[LeeCoUKFan]

Four-star 2015 linebacker will visit UK

Justin Rowland
CatsIllustrated.com Football Recruiting Analyst

Rivals250 junior linebacker Justin Hilliard will be at Kentucky in the very near future and he's anxious to find out what the Wildcats have to offer.

Hilliard is already a four-star prospect according to Rivals.com and he's a member of the recently released Rivals250 to Watch for 2015, meaning he's one of the nation's top linebackers from his class.

At 6-foot-2 and 225-pounds Hilliard already has a college build. He also has a defensive player's mindset and intensity to go along with excellent athleticism. So it's no surprise that Arkansas, Florida State, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, South Carolina and many others have already offered.

Hilliard's older brother C.J. is a 2014 running back recruit also from Cincinnati St. Xavier and he's committed to Iowa. While that could play a role in the younger Hilliard's decision he has also been up front about the fact that he might forge his own path.

Over the weekend Hilliard visited Ohio State for the Buckeyes' season opener against Buffalo.

"It was a really nice visit," Hilliard said. "I got to see the game and I talked to coach [Urban] Meyer. It was a good visit. It was definitely pretty impressive to see game day up there."

Hilliard isn't slowing down. He will attend the Michigan-Notre Dame game this coming weekend and then Kentucky-Louisville in Lexington after that.

"I actually talked to the defensive coordinator (D.J. Eliot) last week," he said. "We don't talk too much but we talk a decent amount. He's really just told me he wants me to get down and see a game. I'm pretty excited about it so that's why I'm going."

The four-star prospect said a few schools are standing out early but he doesn't want to release any kind of list as it might close off potential options down the road. He did say what he's looking for in a school however.

"I'd have to be comfortable wherever I'm at and hopefully have a chance to win a bowl or a national championship," he said.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1544859