Elbert Hill is one of the few names in the 2026 class who is being aggressively pursued by all the major powerhouse teams of college football. So far, the player has received a whopping 29 offers but has made a commitment to none. That’s the reason the player is on the radar of coaches like Ryan Day and Sherrone Moore. And why would he not be?

He is currently ranked the number one cornerback prospect in the country in the 2026 class and is ranked 19th overall. His 4-star rating doesn’t even do justice to him since he has the capabilities of a 5-star prospect. Standing at 5 feet 10 inches and weighing 161 lbs, he will be playing the toughest position on defense and is built for it. His speed and agility stand out in scouting reports. The problem? He finds himself caught in a challenging situation. But there may be a solution to that, too.

Josh Newberg of On3 Recruits provided an update on Elbert Hill’s conundrum in his recent video. “You got three schools that are certainly doing a fantastic job here. Alabama, Oregon, and then USC is the team that’s really rising up following a recent visit in January for Elbert Hill.” He also said that while Michigan and Ohio State are still in the running to land the prospect. Still, he only sees the above three teams making the actual cut. But Elbert’s father hinted at only one of the prospective colleges.

“Oregon has done a lot as far as recruiting him. The relationship he has with Coach (Chris) Hampton and Coach (Rashad) Wadood and (Dan) Lanning is great. Oregon, we talk to those guys if not every day, every other day. They already told us about the plan they would have for him. He told them his goals and what he was looking for in a school. We’re just making sure everything aligns right as we’re making this decision. It’s a big decision.” Well, it may seem like the player is moving on to Oregon finally, but that’s not the end of it. And here’s why.

Because USC Trojans are also making some moves that may unsettle Dan Lanning. Hilk’s father is someone who knows the business around college football. You move around, make them come to you, and then gradually make the decision. What’s the hurry, right? Well, he may be following this statement to the letter and spirit. How do we know? Well, the father also talked about the Trojans.

Final destination set for Elbert Hill?

Elbert Hill and his father actually visited USC Trojans on 25th January, and if his statement is to be construed, it all went quite well. Hill was all in praise for Lincoln Riley and the job he is doing at USC. “He (Lincoln Riley) talked to me about how only a few can get into a place like USC. It takes guys who work hard, and he wants that kind of guy in his program. He cares about the education part, too. Coach Riley wants his guys to graduate, and he was fun to be around and to talk to.”. But you would think that this would be all for Elbert, right? Well, it’s not because Alabama wants him quite badly. And here’s why.

Hill recently spoke of how Alabama wants him so badly and assured him that they want him to be part of their program. However, the major reason Alabama stood out for Hill was that they were genuinely interested in the player and quite frank with their communication, too. “They just came and just was real with us, and was like, ‘Hey man… we believe you could be a guy to come in here and make an impact early.’ It wasn’t even as much as a pitch. It was just having a real, genuine conversation about what would be the plan for him if he decided to come down to Alabama,” Albert Hill’s father said in a recent statement. So, where exactly is Hill headed?

Well, quite frankly, no one knows. But one thing is clear Ryan Day and Coach Sherrone Moore will have a hard time convincing him now. Considering he has cut short his list of colleges, they are unfortunately not on his list.