ANALYSIS
A four-star quarterback recruit from the 2019 cycle, Hilinski emerged as a starter for the Gamecocks early on as a true freshman, finishing with a 58.1 completion rate for 5.8 yards per attempt and a 11:5 TD:INT in 11 games. His second season in Columbia didn't go as planned, however, as Hilinski lost out on the starting gig to Colorado State graduate transfer Collin Hill and eventually fell behind freshman Luke Doty on the depth chart. After choosing to pursue a transfer in late December, Hilinski chose to continue his career at Northwestern, a program that had tremendous success this past season with another graduate transfer quarterback in Peyton Ramsey. With Ramsey announcing his plans to enter the 2021 NFL Draft, Hilinski should become the frontrunner for the vacated starting gig. Since he earned his undergraduate degree in just two years, Hilinski will be able to compete immediately for Northwestern in 2021 with three seasons of eligibility remaining.