Jaydon Hill will start vs. EWU, playing in his first game since 2020

On3 imageby:Zach Abolverdi•09/28/22•

ZachAbolverdi

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida cornerback Jaydon Hill makes his return to the starting lineup — and the gridiron — on Sunday.

Hill, who has not made any appearances this season, is listed as a starter this week against Eastern Washington. He will be playing in his first game since 2020.

Hill suffered a torn ACL in preseason camp last year and missed the entire 2021 season, earning a medical redshirt. He was non-contact in spring ball but then had a setback during the summer.

Hill was sidelined throughout fall training camp but is ready to make his 2022 debut.

“I think Jaydon has been very much a work in progress as he’s kind of made his return to play,” Florida coach Billy Napier said of Hill on Wednesday night. “He’s done everything that he’s been asked to do. He’s worked extremely hard. And, you know, I think Jaydon is a guy I’ve got a ton of respect for.

“You talk about what he’s been through from an injury perspective. He had a knee in high school, had a knee here, had kind of a minor knee issue in the summertime, and then he’s been on that path to recovery.”

Hill appeared in all 12 games in 2020, recording five starts and finished the season with 14 tackles and seven pass breakups, which ranking second on the team. Last year, he was projected to be a full-time starter opposite Kaiir Elam prior to his injury.

“Jaydon was one of the better players that we had on our team in spring practice in my opinion,” Napier said. “I was very impressed with him as a player. It’s no surprise to me, you know. He showed pretty quickly here that he’s very capable. So, I’m excited to watch him play. I’m excited how he can impact our team.”

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