Florida Transfer DB Jaydon Hill Commits to Texas A&M

Texas A&M reeled in a pledge from former Florida Gators defensive back Jaydon Hill on Saturday.

Former Florida Gators defensive back Jaydon Hill will complete his collegiate career at Texas A&M, he announced Saturday evening.

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The familiarity of three former Florida coaches on the Aggies' defensive staff — Jay Bateman, Sean Spencer and Wesley McGriff — seemingly played dividends for TAMU in ultimately landing his services.

McGriff, who coached the secondary at Florida briefly in 2021, will work with Hill again in College Station.

The Huntsville, Ala., native began his five-year stint at Florida as an outside cornerback. He played four seasons on the boundary while flashing promise as a rotational player at the spot through the 2020 season.

In 2021, Hill was positioned to compete with Avery Helm for the starting job opposite surefire starter and future first-round NFL Draft selection to Buffalo Kaiir Elam.

However, Hill tore his ACL before the season, forcing him to miss the tumultuous final year of Dan Mullen’s tenure in its entirety.

The injury lingered into the 2022 campaign, forcing him to miss the first four games. He returned against Eastern Washington in Week 5, earning a high-volume role as the starter in the last nine games of Billy Napier’s first season in Gainesville.

In 2023, Hill moved from the outside to command the STAR nickel cornerback position previously occupied by Tre’Vez Johnson. He won the job over junior Jadarrius Perkins — who left the team with intentions to enter the transfer portal following Florida’s Week 1 loss to Utah — and true freshman Sharif Denson.

He produced his most successful season to date as a result, adjusting nicely to the spot's demand for open-field tackling. Hill accounted for a career-high 39 tackles and two sacks on top of three pass breakups and a fumble recovery during the 2023 campaign.

His ability to work downhill to stifle screens and quick-hitters in the flats was one of the few bright spots for the Florida secondary last season.

But, as the Gators' changes to their coaching staff included the release of secondary assistant Corey Raymond in favor of former Los Angeles Chargers’ assistant Will Harris, Hill elected to move on from UF for his final year of eligibility.

Hill concluded his Florida career having accounted for 88 tackles, five TFLs, 2.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries, 18 pass breakups, two interceptions and one touchdown in 43 appearances. 

New Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko took a liking in Hill to slot into his defense. Elko and Co. hosted Hill — alongside fellow former Gators Scooby Williams and Jalen Kimber — during the weekend. 

Hill and Williams committed to the Aggies within hours of each other. Kimber is pledged to Louisville, but isn’t considered firm in his commitment to play for the Cardinals next season. 

Now with Hill moved on, Florida will lean on the youth of its secondary. Currently, Denson is aligned as a top candidate to fulfill the STAR role in 2024. Versatile defensive back transfer additions Trikweze Bridges and DJ Douglas could also be in play to occupy the role. 

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