Trysten Hill Bio
Trysten Hill is an American professional football defensive tackle who has played in the National Football League since 2019. Born on March 25, 1998, in Lee, Florida, he rose from a three-star high school recruit to a second-round NFL draft pick within a few short years. Across his professional career, he has been a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, and Indianapolis Colts. Listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 310 pounds, Hill has built a career as an interior defensive lineman, contributing as both a starter and a rotational player at the three-technique position.
Hill played college football at the University of Central Florida, where he was part of a Knights team that won a Colley Matrix national championship in 2017. After declaring for the 2019 NFL draft, he was selected 58th overall by the Dallas Cowboys and began his journey through multiple organizations, including a return to New England and a stint with the Indianapolis Colts.
Early Life and Background
Trysten Hill was born on March 25, 1998, in Lee, Florida, a small community in Madison County. He grew up in nearby Live Oak, Florida, and attended Suwannee High School, where he first developed as a football player. At Suwannee, Hill played on the defensive line and emerged as a reliable contributor on a competitive Florida high school roster.
As a junior, Hill helped Suwannee reach the state semifinals and earned All-area recognition for his work on the defensive line. During his senior season, he led the team to the Florida High School Athletic Association 5A regional finals and was named to the Florida Class 5A All-State first team. His senior performance drew the attention of college scouts, and he was rated as a three-star recruit by ESPN before choosing to continue his career at the collegiate level.
Path to American Football
Coming out of Suwannee High School, Hill drew attention from multiple college programs for his combination of size and quickness on the defensive line. He originally committed to play college football at the Georgia Institute of Technology before later switching his commitment to the University of Virginia. Ultimately, Hill chose to enroll at the University of Central Florida, where he would spend the next three seasons developing into an NFL prospect.
At UCF, Hill was asked to play multiple roles along the defensive front. As a true freshman in 2016, he started 13 games at defensive end and produced 15 tackles, including five tackles for loss, one sack, one quarterback hurry, and one forced fumble. He shifted to defensive tackle as a sophomore and started 13 games, recording 20 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, and five quarterback hurries. His junior campaign in 2018 was his most productive, despite a reduced starting role, and featured strong showings in conference play and a memorable performance in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game against the University of Memphis.
Trysten Hill Career
Early Career (2019–2020)
Trysten Hill was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, going 58th overall. As a rookie, he served primarily as a backup three-technique defensive tackle behind Maliek Collins, appearing in limited action and registering four tackles with three quarterback pressures across 121 defensive snaps. He was declared inactive for nine games and appeared in just three contests after Week 7 of his first season.
In 2020, Hill began the year as a starter at the three-technique position after Collins departed in free agency and Gerald McCoy suffered a season-ending injury. He started the first five games, posting 14 tackles, one tackle for loss, and five quarterback pressures, but his season was cut short in Week 5 when he tore his right ACL against the New York Giants and was placed on injured reserve. He was also fined twice by the league that season for hits against the Seattle Seahawks, totaling $13,044 in fines.
Dallas Cowboys Stint Continued (2021–2022)
Hill began the 2021 season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list as he continued his recovery from knee surgery. He was activated in November and posted a season-high five tackles with two quarterback pressures on Thanksgiving Day against the Las Vegas Raiders. Following a postgame altercation with Raiders guard John Simpson, Hill received a one-game suspension, and he later landed on the reserve/COVID list. Osa Odighizuwa passed him on the depth chart, limiting Hill to six games played, with 10 tackles, a half sack, and six quarterback pressures.
In 2022, Hill appeared in the first seven games of the season as a backup defensive tackle behind Odighizuwa, recording six tackles and four quarterback pressures. On November 1, 2022, the Cowboys waived him to make room for Tarell Basham’s return from injury, ending his time in Dallas after four seasons.
Arizona Cardinals (2022)
One day after being waived by Dallas, Hill was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Cardinals to replace an injured Rashard Lawrence. He served as a backup defensive tackle and played in six games, collecting six tackles and one sack before being placed on injured reserve on December 28, 2022, which ended his season.
Cleveland Browns (2023)
On March 20, 2023, Hill signed a one-year contract with the Cleveland Browns. He was released by the team on August 29 as part of roster cuts and was quickly re-signed to the Browns’ practice squad. His time in Cleveland ended on September 26, 2023, when he was released from the practice squad.
New England Patriots Era (2023–2024)
On October 4, 2023, the New England Patriots signed Hill to their practice squad, and he was elevated to the active roster on October 21. He appeared in one game without recording any statistics before reverting to the practice squad. On January 8, 2024, Hill signed a reserve/future contract with New England. He was released on August 28, 2024, and re-signed to the practice squad the same day, then elevated again and appeared in two more games before being released on October 10, 2024.
Indianapolis Colts (2024)
On November 18, 2024, Hill signed with the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad. He was placed on the practice squad injured list on December 10, 2024, and was released from that list on December 30, 2024.
Notable Events and Milestones
Hill was part of UCF’s 25-game winning streak that ended with a loss to Louisiana State University in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl. In 2017, he was part of a Colley Matrix national championship squad and earned second-team All-AAC honors. As a professional, he was part of a notable 2020 controversy surrounding late hits against the Seattle Seahawks and endured a serious knee injury that altered the trajectory of his early career.
Trysten Hill Career Highlights
College Achievements
At the University of Central Florida, Hill helped lead the Knights to a Colley Matrix national championship in 2017 and was named second-team All-AAC the same season. He capped his college career with a productive 2018 junior season, finishing with 71 total tackles and six sacks across three years as a Knight. He also delivered a standout performance against the University of Memphis in the AAC Championship Game, recording six tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks.
Professional Accolades
Hill’s professional resume includes a second-round draft selection by the Dallas Cowboys in 2019, an early-career start at three-technique, and continued work as a rotational interior defensive lineman with several organizations. He has appeared in games for the Cowboys, Cardinals, Browns, Patriots, and Colts since entering the league in 2019.
Trysten Hill Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Trysten Hill’s family background is limited, and he is not widely known for a documented family football lineage. He grew up in the small community of Lee, Florida, before moving to nearby Live Oak, where he attended Suwannee High School and began his rise as a defensive lineman.
Personal Life
Details about Hill’s personal life, including marital status and children, are not publicly confirmed in the available record. On March 26, 2026, he was arrested in Waxahachie, Texas, and charged with assault of a pregnant person as well as interfering with an emergency request for assistance.
2025 Season Outlook
Heading into 2025, Hill is coming off a year that saw him move between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts practice squads. His most recent active-roster action came in limited appearances for the Patriots before his release in October 2024. Whether he lands on an active roster, a practice squad, or works to revive his career in another capacity remains an open question as he continues his professional journey.