Mississippi State Football: Kylin Hill returns to the football field in the 2021 Senior Bowl

Kylin Hill is the only Bulldog suiting up for the 2021 Senior Bowl.

The senior season for former Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Kylin Hill did not go as planned. Kylin Hill only played in three total games rushing for only 58 yards and no touchdowns. Hill was able to showcase his pass-catching ability as he totaled 23 catches for 237 yards and 1 touchdown.

Hill’s previous season-high was 22 catches for 176 yards and four touchdowns in 2018. After a 15 catch performance against Kentucky, Hill’s senior season would be over, and he would opt-out of the season to prepare for the NFL Draft. Mississippi State had more than its fair share of opt-outs and transfers during the season but none drew more outrage from Bulldog fans than Hill’s.

After opting-out, Kylin Hill would not be as vocal as he had been on Twitter. It was time to prepare himself for what many thought he would do after an ALL-SEC season in 2019, declare for the NFL Draft. Hill posted pictures of himself training for his opportunity, and he still found time to cheer on his teammates during the season.

In November, I wrote an article on the six Bulldogs I felt should play in the 2021 Senior Bowl. Out of those six, only one Bulldog will take the field Saturday in the Reese’s 2021 Senior Bowl for the American Squad, and that is Kylin Hill. Hill will get the chance to go through valuable practices and showcase his abilities in front of NFL scouts. The other Bulldogs on my list were selected to play in the now-canceled EAST-WEST Shrine bowl.

I am shocked that Hill is the only Bulldog on the roster, and Mississippi State has a host of former Bulldogs who improved their draft stock at the annual college football all-star game. Kylin Hill now adds his name to the likes of Dak Prescott, Montez Sweat, Pernell McPhee, Preston Smith, Elgton Jenkins, Jonathan Abram, and Gerri Green as former Bulldogs to play in the Senior Bowl.

All of the above-mentioned players except Gerri Green (reserve/future-Raiders) are on active NFL rosters. Martinas Rankin was also selected but was unable to play due to an injury.

The next question to ponder is how Kylin Hill will perform after having so much time away from the game he loves?

I do expect some rust from Hill as he has not been hit in a while.  I would love to see one of his patented hurdles as he has done many times in Maroon & White. Kylin Hill should play well but he will have some other talented backs taking hand-offs.

The three other running backs Kylin Hill will compete with are Larry Roundtree (Missouri-972 yards, 14TDs), Chris Evans (Michigan-73 yards, 1TD), and Elijah Mitchell (Louisiana-878 yards, 8 TDs). Roundtree earned Second Team ALL-SEC honors this past season.

Mitchell earned  First Team All-Sun Belt honors in 2020. Hill has the most to prove as he is the most recognized name as a former 1st Team ALL-SEC running back and because of his activism in helping spearhead the change of the state flag of Mississippi. This is Kylin Hill’s chance to re-emerge back on the college football stage, prove doubters wrong, and hopefully cement his place in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Hill has also been invited to the 2021 NFL Combine, although it will not be like the combines of old. Kylin Hill is on his way to becoming an NFL Running Back. You can watch the live Senior Bowl practices on ESPNU and practice recaps on the NFL Network. The NFL Network will broadcast the game on January 30 at 1:30 p.m. CT.