You know how every spring there’s that one name that pops up and makes you go, “wait, really?” Spring ball’s heating up, depth charts are getting shuffled, and coaching staffs everywhere are eyeing the transfer portal like hawks. That April 16-25 window? It’s when rosters change, programs retool, and sometimes, a proven veteran hits the market and sends shockwaves through the college football world. Well, this time, it’s a big one. A big one. 

The Memphis Tigers are about to feel the weight of a major loss. Pete Nakos dropped the big news in an X post on April 8, turning heads across the FBS world. The report — “Memphis offensive lineman Xavier Hill has entered the transfer portal as a grad transfer, @On3sports has learned. Former LSU transfer has played 1,945 career snaps.” And just like that, Xavier Hill became one of the most intriguing names on the board. 

Xavier Hill’s story started long before Memphis. This guy didn’t just rise through their ranks — he started his career in Baton Rouge. Back in 2020, LSU brought him out of Olive Branch, Mississippi. This 6’3, 325-pound OT is a big-bodied, versatile blocker who enrolled that June and saw the field in seven games over the next couple of seasons. In 2021, he even got a pair of starts under his belt, facing off against McNeese and Central Michigan. But in 2022 when Brian Kelly took over, he was passed up by rising star Will Campbell at left tackle, and he made the call to move on. 

That move took Xavier Hill to Memphis in December 2022, and man, it paid off. He became an immediate starter, playing all 13 games in 2023, playing six games at right tackle, two at left tackle, one at LT/RT, and another at LG/RT. Thanks to his presence, the Tigers had one of the most explosive offenses in the country. We’re talking sixth in scoring offense (39.4), 10th in passing (306.5), 14th in total offense (458.5) — it was fireworks all season, and Hill was a big part of it. But it’s his versatility that became his calling card.

Xavier Hill leaves Memphis reeling

As already mentioned, Xavier Hill bounced between guard and tackle. Even though Memphis’ O-line coach Jeff Myers said his ideal spot was interior, he finished the season locking down the right tackle spot. He was also named First Team All-ACC and made the Outland Trophy watch list heading into 2024, one of just five ACC players to earn that honor. 

Now, with one year of eligibility remaining, Xavier Hill’s departure leaves a big gap for Memphis to fill. Guard Malachi Breland is out this spring nursing a shoulder injury, and LT Chris Adams is the only returning starter on the Tigers’ O-line. That line is going to look a whole lot different when they take the field for their April 26 spring game. As for Hill’s next stop? Still unknown. 

But with his SEC experience, ACC production, position flexibility, and nearly 2,000 snaps, Xavier Hill might not be in the market for long. Some Power Five program out there is about to land an instant-impact lineman.