Jeremy Hill spent only two seasons on the field for LSU, but he did not need much time to establish himself as one of the most productive running backs of the Les Miles era.

The Baton Rouge native rushed for 2,156 yards and 28 touchdowns on 345 carries during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry for his LSU career and produced 11 games with at least 100 rushing yards.

His final LSU season was his masterpiece. Hill rushed for 1,401 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2013 while averaging 6.9 yards per carry. He capped that season with 216 rushing yards and two touchdowns in LSU’s Outback Bowl victory over Iowa.

For two seasons of exceptional production, Jeremy Hill comes in at No. 95 among the Top 100 LSU Tigers of All Time.

A Baton Rouge Star

Hill starred at Redemptorist High School in Baton Rouge, where he became one of Louisiana’s top running backs.

As a senior in 2010, Hill carried 302 times for 2,260 yards and 36 touchdowns. He earned Louisiana Class 3A All State honors in both 2009 and 2010 and finished his high school career as Redemptorist’s career rushing leader.

Hill was also named a Parade All American and earned USA Today All USA recognition. Recruiting services rated him as a four star prospect. One of his high school teammates was future LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins.

Hill graduated from high school in May 2011 but did not play college football that fall. He enrolled at LSU in January 2012 and participated in spring practice.

By the fall, he was ready to contribute.

Breaking Out as a Freshman

Hill began the 2012 season behind more experienced LSU running backs and carried the ball only 13 times through the first six weeks.

Then came South Carolina.

Against the No. 3 Gamecocks, Hill rushed 17 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns as LSU won 23 to 21 in Tiger Stadium. The performance earned him SEC Co Freshman Player of the Week honors.

Hill followed that game with 127 yards and a touchdown against Texas A&M. He then rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown against Alabama in his first career start.

That made him the first LSU true freshman running back to rush for more than 100 yards against Alabama.

Hill also scored three rushing touchdowns against Ole Miss and closed the season with 124 yards and two touchdowns against Clemson in the Chick fil A Bowl.

He finished his freshman season with 142 carries for 755 yards and 12 touchdowns. Hill became the first LSU true freshman to lead the team in rushing since Justin Vincent in 2003.

The 12 rushing touchdowns also established an LSU true freshman record at the time.

One of LSU’s Great Rushing Seasons

Hill’s sophomore season in 2013 elevated him from promising young runner to one of the best backs in the SEC.

He did not play in LSU’s opener against TCU and sat out the first quarter against UAB for disciplinary reasons. Once he returned to a full role, his production took off.

Hill made his first start of the season against Kent State and rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns.

A week later, he delivered one of the defining performances of his LSU career against Auburn.

Hill carried 25 times for 184 yards and three touchdowns in LSU’s 35 to 21 victory. He scored on runs of 49, 12 and six yards and also broke a 54 yard run that set up another LSU touchdown.

The performance earned Hill SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors and the Maxwell Football Club’s National Player of the Week award.

Big Game After Big Game

Hill continued producing against SEC competition.

He rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns at Mississippi State, followed by 121 yards against Florida. Against Furman, he ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns.

He finished the regular season against Arkansas with another outstanding performance, carrying 20 times for 145 yards and a touchdown.

Hill scored on a 52 yard run in that game and also caught five passes for 27 yards.

By the end of the regular season, Hill had already established himself as one of the most efficient high volume runners in LSU history.

1,401 Yards and 16 Touchdowns

Hill finished the 2013 season with 203 carries for 1,401 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns.

He averaged 116.8 rushing yards per game and 6.9 yards per carry.

Hill ranked second in the SEC in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and rushing yards per game. At the time, his 1,401 yards ranked second on LSU’s single season rushing list, while his 16 rushing touchdowns ranked fourth.

He also tied the LSU single season record with seven 100 yard rushing games.

Hill contributed in the passing game as well, catching 18 passes for 181 yards. That gave him 1,582 yards from scrimmage during the season.

His 6.9 yards per carry set an LSU single season record for a player with at least 200 carries. LSU also recognized it as an SEC record at the time for a running back with at least 200 attempts, surpassing the previous mark of 6.79 yards per carry by Georgia’s Garrison Hearst in 1992.

Hill earned first team All SEC honors from the Associated Press and second team honors from the SEC coaches.

Dominating Iowa in the Outback Bowl

Hill saved his biggest rushing performance for his final LSU game.

LSU faced Iowa in the Outback Bowl without starting quarterback Zach Mettenberger, putting even more responsibility on the running game.

Hill responded with a career best performance.

He carried 28 times for 216 yards and two touchdowns as LSU defeated Iowa 21 to 14.

The 216 yards made Hill the first LSU running back to exceed 200 rushing yards in a game since Alley Broussard in 2004. He was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.

Hill finished the season with 1,401 yards largely because of that bowl performance, moving past Kevin Faulk into second place on LSU’s single season rushing list at the time.

It was the final game of Hill’s college career.

A Short but Remarkable LSU Career

Hill chose to enter the 2014 NFL Draft rather than return to LSU for another season.

His final college numbers show just how productive he was in a very short period.

Hill played in 23 games with 16 starts. He carried 345 times for 2,156 yards and 28 touchdowns. He added 26 receptions for 254 yards, giving him 2,410 yards from scrimmage.

He averaged 6.3 yards per carry and recorded 11 career 100 yard rushing games.

When he left LSU, his 2,156 rushing yards ranked 11th in school history, while his 28 rushing touchdowns ranked seventh.

Those rankings have changed as later LSU running backs added to the record book, but Hill’s efficiency remains the defining feature of his college career.

NFL Career

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Hill with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

He immediately produced one of the better rookie seasons by a running back that year, rushing for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns on 222 carries. His 5.1 yards per carry were the best average of his NFL career.

Hill remained Cincinnati’s primary back over the next several seasons. He rushed for 794 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015, then added 839 yards and nine touchdowns in 2016.

His role declined in 2017, when he played only seven games for Cincinnati.

Hill signed with the New England Patriots in 2018, but his season ended in the opener when he suffered a torn ACL. He carried four times for 25 yards before the injury.

Hill finished his NFL career with 2,898 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns on 708 carries. He also caught 68 passes for 490 yards and one receiving touchdown.

Why Jeremy Hill Is No. 95

Jeremy Hill presents an interesting case when ranking LSU’s greatest players.

Longevity is not what puts him on this list.

Production does.

Hill rushed for 2,156 yards despite playing only two seasons. He scored 28 rushing touchdowns on 345 carries and averaged 6.3 yards every time LSU handed him the football.

His sophomore season was even better: 1,401 yards, 16 touchdowns and 6.9 yards per carry.

Then, in his final LSU appearance, Hill delivered 216 rushing yards and two touchdowns to help LSU win the Outback Bowl.

Hill had power, vision and enough speed to turn an opening into a long gain. He could run through contact at the line of scrimmage and still create explosive plays in the secondary.

LSU has produced running backs with longer careers and larger totals. Few were as productive on a per carry basis during their time in Baton Rouge.

Jeremy Hill only needed two seasons to leave his mark.

That earns Jeremy Hill the No. 95 spot among the Top 100 LSU Tigers of All Time.

Sources

LSU Athletics, Jeremy Hill official biography and LSU career statistics
https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/jeremy-hill

LSU Athletics, Jeremy Hill 2012 biography and high school information
https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/season/2012/player/jeremy-hill

LSU Athletics, Hill Receives Maxwell Player of the Week Honor
https://lsusports.net/news/2013/09/26/209268890

LSU Athletics, Jeremy Hill leads LSU over Iowa in the Outback Bowl
https://lsusports.net/news/2014/01/01/209355574

LSU Athletics, LSU Football Annual Statistical Leaders
https://lsusports.net/news/2019/07/11/204777969

NFL, Jeremy Hill career statistics
https://www.nfl.com/players/jeremy-hill/stats/career

Pro Football Reference, Jeremy Hill NFL statistics
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HillJe01.htm