Nate Hillenburg
P · Redshirt Senior
6'4" · 220 lbs · Special teams
Also wearing #39: Peter Sciarrino (S)
Background
- Hometown
- Indianapolis, Ind.
- High school
- Cathedral
- Previous school
- Cornell
Recruiting
No recruiting profile matched — he transferred in from Cornell.
2026 season
No 2026 stats recorded yet.
Season by season
2026tap to read
Hillenburg, who transferred to USC in the summer of 2026 from Valparaiso, looks to compete for playing time at punter as a redshirt senior in 2026. VALPARAISO: Hillenburg recorded 49 punts for 1,923 yards (39.2 avg.) with a long of 59 as a redshirt senior in 2025. Thirteen punts were fair caught and 9 were downed inside the 20, with 6 going over 50 yards. He has tallied 5 touchbacks. CORNELL: He tallied 11 punts for 428 yards (38.9 avg.) with a long of 62 as a redshirt junior in 2024. One punt was fair caught, 2 were downed inside the 20 and 2 went over 50 yards. He recorded 2 punts for 66 yards (33.0 avg.) with a long of 33 as a redshirt sophomore in 2023. He recorded 1 punt for 10 yards (10.0 avg.) with a long of 10 as a redshirt freshman in 2023. Hillenburg did not see action as a true freshman in 2021. HIGH SCHOOL: As a senior in 2020, Hillenburg averaged 31.0 yards per punt for the state champion Cathedral. He was a 2020 Academic All-State selection. As a junior in 2019, he averaged 29.1 yards per punt with 4 downed inside the 20. He was rated a 4.5 star punter and was ranked as the No. 32 punter with Korn Blue Kicking in 2021. Hillenburg also competed on the swimming team and was the team captain as a senior. PERSONAL: Hillenburg earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics with a Business minor from Cornell University in May of 2025. He is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. Earned a second-degree black belt in American Taekwondo. Earned the rank of Eagle Scout in November of 2018
Official bio
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CAREER: Throughout his five-year career (four at Cornell and one at Valparaiso), Hillenburg has recorded 49 punts for 1,923 yards (39.2 avg.) with a long of 59. Thirteen punts were fair caught and 9 were downed inside the 20, with 6 going over 50 yards. He has tallied 5 touchbacks.
2026: Hillenburg, who transferred to USC in the summer of 2026 from Valparaiso, looks to compete for playing time at punter as a redshirt senior in 2026.
VALPARAISO: Hillenburg recorded 49 punts for 1,923 yards (39.2 avg.) with a long of 59 as a redshirt senior in 2025. Thirteen punts were fair caught and 9 were downed inside the 20, with 6 going over 50 yards. He has tallied 5 touchbacks.
CORNELL: He tallied 11 punts for 428 yards (38.9 avg.) with a long of 62 as a redshirt junior in 2024. One punt was fair caught, 2 were downed inside the 20 and 2 went over 50 yards.
He recorded 2 punts for 66 yards (33.0 avg.) with a long of 33 as a redshirt sophomore in 2023.
He recorded 1 punt for 10 yards (10.0 avg.) with a long of 10 as a redshirt freshman in 2023.
Hillenburg did not see action as a true freshman in 2021.
HIGH SCHOOL: As a senior in 2020, Hillenburg averaged 31.0 yards per punt for the state champion Cathedral. He was a 2020 Academic All-State selection.
As a junior in 2019, he averaged 29.1 yards per punt with 4 downed inside the 20.
He was rated a 4.5 star punter and was ranked as the No. 32 punter with Korn Blue Kicking in 2021.
Hillenburg also competed on the swimming team and was the team captain as a senior.
PERSONAL: Hillenburg earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics with a Business minor from Cornell University in May of 2025. He is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. Earned a second-degree black belt in American Taekwondo. Earned the rank of Eagle Scout in November of 2018