South Carolina's football staff bolstered the depth in their quarterback room for the 2020 season with the addition of Collin Hill on Saturday.
GamecockCentral.com spoke with the former Dorman High standout to gain more insight into the process that led him back to the Palmetto State.
"We finished out the season and weren't really sure what was going to happen with coach (Mike Bobo)," Hill told GamecockCentral.com. "It came out the following Wednesday that they agreed to part ways. I knew it was going to be different. To be honest with you, I started praying about it and asked God for clarity on where I was supposed to be."
A series of events took place that drove the decision for Hill, who is heading into his final season of college eligibility in 2020.
"Coach (Bobo) got the job down there, CSU announced their hire. I stuck around a little bit and got to know that guy and their staff. I just felt like God was telling me it was time to move on, and talking to my family, I felt like it was time to move on," said Hill. "I put my name in the portal and coach gave me a call. That's when it got more serious."
With a strong relationship already built from their time together in Fort Collins, Bobo was able to put his recruiting hat back on and move things forward quickly.
"He started recruiting me, told me he wanted to come down to Columbia. He said it's your home state, we kind of thought you were going to end up there out of high school but we ended up getting you. He said it was kind of cool how things come full circle. I took a couple days, continued to pray on it, but I felt like that was where I was supposed to be."
Hill, who will be on scholarship in Columbia, is slated to report to campus on January 6, along with the program's other early enrollees from the 2020 recruiting class.
In his talks with Bobo on readying himself to compete this fall, the first order of business is to get healthy. Hill is recovering from a torn ACL sustained last season.
"He knows my situation as far as where I am on my injury and stuff," Hill said of Bobo. "He just said first thing is you've got to get healthy, and he's exactly right. When it's time, I’ll be able to compete. That's all you can ask for. He didn't promise or anything like that. He said you'll have a chance, an opportunity just like everyone else."
South Carolina's quarterback room includes sophomore Ryan Hilinski and incoming four-star freshman Luke Doty, with Dakereon Joyner and Jay Urich also having played the position, in addition to time at wide receiver.
"I'm about three months out right now, had surgery at the end of September, beginning of October. I'm feeling good, on track with everything as far as strength," Hill said of his recovery. "As far as spring ball goes, I won't be doing everything. I'm not sure yet exactly what I'll be doing. I believe I'll be full go for sure by summer, by June, if not May or April."
During his career at Colorado State, Hill completed 262 of 432 pass attempts for 3,320 yards, with 23 touchdowns to 11 interceptions.
In looking forward to reuniting with Bobo, Hill shed more light on what it is like to play for the veteran coach.
"He's one of, if not the, best offensive minds in the country," Hill said. "I love being a part of it. He's going to push you, there's no doubt about that. As far as the offense goes, we do a lot of stuff. We were in the I, we went with a bunch of different personnel, different looks. We do a lot of stuff, try to stay balanced. He's a great playcaller, has a good feel for the game of when to take shots and when to do certain things. I think he's a lot of fun to play for and when I got the call, I was really excited because he's one of my favorite coaches I've ever had. He's going to push you to be the best player you can be."