The transfer from Florida hopes to be a contributor to Texas A&M football at one of several DB positions.
When Texas A&M football brought in a DC and DL coach from Gainesville, most Aggie fans felt it a virtual certainty that the Aggies would be the beneficiary of a couple of Gator transfers on the defensive side of the ball. There was no shortage of players from which the Aggies could select, as there was a bit of an exodus from the Gator defense to the portal.
They ended up with two notable names: Scooby Williams and Jaydon Hill. Both are guys that flashed at times in their previous stop, but had trouble reaching their potential.
I’ve already written on how Williams will be set up for success better here than he was under Napier and Armstrong. But can the same be said of Hill? Potentially.
First of all, I think the Aggies have better coaching across the board than the squad down in Gainesville. To my eyes, the Bateman/Spencer/Armstrong dynamic was a square peg/round hole situation. A young, up-and-coming DC was struggling, especially with being expected to supervise such experienced, veteran coaches, and Napier chose to be loyal to the former by axing the latter when he fired Spencer and Corey Raymond. The situation under Elko, and for Hill specifically, Ish Aristide and Jordan Peterson, should be a far better one.
Hill brings a versatile skillset. He can play the corner position well, but he has also excelled in a hybrid, nickel-like position. I’d wager that Bryce Anderson has the starting nickel position locked down, but Hill could make himself indispensable enough to see solid time there as well.
Safety is the most likely position for him, to my mind. With Jacoby Mathews departing, there’s an open competition at both positions. Hill brings a nice mix of experience and talent that could have him slotting in without too much issue on the back end. The race for a starting spot back there won’t be for the faint of heart, however, with the number of guys and level of skill that Elko has brought in.
Overall, this is a great add from the portal who should make some noise in the spring. I’ll be excited to watch practice reports closely to see how he develops as camp goes on.
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