Off-season reset helps cornerback Naz Hill jump-start his career
- Tom Weber
- 57 minutes ago
- 8 min read
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Cornerback Naz Hill was a three-star recruit coming out of Kankakee High School in 2022, but after two years at Wyoming, plus the 2025 season at Southern Illinois, he had played in just a handful of college games, and ended the season on the scout team for the Salukis.
The gifted, 6-foot-3 corner needed a course-correction.
“I think you get to a point in life that you grow up as a man, and you either do it or you don’t,” said SIU cornerbacks coach Eriq Moore. “Naz and I had a couple honest conversations, and that led to us creating a plan to make it happen for him.”
Hill’s improvement began by changing-up his study habits at the beginning of the spring semester, and his success in the classroom carried over into spring football.
Suddenly, he was making big plays on the field — pass breakups, forced fumbles, interceptions. In effect, he’d jumpstarted his own career.
“You saw a change from him that started in the classroom, and then he’d find time to come in and watch film,” Moore said. “Naz put the work in, and I’m excited to continue to see what it brings for this season.”
The Kankakee native said he never doubted his own ability.
“I just needed to clear my mind and have a reset,” Hill explained. “I dedicated myself to become a better player, a better man, and really spend time in the playbook. My opportunity came during the spring and I took advantage of it.”
Hill credits Moore with helping him find the path forward.
“He’s helped me become the guy I am today and helped me better understand football,” Hill said. “He took my game to a whole another level. I love how he’s very hands-on specific with the technique, every little step.”
“From spring until now, he's on a really good trajectory,” Moore said. “Naz is our tallest corner and uses that physicality to do a good job in press-man and creating takeaways.”
Hill said that in addition to refining his technique, he’s improving at pre-snap reads.
“Things can come real quick from an offense, and you need to see play designs before they happen and process it before everything comes,” Hill said. “That helps you play faster.”
The Salukis will need Hill and the rest of the cornerback room to fill the void left by All-American Jeremiah McClendon, who signed with the New Orleans Saints after the 2025 season.
“He definitely set a high bar and high expectations for the room,” Hill said. “He pops up in a lot of teach-tape clips. I still call him now and then. He definitely laid the foundation for what we have going now.”
Looking beyond his football career, Hill is a business management major with an entrepreneurial spirit. He does some side work as a barber, cutting the hair of teammates Grant Thompson, Jah Carter and Ed Robinson.
“I have a long-term goal of creating my own business and just becoming my own boss,” he said. “I want to get into clothing and shoe brands.”
More about SIU's Cornerbacks
(Eligibility is listed according to new NCAA rules)
Moore joined the staff in the middle of spring ball in 2025 and feels the corner room is getting closer to how he envisions it.
“We built the foundation last year, so execution is at a higher rate this fall right now,” Moore said.
Headlining the unit is returning starter Gavin Shepard (5-11, 190, Jr.), who was second on the team in passes defended as a redshirt freshman in 2025. He moves from field corner to the boundary this season, replacing McClendon
“He has the most experience in the room and is someone that you can trust,” Moore said. “He has really good feet, really good hip mobility, and again, he's a guy I can trust.”
The most experienced player in the secondary is Sebastian Vargas-Escobar (6-1, 185, 5th), who has played in 24-straight games for the Salukis including four starts.
“He's doing a really good job right now using his savviness in zone coverage,” Moore said. “He's the oldest guy in the room, and his experience is showing up a lot through six practices.”
Cam Cason (6-0, 187, So.) was a rare true freshman to break into the playing rotation a year ago, appearing in all 12 games and delivering 14 tackles and an interception.
“As a freshman last year, he rose to the top within the guys in his class,” Moore observed. “He's playing with a lot of confidence right now and he’s producing. In Practice 4, he had an interception and a few PBUs. I look for him to be playing a lot for us.”
Lindenwood transfer Joshua Newkirk (6-3, 187, Jr.) is another rangy corner.
“He's got some length on him and does a solid job in his press-man when his feet are right and he's able to use his hands,” Moore said. “We're excited to watch him progress throughout this season.”
Denym Mitchell (6-0, 185, Jr.) played on special team as a redshirt freshman last season, but he’s looking to break into the playing rotation.
“This should be one of his best years,” Moore said. “I’m seeing him do a great job in some of our matchup stuff, staying on top, and how well he's able to work a deep-third, deep-half.”
Randy Flint (6-0, 175, Fr.) is a freshman with elite speed.
“There's times his technique at the line could be better, but when he goes to sprinting, I mean, it’s fast-fast,” Moore said. “He's mature for his age. I think Randy wants to continue to compete for a spot on the bus. He knows that if he works his butt off, and he beats out the guy next to him, that he could be one of those guys.”
Brandon Redmond (6-1, 178, Jr.) is another speedster.
“Brandon can run and we're going to continue to progress him and see how he's doing,” Moore said. “He had a PBU yesterday, and we would like to see him get more reps throughout this fall.”
Du Quoin native Jeremiah Jones (5-11, 180, Fr.) brings a local flavor to the roster.
“Things are moving a little fast for him, but he’s been able to show his athletic ability in man-to-man,” Moore said. “Once we get those eyes fixed, I think he's going to be a good football player for us.”
Practice 6 Notebook
⬇️PAID SUBSCRIBER-ONLY CONTENT⬇️
For the second day in a row, the temperature was in the 70s, and there was a light drizzle falling throughout today’s practice. It was a welcome relief from last week’s heat.