Terps defense taking notice of Kasim Hill
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland true freshman quarterback Kasim Hill’s early success in College Park is hard for anyone to ignore.
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Hill’s teammates and coaches have spoken highly of him since his arrival on campus during the summer, and now we’re all getting to see firsthand what they were talking about.
Through two games so far this season, Hill has played virtually four quarters of football and has posted some impressive numbers, not just for a true freshman. Hill is 16-for-19 passing with 207 yards and two touchdowns. He has also ran 10 times for 59 yards and a score. And perhaps Hill’s best stat so far is that he has yet to turn the ball over.
Hill came into the game in the fourth quarter against Texas for an injured Tyrrell Pigrome and helped seal the victory for the Terps. He then won his first career start the very next week against Towson, piling up such a large lead that he was spelled late in the third quarter by backup sophomore Max Bortenschlager.
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“I don’t think anything has surprised me,” Terps sophomore offensive guard Terrance Davis said of Hill’s play after Maryland’s 63-17 trouncing of Towson. “Kasim has been cool and calm since he got here, so when [Pigrome] went down, we knew he was going to step right in and do the job well. So that’s what he did today.”
Davis gets to spend time in the huddle and going over the offense with Hill, giving him a great vantage point of the freshman’s poise, maturity, leadership and skill. But Maryland’s offensive players aren’t the only ones taking notice of Hill’s talent.
The Terps defense gets a good look at Hill in practice all week leading up to Saturday, and they’ve been equally as impressed with his performance so far this season.
“Kasim is a very poised young man,” Terps senior defensive tackle Kingsley Opara said. “He’s a leader. People respect him around here and he earned that. [Pigrome] was a great player and for him to go down, we all pray for him and try to keep his head up. But we all know Kasim can do just as well as [Pigrome] was doing.”
Highly touted freshman quarterbacks enter the college football scene every year. As a former four-star, Rivals 100 recruit out of Washington (D.C.) St. John’s College High School, Hill certainly fits that mold for the Terps. But not every true freshman signal caller is thrown into the fire almost immediately like what has happened to Hill in College Park.
But what separates Hill from your typical college rookie quarterback is his preparation and understanding of the game. A heady player with immense athletic talent, Hill seems to be the total package who can have a long, successful career at Maryland.
Hill’s teammates already love him and are rallying behind him as they get set to host Central Florida in College Park Sept. 23. But they’ve already learned not to ask him during the week if he’s ready.
“Kasim’s a guy that you really don’t have to say anything to,” Terps senior safety Darnell Savage Jr. said when asked if he had any word of encouragement or advice for Hill before his first career start. “He’s very mature. You can tell that he’s always about his business. He’s a guy that you don’t have to ask, ‘Are you ready?’ I don’t think he likes people asking him if he’s ready. I think he definitely does a good job of making sure he’s prepared.”