Florida received tough news Thursday when Dan Mullen announced that Jaydon Hill, a projected starter at cornerback, suffered a knee injury in fall camp and will miss the 2021 season. Hill tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in a non-contact drill on Sunday and is preparing for surgery, Mullen said.

It’s a terribly unfortunate deal for Hill, a junior from Tennessee and member of the SEC All-Academic team who was a highly coveted, blue-chip corner when he committed to the Gators. Florida stuck with him after he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee days after his commitment.

Hill battled back from the injury to contribute on special teams as a freshman and last season found his way onto the field consistently. Hill took advantage of the playing time, becoming one of Florida’s few consistent performers on defense. In fact, only Kaiir Elam graded out higher among Florida’s secondary pieces in 2020, according to Pro Football Focus. Hill wasn’t a flashy player, but he was reliable, a capable boundary cover corner and an excellent tackler in run support. Hill ultimately made 5 starts last season, finishing with 14 tackles and 7 pass breakups in 12 games played.

Hill was expected to be a full-time starter at the outset of 2021, despite the addition of 5-star corner Jason Marshall Jr., who arrived on campus this spring and is expected to contribute immediately. Marshall Jr. is as advertised when you see him on tape, and his NFL-ready frame makes him ideal for Florida’s bump coverage schemes (when Todd Grantham uses them, yes hit the comments section on that one). Hill’s absence could mean Marshall Jr. is asked to start on Day 1 and certainly means Marshall Jr. will play more snaps early in the season than anticipated.

The good news? As has become their custom since they arrived in Gainesville, Dan Mullen and his staff have worked the transfer portal well and created better depth in the secondary than they have had since he arrived in Gainesville. Florida’s mastery of the transfer portal should help soften the blow of losing a projected starter. Two transfers, Elijah Blades (Texas A&M) and Jadarrius Perkins (Missouri) should compete with Marshall Jr. for the starting job.

Blades, who committed to former UF head coach Jim McElwain as a blue-chip high school recruit in 2016, finally arrives in Gainesville 5 seasons later after a circuitous journey that has seen him pass through the junior college ranks and Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M program. Blades opted out of the 2020 season due to family COVID concerns, but he started 6 games for the Aggies in 2019, making 19 tackles and breaking up 3 passes. Long viewed as an NFL-type talent due to his blend of size and physicality, Blades is playing for draft position, and should be plenty motivated to win the job opposite Elam.

Meanwhile, Perkins arrives in Gainesville after spending the winter with Eli Drinkwitz at Missouri. He committed to Mizzou as the No. 5 JUCO prospect in the country out of JUCO power Mississippi Gulf Coast, and was expected to make an instant impact in CoMo this season before electing to transfer. Whether Perkins’ decision to leave Missouri without ever playing a down contributed to Drinkwitz’s saltiness toward Mullen at SEC Media Days is a question readers can decide, but the fact remains the Gators inked themselves a big-time talent when the 6-2 Perkins chose the Gators.

The former JUCO All-American has turned heads early in camp with his positive attitude and performance in 1-on-1 drills, and he’ll give Florida another quality option to pair with Elam, a preseason All-American.

The loss of Hill, a popular figure in the locker room and reliable contributor on the field, is a tough deal. But thanks to the addition of Marshall Jr. and the transfer portal, the Gators are far better equipped than they have been in seasons past to weather the loss of a starter in fall camp.

While it’s tempting to view the loss of Hill as the beginning of the Jason Marshall Jr. era at Florida, the list of freshman corners who have played and started more or less right away in Gainesville is very short: Joe Haden, Janoris Jenkins, Vernon Hargreaves Jr., Kaiir Elam. Marshall Jr. is capable of joining that illustrious group and will certainly play. That’s good news. The better news is that Marshall Jr. doesn’t have to start right away: Perkins and Blades, who have substantial NFL-type talent, are ready to step in and contribute. Four years ago, when Mullen arrived, that wouldn’t have been the case.

Now, as his program attempts to defend its first SEC East title and take the next step in Atlanta, the Gators are finally in a position to weather the loss of a terrific player like Hill. That’s progress, even if it comes at a painful price.