Redshirt freshman wide receiver Aidan Mizell stepped up for Florida in week four with star receiver Eugene Wilson sidelined due to an injury. The 6’1.5, 186-pound receiver hauled in a team high five receptions for 36 yards in the Gators’ 45-28 victory over Mississippi State. While that stat line isn’t jaw-dropping, Mizell had an incredible 65-yard touchdown called back after a horrific ‘blindside block’ penalty on running back Montrell Johnson.
Simply put, it was one of the best plays we’ve seen all season. I thought Mizell was going to be tackled about three different times on what was a five-yard hitch route, but he continued weaving through traffic, making defenders miss with his elusiveness and open field speed.
“I was proud of him, you know, that’s the type of football that you know he’s capable of playing,” senior receiver Chimere Dike said on Mizell postgame. “He could even have had more if we had a couple of those called back, Aidan Mizell, I feel bad for the kid. He had about 200 yards of pretend yards, I told him on the sideline, but I think that he played great.”
Mizell has come a long way from his rookie season in 2023, where he was clearly a raw talent after missing nearly all of his senior high school season.
“I’ve seen Aidan just continue to grow and take steps,” Dike said on Mizell. “You know, obviously he has the speed and the size and the things you’re looking for like that, but when you see a guy being able to come in and consistently work, get better week to week, I think that’s encouraging for the future. He played really well today, I’m proud of him. I think going forward he’s going to be a huge part of our team.”
The Orlando native gained 16 pounds over the offseason and looks like an entirely different football player. His route running and ball skills have also noticeably improved.
“Mizell in particular is a player that we felt strongly about,” Napier said on Saturday. “He’s had a great offseason, had a good camp. I think he’s kind of in that fourth, fifth spot. Guy can run, man, and his hands have improved. I think Coach Gonzalez has done a good job, and Aiden’s done a good job. He’s tougher, he’s more physical – that’s an area where he needs to continue to grow. But just the ball skills, the play speed, some of the things you saw out there today are what we saw in high school. Aidan could have gone anywhere in the country. He’s elite track speed, 6-1. He’s got a bright future in front of him.”
Florida frequently utilized the screen game against Mississippi State, and Aidan Mizell was a large part of the Gators’ success in that area.
“I predicted it,” Napier said on Mizell’s week four performance. “I told Aidan pregame, I thought it was going to be a great day for him. Hey look, he still made that play. We still got a chance to see him. He did a lot of good things run-after-catch today, his speed shows up. He’s another young player that’s gaining confidence. And with Tre Wilson out, he was kind of the third guy that we pushed to the forefront there, and he made the most of his opportunities.”
The future is bright for the second-year receiver, who hauled in his first career touchdown against Samford in week two and put together his best overall game against Mississippi State in week four.