With Johnny Manziel, the Heisman Trophy winner, eligible to play another three seasons at Texas A&M, it's hard to imagine another high-rated quarterback recruit signing on with the Aggies.
Southlake Carroll's Kenny Hill, Scout.com's 16th-ranked QB, heard all the same doubts, and still plans to sign with Texas A&M on Wednesday, the first day high school athletes can sign national letters of intent.
When Hill committed to Texas A&M back in April, Manziel had yet to become Johnny Football, much less a Heisman Trophy winner — the first freshman to win the award.
But after those developments, Hill took a couple of last-minute visits to Kansas State and Baylor just to make sure of his decision to sign with the Aggies.
"Whenever he was up for the Heisman, and then won it, I kind of knew that I had to open things back up," Hill told The Dallas Morning News. "In the end, I had to take the situation that was the best opportunity for me."
Hill had this to say Dallas television station WFAA-Ch. 8, "I was committed through the whole summer, the whole year, and then I was still committed and stuff, but I started looking around. It's been crazy."
If Manziel plays his final three seasons at Texas A&M, Hill could redshirt next season, ride the bench for a year and then have two seasons to play.
Manziel, who also redshirted as a freshman, is eligible to declare for the NFL Draft after the 2013 season and could depart then, giving Hill three seasons to play — if Hill wins the starting job.
Hill has another option: baseball.
Hill is the son of former major league pitcher Ken Hill, who spent two of his 14 seasons in the big leagues with the Texas Rangers. The younger Hill is also a baseball prospect in addition to being one of the top quarterback recruits in the country.
He intends to play baseball as well as football in college.
"Whenever it's football season, I like football more," Hill said. "When it's baseball season, I like baseball more."
Hill's parents advised him during his recruiting decision.
"They kind of told me what they thought was better for me and what was worse for me, but ultimately, they left it up to me," Hill told WFAA. "They're 100 percent behind me."
Hill was a three-year starter for Southlake Carroll, which has produced noted former college quarterbacks such as Missouri's Chase Daniel and Alabama's Greg McElroy.
He led Southlake Carroll to a state title as a junior and to the state quarterfinals last season, when he passed for 3,369 yards and 278 touchdowns and rushed for 1,421 yards and 33 scores.
"If he's not the best quarterback in the country, it doesn't take long to call roll," Southlake Carroll head coach Hal Wasson told WFAA. "As you watched the Super Bowl, when those guys can extend plays, it makes you so much more of a hot commodity, and Kenny is definitely one of those guys who can extend plays."
Follow Keith Whitmire on Twitter: @Keith_Whitmire
