By Hawk Fanatic

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Iowa football team is known for producing quality defensive backs under long-time defensive coordinator Phil Parker, and Michigan native Ronnie Hill wants to be a part of that tradition.

Hill, who is from Sterling Heights, Michigan, announced his verbal commitment to Iowa Sunday afternoon.

He was among several recruits in the 2026 class that visited Iowa this past weekend.

The 6-foot-1, 183-pound Hill picked Iowa over scholarship offers from multiple teams in the Mid-American Conference, including Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois.

“Good length for a free safety, veteran recruiting Tom Lemming said of Hill. “Closes quickly and known for his hard-hitting style of play.

“I give him a three-star plus rating.”

And though Hill apparently doesn’t have any other Power 4 offers, that makes him similar to some other previous Iowa defensive backs who have thrived under Parker, a list that includes Desmond King, Micah Hyde and Josh Jackson.

King mostly had scholarship offers from MAC schools when he committed to Iowa and he had previously been committed to two different MAC schools before ultimately picking Iowa.

The Detroit native would go on to win the Jim Thorpe Award in 2015 as the nation’s top collegiate defensive back and then would go on to play for multiple years in the NFL.

In addition to being Iowa’s defensive coordinator since 2012, Phil Parker also coaches the defensive backs.

Parker is an original member of Kirk Ferentz’s Iowa coaching staff, dating back to 1999, and a former three-time All-Big Ten defensive back for Michigan State in the 1980s.

Hill is the second Michigan native to commit to Iowa’s 2026 class, joining Detroit athlete Marcello Vitti, who is also expected to play defensive back for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa’s 2026 recruiting class

name, position, height-weight, hometown

Ronnie Hill, DB, 6-1, 183, Sterling Heights, Michigan

Carson Nielsen, OL, 6-7, 275, Waterloo, Iowa

Hudson Parliament, OL, 6-4, 285, Brandon, South Dakota

Gene Riordan, OL, 6-5, 275, Hinsdale, Illinois

Colin Whitters, OL, 6-4, 285, Iowa City

Marcello Vitti, ATH, 5-10, 170, Detroit

Owen Linder, OL, 6-5, 250, Chanhassen, Minnesota

Brody Schaffer, WR, 6-0, 190, Winneconne, Wisconsin

Diondre Smith, WR, 5-11, 175, Neptune Beach, Florida

Sawyer Jezierski, DL, 6-4, 275, Minneapolis

Isaiah Oliver, WR, 6-0, 190, Waukee#

Noah Daniel, DB, 6-0, 190, Fort Dodge#

# Committed as a preferred walk-on