Florida Gators sophomore linebacker Aaron Chiles is a name worth monitoring in 2025 after an impressive spring camp in Gainesville. The 6th ranked linebacker and 61st overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class found a high degree of production in limited snaps during his freshman campaign, totaling 22 tackles (10 solo), one sack, and one pass deflection across 130 snaps.
While Chiles went through the normal freshman struggles, his strength and physicality stood out, even more so during Florida’s 2025 Orange and Blue Spring game where Chiles laid down a vicious hit after a five-yard reception.
Standing at 6’2.5, 241 pounds, Chiles is a massive linebacker with the athleticism to match. According to newly hired linebackers coach Robert Bala, the Gators have a defensive package for Chiles to work as an outside linebacker in addition to his reps at stack linebacker. This will create more pass rushing opportunities for Chiles, who showed glimpses of success last year and has seemingly improved in that area.
“Aaron Chiles I think took a big step forward this spring,” Bala said on Chiles. “He’s a guy that we’ve been working as an outside linebacker in a different personnel package and then kicks back to a stack linebacker in another, and for him to be able to go back and forth in between two, he’s done a really good job with that.”
Chiles isn’t all that unfamiliar with this role as the Gators lined up the Maryland native on 37 snaps outside of the tackle on the defensive line last season. Chiles only rushed the quarterback 17 times last season but pressured the quarterback twice while logging one sack.
“He’s very heavy-handed, he’s physical, he gets knock-back when he’s tackling and he’s done some really good things in the rush,” Bala said on Chiles. “I think he’s created some opportunities for him on third down to be a three-down player.”
“He’s got an extremely high ceiling,” Bala added. “As I mentioned before, you know, the pass rush juice that he brings. He’s had a couple teach clips out of practice. You know, one play in particular, I remember I was watching the other linebacker, and he’s off the edge rushing, and he’s celebrating in the backfield. I say, ‘What happened?’ And he was that fast in the backfield, working off the edge.”
Outside of his pass rush ability, Chiles has shown growth as an inside linebacker, which is one of, if not the most difficult position to learn as a rookie.
“I think his biggest leap is becoming a true stack linebacker, and being able to diagnose and make the calls and make the adjustments being the signal caller out there. He’s done a really good job at that, and he takes a lot of pride in that,” Bala said on Chiles.
It didn’t take long for people to notice Chiles’ work ethic off the field, referred to as an ‘alien’ and a ‘freak’ by his coaches and teammates after his workouts in the weight room last year. First year assistant coach Robert Bala is picking up on that as well.
“And he’s a guy that wants to work, he wants to be able to communicate, he wants to be the signal caller. He’s a guy that I have to drag off the field if I’m trying to get a rotation going, and so, that’s a good problem to have,” Bala said.
The summer and fall camp will determine just how much Chiles sees the field next season as the staff looks to establish roles, but the versatile and physical linebacker could easily make my ‘breakout player of the year’ watch list.