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"How is it that the fans in your own state talk negatively about you": Nation's No. 1 CB Elbert Hill's father blasts haters from Ohio State

Modified Apr 25, 2025 11:41 GMT

Five-star cornerback Elbert Hill (per Rivals), a top prospect from Archbishop Hoban High School in Ohio, has long shown an interest in Ohio State during his recruitment. However, many noted that the 2026 standout slowly distanced himself from Ryan Day’s program in the last few months.

Fueling this shift, Hill’s father, Elbert Hill III, tweeted a pointed message on Tuesday to reflect frustration with some Buckeyes fans and local media.

"How is it that the fans in your own state talk negatively about you and make up lies but expect you to stay home at the same time, oh and let’s not forget some of your in state media also smh 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂," Hill Sr. tweeted.

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On Monday, On3’s Steve Wiltfong made a key prediction that Elbert Hill is leaning toward USC. Hill Sr.’s tweet came in response to an Ohio State fan account accusing Hill’s family of favoring the Trojans due to financial incentives.

"😂😂😂😂I didn’t know he knew us," Hill Sr. retweeted a reply to the fan post.

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Hill is the No. 1 recruit in Ohio (according to Rivals), and potentially losing a player of his caliber will be a big recruiting loss for Day. Hill is also the No. 1 cornerback in the 2026 class and the No. 14 recruit in the nation.

Elbert Hill schedules an official visit to Ohio State

In March 2024, Ohio State insider Bill Kurelic predicted that Elbert Hill would choose the Buckeyes. A lot has changed over the past year, but the Buckeyes remain a strong contender in his recruitment.

On Wednesday, On3's Mick Walker reported that Hill has officially scheduled a visit with the Buckeyes from May 30 to June 1. His most recent visit was on March 24, during one of OSU's spring practices.

“My latest visit was great,” Hill told On3 following the trip. “I͏’͏m truly blessed to͏ b͏e recruited hard by Ohio ͏Sta͏te. J͏ust͏ th͏e ͏coache͏s excite ͏me abo͏ut͏ the ͏opportunit͏y.”

Cornerbacks coach Tim Walton has built a strong reputation as a recruiter, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he manages to steer Hill back toward Ohio State. Landing Hill would strengthen the Buckeyes’ 2026 recruiting class, which is ranked No. 4 in the nation, and could even help push it to the top.

OSU has 11 committed players in the 2026 class. The Buckeyes' cycle is highlighted by the nation's No. 1 wide receiver, Chris Henry Jr.

About the author

Maliha is a High School Sports news and listicles writer at Sportskeeda. A post graduate in Management Information Systems, it was her love for writing and sports which led her down the path of sports content creation. An experienced NBA and NFL writer, she covered the two sports extensively at SportsZion and SportsKnot before joining SportsKeeda.

Maliha is a huge Baltimore Ravens fan and is in awe of quarterback Lamar Jackson's dual-threat abilities. She also admires Tom Brady and her all-time favorite coach is 3-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid. She is a big advocate of high school sports and believes that elite athletes reach a top level owing to the discipline, hard work, team dynamics, resilience, adaptability and self-confidence learnt by playing sports in high schools. Aaron Rodgers leading the Green Bay Packers to victory on his debut against the Minnesota Vikings is one of her fondest NFL memories.

Maliha places a high emphasis on accuracy in her content. She does thorough research, always double checks facts, and only uses information from most relevant and credible sources for her articles. When not writing, she likes to read history and biographical books.

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