Over the course of two high school football seasons spanning 2014 and 2015, there were two teammates who would become opponents in the 2020 Sugar Bowl.
Current Clemson offensive guard Matt Bockhorst and Ohio State linebacker Justin Hilliard were teammates on the St. Xavier High School football team. Both were highly recruited as Bockhorst was a four-star and Hilliard was a five-star prep prospect.
Come Friday night, the two will compete against one another when the Tigers offense takes the field against the Buckeyes defense, and a high school friendship will become a rivalry.
“What an incredible athlete,” Bockhorst said of Hilliard on Tuesday. “He’s someone I really respect. Got to play alongside one another and now the opportunity to play against one another is something that’s special and not an opportunity you get very often.”
Bockhorst was the first high school prospect to commit to Clemson since quarterback Cole Stoudt in 2011, who attended Dublin Coffman High School.
Now a redshirt-junior, Bockhorst earned second team All-ACC honors at left guard. His road to playing time hasn’t been quite like that of Hilliard’s, who has seen several injuries since arriving at Ohio State in 2015 and challenges emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s really been tough for Justin to go through his career; it seems like you take one step forward and two steps back from the injury perspective,” Bockhorst said. “He’s finally getting healthy. You can see it on film.”
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Hilliard enjoyed a superb performance in the Big Ten Championship game against then-No. 14 Northwestern. The sixth-year linebacker and current Buckeyes captain recorded a career-high nine tackles and two tackles for loss in addition to hauling in a critical interception and scooping up a fumble.
Bockhorst said he’s proud to see Hilliard play the way he has in 2020, noting the grinding pathway it has taken for Hilliard to realize his Buckeyes potential.
“I really appreciate Justin and look up to him,” Bockhorst said. “He's a special, world-class athlete. To see him get his opportunity and stick it out for six years is longer than most. I think it’s really paying off for him, and he’s having the type of season he could’ve envisioned.”
Hilliard leads the Buckeyes in fumble recoveries and has totaled 17 tackles, starting each of Ohio State's last three games.
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Bockhorst also said he has friends and knows many people who attend Ohio State, noting that some reaction to his commitment several years ago came with "weird reaction" from some.
Friendships aside, Bockhorst said he will enjoy getting the chance to compete against his former high school teammate when the two suit up on different sidelines.
"Anytime you get an opportunity to play a game of this caliber, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Bockhorst said. "You can never take it for granted.
"I think there’s some bragging rights on the line."
