Florida Gators' Jaydon Hill Was Ready For A Comeback. Now He Must Bounce Back From Another Setback

Jaydon Hill will have to wait another year for his time. Photo Credit: Chris Spears

This was supposed to be a story about Jaydon Hill finally getting his chance to shine with the Florida Gators. It was going to recap his recovery and bided time while recovering from an ACL tear as a senior in high school. It was going to touch on his progress in 2020, all he learned from the corners before him and how he could be a perfect compliment to Kaiir Elam in the secondary.

Then it took a turn.

During the first week of fall camp, Hill suffered an ACL tear, something Head Coach Dan Mullen confirmed on Thursday. He will be out for the year. The tear is in the opposite knee than the knee in which Hill suffered a tear in high school.

“Massive disappointment,” said Mullen on Thursday of Hill’s reaction. “Being ready for this opportunity to be the guy.”

And Hill was going to be the guy. During SEC Media Days this summer, Mullen told reporters Hill would be a starter along with Elam at opposite corner. It would be a daunting task, stepping into the shoes of guys now in the NFL after playing the position for the Gators. But the day before fall camp began, Hill expressed to reporters how ready he was for the task.

“I guess that’s more of a challenge for me this year, stepping up and fill his shoes and the past guys that are in front of me. I really take that as a challenge, to go out and dominate.”

Hill—an Alabama native who left his home state to play for the Gators—had spent his time during recovery and as a backup to become someone worthy of being a Florida corner.

“When I got here, honestly, I couldn’t even draw up a play besides Cover 3. I knew one defense, Cover 3,” joked Hill before camp. “But my game has progressed tremendously, my mindset off the field, in meeting rooms. I couldn’t even diagram an offense. Now I can draw up offensive plays, defensive plays and match them.

“But honestly, I even feel like my game has progressed – not just weight room and strength-wise with my ACL last year – but off the field, in meeting rooms, and being able to take my game from the meeting room and apply on the field. To think faster and to play faster and all that.”

While disappointment can easily rule the mind right now, Hill’s past ability to overcome and grow from a setback will be what pushes him forward. At least that’s how Mullen feels…mostly because he’s seen Hill do it before.

“You’re looking at a young guy that’s been through this once and came out on the positive end on the other side,” noted Mullen. “I think he understands how to come through it, what he needs to do and how he can get through it and how it’ll improve.

“I think with him knowing the program, knowing the defense, knowing his maturity, he’s a guy that’s going to be pretty comfortable, I think, saying ‘I put myself in the position to be a starter. I had this little setback, but I’ve worked hard. Nothing was ever handed to me. I had to work hard to be a starter.’”

In Hill’s absence, the Gators will turn to younger guys and transfers. All names that were going to see action in some capacity this year. Now that development will just progress a little faster than planned, as Mullen explained.

“There’s going to be a lot of opportunities for guys coming in. We have (Jadarrius) Perkins, transferred in, going to have an opportunity. Obviously, Avery Helm who I think is going to be extremely talented. Might just have to accelerate his career to get him on the field. (Ethan) Pouncey coming off the surgery is really kind of getting back to the player we thought he could be. There’s going to be some of those young guys that might just get a little more opportunity than they were expecting at this point.”

Perkins is a Missouri transfer who entered the portal after spending the spring in Columbia. He originally spent two years at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (the same JUCO, at the same time, as Gator linebacker Diwun Black). While at MGCC, Perkins totaled 21 solo tackles, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, an interception and five pass breakups.

Ethan Pouncey redshirted his freshman season while recovering from a high school injury, meaning there’s little known about him at the collegiate level. His high school tape and measurables however make him one to watch. Avery Helm is also a redshirt freshman, who received playing time in the Cotton Bowl.

Florida also signed Jason Marshall, a five-star out of Miami, ranked as the No. 2 cornerback prospect in the country. The Gators have had really good play from true freshmen at corner in recent years, so don’t be surprised if Marshall sees the field a lot before the end of the season.

And what of Hill? This was supposed to finally, finally be his year. But while he won’t be on the field, it can still be another chapter in what could become quite a redemption story of Jaydon Hill’s journey with the Florida Gators.

“If you’ve done that, if you know the path of hard work, how to get into that role, when you get knocked off course, you know how to get back there,” continued Mullen of Hill’s future. “If it was just handed something, maybe it was harder. But he’s worked his tail off to earn everything he’s gotten here. I think that makes it easier because you know how to get back there. 'I know that path. I know what I need to do, and I plan on being back full speed here shortly.’”