Tag: Jaydon Hill

Breaking: Former Florida CB Jaydon Hill will transfer to Texas A&M

The Aggies gain another cornerback as former Florida CB Jaydon Hill will reportedly transfer to Texas A&M.

Ask, and you shall receive! Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko has been on fire this past week, already landing 14 confirmed transfer portal additions, including two confirmations on Saturday. Just minutes after former Troy offensive tackle Derrick Graham announced his commitment, former Florida veteran cornerback Jaydon Hill followed suit, further adding to the Aggies’ now respectable secondary.

With one season of collegiate eligibility remaining, Hill is coming off his best season yet with the Gators, recording 88 tackles, two interceptions, 15 tackles for loss and two sacks on the season. Coming into the Aggies’ defense, Hill’s 6’0″, 195-pound frame places him as a nickel corner in Elko and new defensive coordinator Jay Bateman’s defense, who served as Florida’s linebackers coach in 2023.

Hill joins former Cal Poly CB Donovan Saunders and former Kansas State standout cornerback Will Lee Jr. in the secondary as incoming sophomore duo Bravion Rodgers and Jayvon Thomas look to improve steadily after struggling in A&M’s Texas Bowl loss to Oklahoma State.

With Hill’s commitment, six defensive backs, including three safeties, fill out the Aggies defensive backfield heading into 2024.

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A trio of transfer portal defenders will join Texas A&M’s visitor list this weekend

Former Florida linebacker Scooby Williams and cornerback Jaydon Hill join cornerbacks Denver Harris and Julian Humphrey to visit Texas A&M this weekend.

Good news regarding Texas A&M’s potential transfer portal additions is on the horizon, as head coach Mike Elko and his new staff are set to host a long list of experienced players looking for a new collegiate destination. As of Tuesday evening, three more defenders will make their way to College Station.

After the surprising news that former LSU and Texas A&M cornerback Denver Harris would be joining the visitors’ list after failing to live up to his lofty recruiting expectations at both SEC programs, it has been confirmed by 247Sports’ Matt Zentiz that two former Florida defenders, linebacker Scooby Williams and cornerback Jaydon Hill will join former Georgia cornerback Julian Humphrey in Aggieland this weekend.

Coincidentally, new Aggies defensive coordinator Jay Bateman was recently the linebackers coach at Florida for the last two seasons and is obviously, as sophomore Scooby Williams is coming off an impressive 2023 season with 52 tackles and a sack, while junior Jaydon Hill recorded 39 tackles and three pass deflections on the year.

Julian Humphrey’s decision to enter the portal is somewhat surprising after initially stating that he would stay at Georgia, as the former Top-100-ranked prospect from the 2023 recruiting class is a Clear Lake, Texas native who revealed to AggiesToday that he will join Williams, Hill, and Harris in College Station, while also planning to visit Texas in the coming weeks.

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Another Florida defensive back hits the transfer portal

After five seasons and 25 starts with the Florida Gators, defensive back Jaydon Hill has decided to test out the transfer portal.

The Florida Gators are losing another starter on defense.

Fifth-year defensive back [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] entered the transfer portal on Friday, according to 247Sports and On3. Hill played in all 12 games for Florida in 2023, starting all but one of those contests. He ended the year with 39 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks.

After ending the 2022 season at cornerback, Hill moved to the STAR position this year, beating out Jadarrius Perkins for the starting job. Perkins left the team early in the season, and now Hill is gone too.

Hill’s college career started in 2019. He came out of high school asa four-star corner ranked No. 187 overall in the country by 247Sports. The Alabama native picked Florida over Michigan, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas A&M, among others.

Despite tearing his ACL during his senior year of high school, Hill appeared in 10 games as a true freshman for Florida in 2019. He quickly worked out of the reserve role, starting five games during the 2020 season. Hill tore his ACL again during the 2021 preseason, forcing him to miss the entire season and take a medical redshirt.

Along with the obvious challenges of returning from a major knee injury, Hill had to fight for his spot with a new coach in Gainesville. Hill signed to Dan Mullen’s Florida Gators, but he ended up starting more games for Billy Napier.

With one more year of eligibility remaining and a proven track record in the SEC, Hill should have no problem finding a new home at a Power Five program.

Florida has now lost five members of its secondary. In addition to Hill and Perkins, cornerback Jalen Kimber and safety Miguel Mitchell are in the portal. Safety Kamari Wilson has committed to Arizona State.

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2023 Florida Football Position Preview: Safeties/STAR

Florida lost all three starters from the third level over the offseason, but there’s a room full of young talent that is ready to step up.

After looking at every other offensive and defensive player on Florida’s roster, it’s time to wrap things up with the safeties and STAR position players.

Trey Dean and Rashad Torrence held down both starting safety spots for all of 2022, but now two doors have opened for some young talent to step up. At STAR, Jaydon Hill and Jadarrius Perkins look to split duties after Tre’Vez Johnson departed the program.

This group might not be the most experienced, but there is a ton of raw talent ready to be unlocked.

Here’s a look at every safety and STAR on Florida’s 2023 fall roster.

Taking a look at Florida’s depth chart ahead of the Las Vegas Bowl

The Las Vegas Bowl is almost here and Florida is working with a different look roster after a busy start to the transfer season.

Florida’s depth chart for the Las Vegas Bowl looks a whole lot different from the opening-day roster, but that’s expected as players leave for the draft, enter the transfer portal and suffer injuries over the course of the year.

Starting with the offense, Florida is down players at every position but running back. [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] is making his first start at quarterback with [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] headed to the NFL, and walk-on [autotag]Kyle Engel[/autotag] true will serve as the backup. True freshman [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] is listed as the third-string option under center.

[autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] are the only available running backs on Saturday, but that duo has the bulk of Florida’s carries over the season so it shouldn’t be a problem.

[autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] is preparing for the draft, which means [autotag]Xavier Henderson[/autotag] is the new No. 1 out wide for the Gators. True freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] gets the No. 2 spot (and his second start) with [autotag]Daejon Reynolds[/autotag] in the transfer portal, and [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] is still in the slot. Despite losing some talent from the receivers room, Florida is in an okay spot heading into the bowl game.

At tight end, [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] is still dealing with an injury, meaning [autotag]Dante Zanders[/autotag] is the starter once again. [autotag]Jonathan Odom[/autotag] was productive as the team’s second tight end towards the end of the season and will get another shot to audition for next year against Oregon State.

Florida’s offensive line features a new face: Redshirt freshman [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag], who will get his first start at right guard with O’Cyrus Torrence headed to the pros. Left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] is also going to the NFL, but he could start in the bowl game and is officially listed as an “or” option along with [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag]. [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag] and [autotag]Kinglsey Eguakun[/autotag] remain at left guard and center, and [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] returns to the right tackle spot. Christian Williams could see an increase in snaps as the primary backup for either guard spot with [autotag]Richie Leonard[/autotag] injured.

Now on to the defense.

Florida’s defensive line looks the same as it was through the final few games of the season: [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Princely Umanimielen[/autotag] at defensive end, [autotag]Desmond Watson [/autotag]at nose tackle and [autotag]Antwaun Powell-Ryland J[/autotag]r. at the JACK linebacker spot. The big change in the front seven comes at [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag]’s linebacker spot which now belongs to [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag]. [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] is the other starting linebacker, but expect [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] and [autotag]Scooby Williams[/autotag] to get some work in too.

In the secondary, [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] remain as Florida’s starting cornerbacks, and [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashad Torrence[/autotag] will get another run at their respective safety spots. [autotag]Jadarrius Perkins[/autotag] is stepping in for an injured [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] at the STAR, but that shouldn’t disrupt the defense too much.

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Florida cornerback Avery Helm headed to transfer portal, per reports

Florida is losing defensive back Avery Helm to the transfer portal. The former four-star talent out of high school signed with the Gators in 2020.

Florida cornerback [autotag]Avery Helm[/autotag] is expected to enter the NCAA transfer portal on Dec. 5, according to a report from Donovan Keiser of Gators Online. Helm took to Twitter to confirm the announcement soon after the news broke.

A class of 2020 signee, Helm broke out in the 2021 season as a redshirt freshman appearing in 11 games for Florida, including nine starts as a defensive back. He finished that year with three pass breakups and 22 tackles, five of which came in the Vanderbilt game.

Helm began 2022 as a starter for the Gators under Billy Napier but saw his role on the team reduced significantly after [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] returned from injury. Moved to the second team in Week 5, Helm’s snap count fell from around 45 per game to just 15 during Week 11. He did not play in the final two weeks of the season for Florida.

A ton of attrition is expected from this team, and Helm is the first domino to fall following the conclusion of the regular season. As things stand, Florida should be alright with the current and incoming crop of defensive backs it has, but Helm was a strong depth piece that clearly wasn’t getting enough playing time to stay in Gainesville.

[autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] still have eligibility to return as starters for next year, and true freshman [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag] impressed before having his season cut short by injury.

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Florida loses true freshman CB Devin Moore for season after surgery

True freshman cornerback Devin Moore impressed through the first five weeks of the season, but surgery on a lingering shoulder injury has him out for the rest of the year.

Florida true freshman cornerback [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag] underwent surgery on his shoulder surgery on Wednesday and will miss the remainder of the season, according to head coach Billy Napier‘s comments on Wednesday night.

“Devin is, I think we listed him as out,” Napier said. “Devin had a shoulder, and truth be known, this was an injury that he had when he arrived. It was uncovered during the first few weeks of the season. He showed great toughness. He played with it for a little while and it just got to a point where he’s not able to participate, so Devin had surgery today and certainly will be out.

“We’re hopeful we’ll have him back for offseason program and spring practice.”

Moore took to Twitter during the day to confirm a successful surgery, and Napier followed up with the timeline when talking with the media later that day.

Moore played in 167 snaps through the first five games of the season, according to Pro Football Focus. He mainly lined up out wide but spent some time covering the slot and at safety. Although he was a productive player during those five games, passing the four-game limit means Moore won’t be able to take a redshirt.

[autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] will still be at the top of the depth chart among cornerbacks on the team, but Moore’s season-ending surgery opens the door for some rotational pieces to get more playing time. [autotag]Avery Helm[/autotag], who started the season as a starter, and Georgia transfer [autotag]Jalen Kimber[/autotag] should be the primary benefactors.

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Two Gators on watchlist for College Football Comeback Player of the Year award

Two Florida Gators players are on the shortlist for the CFB Comeback Player of the Year award, both on the defensive side of the ball.

The watchlist of the College Football Comeback Player of the Year award was released Wednesday by the College Sports Communicators in association with The Associated Press and Fiesta Bowl Organization. Linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] were the two Florida Gators players to make the list.

Miller is in the midst of his sixth and final season of eligibility and has been the lifeblood of the Gators’ defense. He suffered a torn bicep against USF last season, causing him to miss the majority of the 2021 season. His absence is seen by some to be the catalyst for the Gators’ defensive woes last year. This season, he has been a joy to watch on the field. Despite missing the Week 3 matchup against (ironically) USF, he is third on the team with 43 tackles and is the unquestioned leader of the defense.

Hill’s long-awaited return from injury came in Florida’s Week 5 victory over Eastern Washington. It was Hill’s first game since 2020. Back-to-back ACL and LCL tears put him out of action for a long time. In the next game, Hill had two interceptions, including a pick-six early on that gave Florida a lead they would not relinquish.

Three players will be selected for the award. It will be voted upon by a group of writers, editors, and sports information directors. The winners will be announced during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.

Miller and Hill’s next opportunity to play will come on Saturday when the Gators take on LSU. Billy Napier and Brian Kelly will make their first appearances in the rivalry. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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This Gator highlighted in SI’s recent 2023 draft prospect watch list

Florida Gators’ linebacker Ventrell Miller is highlighted by Sports Illustrated’s weekly draft prospect spotlight.

Each week, Sports Illustrated highlights a group of players that stand out and have put NFL personnel on notice. This week, Florida Gators linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] makes the list on the back of his outstanding performance against Missouri last Saturday.

Miller is the unquestioned leader of the Florida defense. His presence is noticeable and his absence is even more noticeable. Miller is 3rd on the team with 40 total tackles. He also has one interception and one fumble recovery. What stands out the most, however, is Miller’s ability to be all over the field. His elite lateral movement allows him to close down gaps and minimize big yardage plays.

He is also a great player in coverage. [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] got all the attention last week with his two interceptions, and rightfully so. What doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is Miller’s impact on the receiving routes that allowed Hill to get his two takeaways. Miller is going to make an NFL general manager really happy on day two of the draft. If he keeps playing the way he has this season, he might even creep up and be a first-round draft pick.

Miller’s next opportunity to improve his draft stock will be on Saturday when the Gators take on LSU. Billy Napier and LSU coach Brian Kelly will make their coaching debuts in the rivalry. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Billy Napier provides an update on this injured defensive back

True freshman cornerback Devin Moore didn’t play on Saturday for the Gators, and now we know why.

After true freshman cornerback [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag] missed Florida’s contest against Missouri on Saturday, most assumed that he was dealing with some type of injury. On Monday, Gators head coach Billy Napier provided an update on Moore, informing the media that he had reaggravated an injury during practice.

That reaggravation lead to Moore’s inactivity on Saturday and could keep him out for the next few weeks. Napier didn’t rule out an appearance from Moore against LSU, but it sounds like Moore will be week-to-week until he’s fully healed.

“(He) got a little banged up late in practice on Wednesday,” Napier said of Moore’s injury. “Nothing major there. He’ll be kind of a work in progress this week, but he reaggravated an injury from the past and one that made him unavailable for the game.”

The good news for Florida here is that [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] recently returned to the rotation and has been on fire. After getting his feet wet against Eastern Washington, Hill had two interceptions against Missouri, including one for a touchdown. Hill’s emergence has moved everyone but [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. back a spot on the depth chart, meaning that Moore is at best the No. 4 for the Gators right now.

Napier probably still wants him to get reps during his freshman year, but there’s no need to rush him back before he’s ready. The next update Gators fans will get on Moore should come on Wednesday when the team typically releases its two-deep depth chart for the upcoming week.

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