CB Jaydon Hill Inching Closer to Return for Florida Gators

Cornerback Jaydon Hill was upgraded on Florida's Week 3 injury report.

Photo: Jaydon Hill; Credit: Alex Shepherd

Although six players, including three starters, were ruled out of Florida's Week 3 matchup with the USF Bulls on Wednesday night, the Gators' latest depth chart included a positive note on a contributor that hasn't stepped onto the field for the Gators since 2020.

Fourth-year redshirt sophomore cornerback Jaydon Hill was listed as questionable on UF's Week 3 injury report, a step in the right direction after being sidelined for the first two games of the 2022 season and his entire 2021 campaign. Hill partook in Florida's spring camp earlier this year, but didn't participate in fall practices.

Head coach Billy Napier foreshadowed Hill's injury status upgrade on Monday, sharing that Hill had begun to practice with the team after his extended absence.

"We’re excited Jaydon Hill has started doing some things in practice this week, anticipate getting him back pretty soon," Napier said. "That room [cornerbacks] there can be a strength for our team."

Hill tore the ACL in his left knee last August, which kept him on the sidelines during the 2021 season after he had proven himself as a contributor the year before. With five starts and 22 appearances under his belt, Hill has tallied 25 tackles and 10 pass breakups during his time with the Gators. 

This isn't the first time Hill has made his way back to football following a major injury as he tore the ACL in his right knee during his high school career at Hunstville (Ala.) Bob Jones. According to his teammates, however, the latest wound hasn't hampered Hill's motivation and willingness to strap up the pads again once he has fully recovered. 

"That can be hard on everybody. I know it was hard on him," cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. said of Hill on Sept. 7. "I talked to him. But, he keeps his head high, [in] high spirits. When he comes back, you know, he’s going to be ready."

Upon clearance, Hill will embrace competition in what has turned into a deep Gators' cornerbacks room. Marshall and Avery Helm have started for Florida thus far in 2022, with Helm having stepped into Hill's projected starting role a year ago. True freshman Devin Moore and offseason Georgia transfer Jalen Kimber have also manned significant rotational roles over the first two games of the campaign. 

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