It’s been over a year since [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] has played in an actual football game, but that should change on Saturday when the Florida Gators take on the Eastern Washington Eagles.
Hill missed all of 2021 after tearing his ACL in preseason camp. After practicing with the team in a non-contact capacity during spring, Hill was shut down for most of all preseason camp. He hasn’t played through the Gators’ first four games of the 2022 season either, and now Gators fans know why.
According to Gators Online, Billy Napier confirmed that Hill suffered a setback over the summer, which explains his delayed return to the team. The wait will be worth it, though. Hill is listed as a starting cornerback for Saturday’s contest, moving [autotag]Avery Helm[/autotag] to the second team. Napier’s been impressed with Hill, and EWU is a good opponent to test how game ready he is.
“I think Jaydon has been very much a work in progress as he’s kind of made his return to play,” Napier said speaking to the media Wednesday night. “He’s done everything that he’s been asked to do. He’s worked extremely hard. And, you know, I think Jaydon is a guy I’ve got a ton of respect for.
“You talk about what he’s been through from an injury perspective. He had a knee in high school, had a knee here, had kind of a minor knee issue in the summertime, and then he’s been on that path to recovery.”
Napier’s hopeful that Hill can pick up right where he left off. Before getting hurt, Hill was slated to be the No. 2 cornerback on the team behind [autotag]Kaiir Elam[/autotag]. Now [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. is in front of him, but it’s still the same spot. It’s rare to go through a major injury and setback and get your spot back, but that speaks to the work Hill has put in.
“Jaydon was one of the better players that we had on our team in spring practice in my opinion,” Napier said. “I was very impressed with him as a player. It’s no surprise to me, you know. He showed pretty quickly here that he’s very capable. So, I’m excited to watch him play. I’m excited how he can impact our team.”
If Napier is excited to watch him play, then the fans should be too. Shuffling up the defense after a poor performance is good, and Hill’s return could help right the ship.
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