Hall played baseball through his sophomore year before deciding to give up the sport to spend more time concentrating on football. He did run track and ran the 100-meter dash as well as a leg of the 400 relay.
The St. Xavier standout says it was not hard for him to make a verbal commitment to UK once he received a scholarship offer.
“I have always liked Kentucky and where I have wanted to go for a long time. They offered and I decided I was going to jump on the opportunity so I can just play my senior year. I don’t have to worry about much as long as I keep my grades where they are at. As long as I make plays, I will be fine,” Hall said.
He says because St. Xavier places so much emphasis on academics, that he thinks he will be well prepared to adjust to college life quickly.
“St. X is a like a college prep school for academics,” Hall said. “Sports can be different because the talent level is so different in college and you are also traveling across the country. We don’t travel like that in high school, but we do face about the best competition of any team in the state every year, so that should help.”
While Hall says his decision takes pressure off him, he would not deny that he could potentially change his mind. He plans to visit Cincinnati and would like to visit other schools like Auburn and Georgia.
“Kentucky is definitely my favorite, but if I get another good offer, I would consider it. I am not sure I would change my mind because Kentucky is close to home and is a great school. But I would have to consider anything that comes along,” Hall said.
Several former St. Xavier players — Justin Jeffries, Matt Smith — have played at UK in recent years. However, Hall says they were linemen, not skilled players. “So that didn’t really impact my decision,” he said.
Instead, Hall relied more on what he saw at UK’s camp in June or when he was at two spring practices. He also attended the UK-Tennessee basketball game.
“I have a good feel for what the atmosphere at UK is like and obviously I liked it or I would not have committed,” Hall said.
