It's Personal - Florida's Matchup vs. Texas A&M Reunites Former Coaches and Players

When the Florida Gators line up against the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday, it will be personal for a lot of the participants.

Former Florida Gators cornerback Jaydon Hill will line up against his old team for the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday. / Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The Florida Gators may not have a deep, historical rivalry with Texas A&M, but that doesn’t mean Saturday’s matchup in The Swamp won’t be personal. 

When the Aggies roll into Gainesville, with them will be a small group of former Gators that include two coaches, two players and a one-time commit. 

Coaching for Texas A&M are defensive coordinator Jay Batemen, who spent the last two seasons as Florida’s linebackers coach, and defensive line coach Sean Spencer, who spent the last two seasons in the same role under Napier while also retaining the title of co-defensive coordinator. 

Bateman’s and Spencer’s individual departures from Florida each came with its own level of controversy. Florida parted ways with Spencer, along with now-LSU secondary coach Corey Raymond, after the Gators’ season-ending loss to FSU last year ahead of his contract expiring. 

Bateman, however, retained his job but shockingly left Florida a day after Early Signing Day in December to reunite with head coach Mike Elko, who took the Texas A&M job nearly a month prior. 

“I think Coach Bateman is a good football coach,” Napier said. “He's had a tremendous track record as a coordinator and you pair that with Coach Elko, the makeup of that staff, their identity as a defense. They're very sound in what they do. I think they force you to execute, and I think they take away the easy stuff and then obviously defend the deep part of the field at the same time.

“So a little bit of a chess match there. For the most part, good fundamental football matchups, much like I see every week in this league.”

Bateman’s quick departure left a bad taste in many mouths, including that of former Florida running back Earnest Graham, who’s also the father of now-UF linebacker Myles Graham. Graham has since clarified his comments and praised Batemen’s replacement, Ron Roberts. 

However, it appears that that bad taste doesn’t fully extend to all of Bateman’s former players and recruits. That doesn’t mean they don’t want to show him what they’re fully capable of. 

“I say that's my life coach,” said Shemar James. “He's been there since my freshman year, just helping me, guiding me in the right direction. I wish the best for Coach Bateman and his family. I just want to show him a little something something on Saturday.”

On the field for the Aggies’ defense will be former starters Jaydon Hill, who spent most of his time in Gainesville at STAR, and linebacker Scooby Williams. Both are listed as starters on the depth chart as “or’s” with Williams also questionable for the game, according to the Aggies’ availability report. 

 The Aggies also have freshman Kendall Jackson, a former Florida commit and high school teammate of Myles Graham and Gavin Hill, on its roster.

“Look, it's part of the dynamic,” Napier said of reuniting with Hill and Williams. “Happens in the NFL. Heck, probably happens more in high school football than college football or the NFL. It's every level of football. So it is what it is.”

For the players that remained with the Gators, it’s an opportunity to face off against former teammates they spent many practices going up against. 

"I've been waiting ever since they left,” said receiver Eugene Wilson III. “They're my guys at the end of the day, but just like we used to do at practice last year, compete, and that's how it's going to be on the field."

Hill’s and Williams’s former teammates on the defensive side of the ball, who won’t get to directly matchup against the two on Saturday, are even giving advice to their offensive counterparts.

“I told (Treyaun) Webb a couple of minutes ago, if you see J-Hill or Scooby, just run at them. I don't care if it's a touchdown, run that way, run at 'em,” James said. “Those are my guys, but come Saturday, they're opponents again. I wish them the best, and I wish Texas A&M the best.”

To add just a bit more personal touch for both sides, the Gators named Emmitt Smith Mr. Two Bits, while his son EJ Smith lines up for the Aggies.

Saturday’s reunion in Gainesville between former co-workers, staff members, teammates, coaches and players begins at 3:30 p.m. with television coverage on ABC.