Florida is tasked with replacing starting cornerback Kaiir Elam in the secondary this season, and the expectation heading into preseason camp was that Jaydon Hill would compete for one of the two starting roles in 2022 after missing the entirety of the 2021 campaign with a torn ACL suffered in the second week of preseason camp of his junior season.

But Hill has yet to be fully cleared to return from his injury, Gators head coach Billy Napier divulged prior to Friday’s practice session, and he’s been unable to see the field in either of Florida’s two preseason practices to date.

Furthermore, Napier added that a timeline for Hill’s return to the field remains unclear, though Napier did make it sound as if he would return to the field at some point this season.

“Jaydon Hill is currently not able to participate,” Napier. “I think a little bit of that is to be determined, based on his recovery, the rehab process.

“Obviously, we’ll keep you guys up to date as his rehab process continues, but we anticipate getting him back later.”

Considering Napier’s comments in Atlanta at SEC Media Days, Hill’s current status may not come as too much of a surprise.

During his time on the SEC Network set, Napier was asked about Hill, and he gave a glowing review of the Huntsville, Alabama, native while also discussing his ongoing recovery.

“Jaydon, had a chance to get to know him a little bit. I admire Jaydon,” Napier said. “To go through what he's gone through from an injury perspective, I think it's important when you're trying to overcome an injury to keep perspective. I think it can benefit you if you have the right approach. It can create toughness. It can create resiliency. I think we see that. It shaped his character, and he's better for it, right?”

Hill went through all of Florida’s spring camp in an orange non-contact jersey, as did fellow cornerback Jalen Kimber, who at the time was working his way back from shoulder surgery.

Despite neither player being unable to fully participate in the first on-field organized activities in the Napier era, both Hill and Kimber still managed to frequently display their potential, said Florida cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond.

COMMENTS

“They’re doing well. Kimber’s coming off an injury, he’s doing well. He’s been in this type of system. You just see that he’s going to be really good,” Raymond said. “Jaydon Hill, he’s doing well. I like his progression. I like him as a player. He’s getting better every day. I think he has a chance to be good, too.”

As a sophomore in 2020, Hill appeared in all 12 games for the Gators, including five starts. He would finish the season with 14 tackles, including nine solo tackles, to go along with seven pass break-ups. Hill also recorded 11 tackles through 10 games as a true freshman at Florida during the 2019 campaign.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – When Michael Everett walked into the Publix supermarket in Lake Buena Vista this past Monday night, he never imagined he would hit it big on a “Monopoly Doubler” lottery ticket to the tune of $5,000.

The bartender and former Applebee’s manager was set to go on vacation, so the timing of a big cash prize on a single-ticket purchase was almost too good to be true.

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The next day, he went to the lottery office in Altamonte Springs imagining what he would do with the money, only to learn the Department of Economic Opportunity had laid claim to his cash prize.

“And the guy (lottery employee) told me ‘Listen, we want to pay you, but we can’t,’” Everett recalled. “There’s a hold on it from the DEO.”

Everett told News 6 he quickly logged into his DEO account “for the first time in two years” and was surprised to see this notation: “You were paid benefits you were not eligible to receive.”

Everett was laid off from a manager-in-training position with Applebee’s on March 16, 2020.

According to a letter presented to WKMG-TV by the company’s managing director, Everett was not “called back for rehire until September 25, 2020.”

The dates coincide with the weeks disputed by the DEO.

According to Everett’s Florida DEO account, he filed for and was paid roughly $4,300 in state and federal benefits from April 22, 2020 to May 15, 2020.

But his account now shows the payments covering that five-week period as “disqualified,” which is why the DEO garnished his lotto winnings.

“I was in shock,” Everett said. “I really had no idea what to say, what to do, I just went out to my car and sat there for about an hour.”

Make Ends Meet presented the dismissal letter provided by the Applebee’s managing director to the DEO, along with Everett’s benefits payment history.

The dates of unemployment coincide with the weeks he collected jobless benefits.

The DEO team reviewed the records Friday and determined the lottery funds should be reimbursed.

Everett sent an email to News 6 that read in part:

”They called. They told me to submit my certification questions on my DEO account. I just did. She said that the Lottery hasn’t sent them money yet and that she will let them know that this is resolved. She said I will get the full amount and there are no fees from the DEO.”

Everett said he should get the money in about one month.

If you have an unemployment or another DEO issue, email makeendsmeet@wkmg.com or text the words “make ends meet” along with your issue and a screenshot of your DEO account to 407-676-7428.

Black Men Sundays talks about building generational wealth. Check out every episode in the media player below:

In Swamp247's final defensive preview heading into head coach Billy Napier's first preseason camp with the program, we take a look at the safety position, which returns a pair of starters in Trey Dean III and Rashad Torrence II. Within Napier's first month on campus, the Gators made a splash at the position through the recruiting trail, landing a commitment from Kamari Wilson, the No. 9-ranked safety prospect in the class of 2022 by 247Sports.

Furthermore, Wilson arrived on campus in January as an early enrollee, which should have set him up to see the field as a true freshman. But Wilson went through much of spring camp with an orange non-contact jersey, raising the question of just how much he was able to accomplish during his first experience with organized team activities at Florida. The Gators also added Miguel Mitchell, but he didn't arrive until the offseason, all but guaranteeing he'll redshirt this season, while Devin Moore, ranked the No. 24 safety in the class of 2022 by 247Sports, was recruited to play cornerback at Florida.

The position did take a hit from a depth perspective during the offseason with the departures of Fenley Graham and Mordecai McDaniel, though the former moved to wide receiver during spring camp and the latter wasn't expected to play a significant role this season. Instead, a pair of promising back-ups in Corey Collier Jr. and Donovan McMillon will rotate in for Dean and Torrence, and it's important the Gators capitalize on the chance to develop the pair throughout the season, given the Gators will more than likely need to replace both starting safety roles after the season.

Still, with two starters back in the fold, the safety position should be a strength for the Gators this season. The key will be avoiding injuries while balancing the development of those in line to succeed Dean and Torrence.

Now in his third season at safety, Dean has started on campus since his true freshman season, where he found himself at outside cornerback following an injury to Marco Wilson. He'd play nickel-corner as a sophomore before moving to safety before the 2020 season, the position he played at Dutchtown (Ga.) as a highly recruited prospect.

Dean had a productive season in 2021, with a team-high 92 tackles in 12 starts, though Torrence was right behind him with 87 tackles across 13 games. Given his seniority, Dean gets the nod here over Torrence, even if both players are entering their third year at safety with the program.

"The big thing we talk about at the safety position specifically, since that's my group, not only do we want to be the most gifted players on the field, we want to be the most skilled prayers on the field," defensive coordinator Patrick Toney said. "That means we have a mental checklist when we line up. We're scanning the formation. We are seeing the down in distance. We are knowing the exact alignments. We are knowing our assignment. We're seeing a specific key to get our on job done.

"I think that translates to what you asked with Trey. I think Trey has done a good job on focusing on those areas of his game, the details of becoming the most skilled player on the field. I think you'll see that translate in the season."

Mordecai McDaniel's departure in June may not be a significant loss for the program, but he did see the field in 23 games across the past two seasons with the Gators, including all 13 games in 2021. He had 15 tackles and an interception, and he was expected to compete with Collier and McMillon for one of the two back-up roles in the safety room. There is an optimistic outlook: McDaniel's departure allows the Gators to accelerate the development of the underclassmen in the building.

As long as the Gators can rotate in Kamari Wilson, Corey Collier, Miguel Mitchell and Donovan McMillon, the loss of McDaniel shouldn't hinder the unit this season in a significant way. If any of the rotational players were to miss extended time, however, the loss of McDaniel may impact the play of the unit.

The return of Dean and Torrence is why Florida's safety room should be one of the strengths of the team, without a doubt. The duo were two of Florida's best tacklers last season, but the schematic difference in 2022 should cut back on how often they're in on making the tackle. Dean's experience – he's played in 50 games heading into the season – and Torrence's usage to this point give the Gators a pair of experience playmakers in the secondary this season. In his final season with the program, Dean will look to add to his already impressive UF-career totals of 174 tackles, 4 sacks, 9 tackles-for-loss, 4 interceptions, 14 pass break-ups and one forced fumble.

“Me and Trey Dean, our chemistry and our bond increases every day," Torrence said in spring. "Just being back with him is kind of a blessing. Just knowing that he has my back and I have his every down is kind of a blessing.”

With both players back in the fold, the Gators won't have to rush either freshman safety or the back-ups into extended action, allowing Florida to gradually bring them along as they develop.

The No. 6-ranked safety prospect in 247Sports' composite rankings, Collier enters his second season with the Florida program after arriving in Jan. 2021. As a true freshman, Collier saw the field in a pair of games – against Vanderbilt and later against Samford University – before redshirting. Having grown more comfortable within the program, Collier impressed during Napier's first spring with the program. He's more physically developed in his second season with the program, which should allow him to see the field in an increased capacity.

"He's looking good. He's more focused this year," defensive back Jason Marshall Jr. said of Collier. "He's going to grow. You can see he's gained a lot of weight and his knowledge of the game is expanding."

And Collier's knowledge of the playbook has expanded. Throughout spring camp, he was in the right place at the right time at a much higher frequency. The combination should see him play a larger role in 2022; if the Gators can utilize Collier during his redshirt freshman season, it will take much of the pressure off of the starting duo of Dean and Torrence.

“He’s coming along great. I mean, this spring I feel like he’s tuned into his playbook a lot more," Torrence said in spring of Collier. "And he’s tuned into being a better safety first and learning the plays. I feel like that’s benefited him a lot.

Like Collier, Wilson arrived in time for spring practice as one of Florida's nine early enrollee additions, which should increase his chances of seeing the field in 2022.

Given the depth in the room and his freshman status, it would be difficult to say at this point that Wilson will be an impact player for the Gators in 2022, but his recruiting profile, football acumen and arrival timeline make him a candidate to jump up the depth chart this season at safety for Florida.

The big question, however, is just how much Wilson was able to accomplish during spring camp. He missed several practices early in spring, and was seen sporting an orange non-contact jersey in others, raising the question of his level of involvement. If he's been able to make up the ground in the offseason, Wilson can't be discredited as a player with potential to see the field early into their UF career. With a pair of starters back and multiple highly regarded back-ups, there won't be significant pressure to get Wilson on the field early into spring camp. If he's able to do so, it's not only a sign his development is farther along than anticipated – it's a promising signal for the future of the position after Dean and Torrence ultimately depart and test the NFL Draft waters, which is expected after the 2022 season.

“He’s coming along great," Torrence said in spring camp of Wilson. "He’s very explosive, very strong, interacts in every film meeting."

Expectations for the group should be lofty in 2022, given the revamped scheme, Patrick Toney's role and the return of both starting safeties from last season in Dean and Torrence.

If either player were to go down, the departure of McDaniel could come back to bite the unit, but the Gators are confident either Collier or McMillon can fill any void that were to occur. McMillon saw the field in all 13 games last season, although he didn't have nearly as much production as either of the starters, finishing the season with just 10 tackles. Outside of the four, the Gators have a pair of freshmen who can slot in if need be this season.

There's plenty of experience, sure, but if injuries were to pile up the room could see its ceiling lowered – which is true for just about every position on the team.

"Having that experience back there with some of the younger guys coming in," Torrence said on April 7, "it’s great to have that experience."

Will the schematic differences lead to significant improvement this season? Throughout the spring, both Dean and Torrence discussed the differences under Toney, who also serves as the team's defensive coordinator. Outside of the differences in philosophy, the terminology Toney uses is different than any of the players have used in the past during their Florida careers, and that alone could impact how quickly a player picks up the disseminated information.

Another question is if the Gators will attempt to accelerate Wilson's development considering his ceiling. Of the safeties on the roster, he may arguably have the highest potential of the group, and it may be wise to have him develop in-game rather than wait his turn on the sideline. If the Gators can get a sizable advantage over the opposition in a contest this season, it'll be intriguing to see whether or not Florida's coaching staff capitalizes on the window and prioritizes development at the potential expensive of a more-narrow margin of victory. It would pay dividends in the long run, but, of course, Florida isn't looking to put anyone in the game who isn't entirely ready for the moment. It could result in a negative outcome, and, barring an injury, Florida appears to have the numbers to avoid a situation where someone is called upon prematurely to see the field.

COMMENTS

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —

Back-to-school means back to homework and standardized tests.

Teaching to a test has been one of the biggest criticisms of today's educational curriculum in Florida and across the country.

The 2022-2023 academic school year, however, is the beginning of a new way to assess student achievement in the form of progress monitoring multiple times a year.

It’s a departure from the high-stakes Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) exam that Claire Rogers took during the 2021-2022 school year.

“I was nervous I wasn’t going to get a good grade,” Claire Rogers said.

She passed the exam, but her mother, Kara Rogers, admits it was stressful.

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“It was a little nerve-wracking,” Kara Rogers said. “I saw the pressure she put herself under, but she worked really hard. She has great support at her school but also at home with a tutor that we hired. And all of her hard work paid off."

Math is one of the subjects Claire and thousands of Florida students were tested in for the FSA.

This last school year, third through eighth grade math scores on the FSA increased 4% compared to 2021.

When it comes to language arts, third through 10th graders maintained their scores from the previous year.

“I was so happy that I did my very best, and that paid off,” Claire said.

She spent the final weeks of summer brushing up on lessons before school started.

“Summer slide is real, from my perspective,” Kara said. "And sometimes they forget, and I think it’s good to have her practice the skills that she learned last year and prior years so she can start the next year off with a bang.”

That preparation will likely help Claire for the state’s new progress monitoring exam, the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST).

The idea is to monitor a student's progress through the year with tests in the fall, winter and spring.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the change into law this past March.

Newly elected Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez is hopeful about the impending changes.

"When I first heard about our governor's plan for this progress monitoring center, I really was very happy, because we were moving to a system that potentially would allow parents, teachers and students to get information as to where they were, and then use that information to get better,” Dr. Vazquez said.

“My initial reaction was very happy, but I still don’t know a lot about it,” Kara Rogers said. “I do think, in theory, having the test spread out it might be a little less pressure than the one and done but we’ll see how it all turns out.”

Students may be the only ones not looking forward to the change.

“I’m honestly not that happy about it, but it is what it is,” Claire said.

Erica Sapienza is the owner of Above-N-Beyond Education, which provides tutoring for students in all grades and also specialized in FSA testing.

She doesn't anticipate significant changes as she and her tutors adjust to the new testing format but did have this advice for how parents and educators can help students prepare for FAST.

“Stay calm. Review the work that’s sent home. Reach out to the school, for one,” Sapienza said. “I think a lot of times it’s how they’re teaching it in the classroom compared to how we as parents teach it.”

Fellow educator and Above-N-Beyond tutor Renee Becker added that “These [tests] are only one metric that’s going to measure one thing about your child, and your child is a whole person that has so many different interests and things that they like that these tests shouldn’t be the end all be all for the school year.”

Ledger columnist

Butterfly milkweed — aka orange milkplant and butterfly weed — is one of a couple dozen milkweeds native to Florida, and the most popular with gardeners. The flowers of this species (Asclepias tuberosa) are orange or red-orange and clustered on stem tips from spring into autumn. Those stems grow about 2 feet long on bright, sandy sites where the blossoms of this wildflower attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Plants are evergreen in Central Florida during mild winters. Propagate butterfly milkweed by division and seeds and with root cuttings. Available locally and online.

PLENTY OF SHRUBS MAKE GREAT SMALL TREES

It was a hot, sunny day in Savannah, Georgia, when I last visited the city’s Bonaventure Cemetery. While there, I noticed an older woman sitting on a folding stool in the shade of a massive oakleaf hydrangea. I’d always regarded this native plant (H. quercifolia) as a shrub, but it was functioning just fine as a miniature shade tree. Indeed, many woody plants we maintain as shrubs — often with great difficulty due to their vigor — can make excellent small trees in our gardens.

Obviously, plants with spines or extremely floppy branches are poor candidates. But numerous large-growing species can — through judicious pruning — be utilized. What do I mean by large growing? Let’s say most shrubs that grow at 10 to 15 feet tall are fair game. Among them would be oleander, Japanese privet, yellow elder, angel’s trumpet, chaste tree, sweet viburnum, Barbados cherry, peregrina, Anderson Crepe hibiscus and natives such as wax myrtle, marlberry and varnish leaf.

A FRUSTRATING FRUIT TREE

The imbe (Garcinia livingstonei) is — as you might have guessed — named after the famed African explorer Dr. David Livingstone. This East African tree has several striking attributes: It’s drought tolerant once established, withstands temperatures down to the mid-20s and bears 2-inch yellow or orange fruit in summer. But cultivating the imbe for its fruit isn’t easy. They’re propagated only by seed, grow slowly and take years to mature. But the biggest stumbling block gardeners face is that these 10-to-20-foot trees are dioecious, which means both male and female specimens must be present for fruiting to occur. There are, however, nurseries that claim they have hermaphroditic imbes — plants with both male and female flowers.

TAKE A SHINE TO MIRROR LEAF SHRUB

Like many plant lovers, I’ve never seen the appeal of doodads and shiny objects like gazing balls and whirligigs. But I do love the mirror leaf viburnum (V. awabuki). Growing 10 to 15 feet tall and 9 feet across, this East Asian shrub features 3-to-7-inch leaves so incredibly glossy that I always stop to admire them. In addition to that remarkable foliage, mirror leaf grows rapidly in sun or light shade and bears clusters of lightly fragrant white flowers in spring. They’re followed in autumn by berry-like fruit that ripen to black. Propagate with warm-season cuttings.