A three-star prospect out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Hicks got a bit of action as a true freshman for the Cougars in 2021, and really started to make an impact as a box/slot player in 2022 with 60 solo tackles, 18 stops, one sack, eight total pressures, and one tackle for loss. Hicks was a work in progress as a coverage defender that season (33 catches allowed on 41 targets for 410 yards, 188 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, one interception, four pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 122.6), but he saw improvement in that department in 2023, when he allowed 20 catches on 31 targets for 170 yards, 129 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, two interceptions, four pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 73.3.
