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Texas A&M DB Out for First Half vs. Notre Dame

The Texas A&M Aggies will be down a member of the secondary in the first half against Notre Dame.
Zach Dimmitt|
Florida Gators cornerback Jaydon Hill (23) gestures after a stop during the first half against the Florida State Seminoles at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]
Florida Gators cornerback Jaydon Hill (23) gestures after a stop during the first half against the Florida State Seminoles at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun] | Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Texas A&M AggiesNotre Dame Fighting Irish

The Texas A&M Aggies will be without a key member of the secondary for the first half of Saturday's season opener against No. 7 Notre Dame at Kyle Field.

As Carter Karels of GigEm247 pointed out Monday, A&M defensive back Jaydon Hill will sit on the sidelines for the first 30 minutes of game action due to a targeting penalty that he picked up against Florida State last season while with the Florida Gators.

The punishment has followed him from Gainsville to College Station and from 2023 to 2024. Hill picked up the targeting penalty after delivering a hard hit to the upper body of former Seminoles quarterback Tate Rodemaker, who transferred to Southern Miss earlier this offseason.

Jaydon Hil
Florida State Seminoles quarterback Tate Rodemaker (18) is tackled by Florida Gators cornerback Jaydon Hill (23) and Florida Gators safety Bryce Thornton (18) at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023 during the second half. Florida Gators cornerback Jaydon Hill (23) was ejected from the game for the hit. Florida State won 24-15. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] | Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

The hit knocked Rodemaker out of the game late in the fourth quarter and forced third-string freshman Brock Glenn into action. Hill was ejected from the game, which ended his season since Florida went 5-7 and missed out on bowl eligibility.

Here's a look at the play:

In the first tentative depth chart released Monday, Hill is listed as the co-starter at nickel cornerback with Tyreek Chappell. Hill could eventually step into the role as a full-time starter as the season progresses, but will have to watch Chappell in the first half on Saturday.

In four seasons at Florida, Hill posted 88 total tackles (56 solo), 2.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions, 15 pass breakups and one touchdown. Both of his career interceptions -- one of which was a 49-yard pick-six -- came in a 24-17 win over Missouri during the 2022 season.

No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 7 Notre Dame will kick off on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT.

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Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7

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