed favorite for awhile.

Hill's affection for the Tigers began early. His god-father ran cross country at Auburn.

The Tigers began to heavily pursue him during his junior year. Already, he has made at least four known visits to Auburn this year, most recently in July when he caught passes from 5-star quarterback Justin Fields, a friend.

Arguably, this is second-year receivers coach Kodi Burns’ biggest commitment since joining the Auburn staff.

Hill was second-team all-state as a junior after catching 41 passes for 849 yards and nine touchdowns, rushing for 625 yards and recording 24 tackles on defense. Additionally, he returned 19 kickoffs for 512 yards.

In one game, a playoff win over West Forsyth (Ga.), Hill accounted for 347 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns.

Auburn now has two receivers committed as Hill joins Shedrick Jackson of Hoover (Ala.). The Tigers are likely to add one to two more to the class.

How hard will Hill be recruiting for the Tigers now that he's on board?

"Probably hard," Hill said. "There's a few players that I know could make a difference."

One of those players: Fields.

"We played in the Rising Seniors game last year and that's when me and him really got that bond," Hill said.

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