Florida Gators’ wide receiver Aidan Mizell did just about everything but play tackle football growing up: Flag football, soccer, track, jiu-jitsu, and volleyball.
His mother, an All-American sprinter at UF, wouldn’t let Aidan play tackle football because she just ‘wasn’t going for it.’ It wasn’t until middle school where Mrs. Ebony Robinson-Mizell caved in and let Aidan play for two years, where he was a quarterback.
Mizell didn’t make the switch to receiver until high school, meaning he only logged three seasons of experience at receiver as the Orlando native suffered a season-ending injury on the first play of his senior season.
The adjustment from high school to college wasn’t easy for Mizell as he was relatively raw as a receiver and didn’t have the same level of experience as those around him.
“When I got here spring ball, last time I really had played football was my junior year playoffs, so it had been a minute. There was a big just — I don’t know. There was a big change with athletes and everything like that, but it just took time, but I feel like I’m here now,” Mizell said.
“I don’t think I ever felt like behind-behind, but I felt like, Oh, yeah, these people can ball. I have to step up my game.”
Mizell has done exactly that in year two. The Boone High School product got to campus at around 160 pounds, and after a productive offseason, Mizell weighed in at 187 pounds. He looked like a completely didn’t receiver on and off the field, sharpening his route running and improving his first step off the line of scrimmage.
“It’s really just for me just staying consistent in every aspect, whether that be in the weight room, in the lunchroom, meeting room, on the field,” Mizell said on his path to playing time. “Just staying consistent and just taking the knowledge that my coaches and the staff is giving me. It’s helped me.”
After appearing in just two games and redshirting last season, Mizell has played in seven of Florida’s eight games in 2024, hauling in 10 catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns while logging the 4th most snaps among Florida wide receivers.
“Speed mainly,” Mizell said on what he brings to the table. “I just think speed, but when the ball is in my hand, I just feel dangerous with the ball. So I feel like I can score from any yard line of the field.”
Mizell is coming off the best game of his career vs Georgia, where he led Florida in receptions (4) and yards (66) while hauling in a career long 43-yard touchdown from DJ Lagway.
“Just going against a rival, high-ranked team, it definitely gave me great confidence, but I always knew I had it in me. Just showing everyone else, it was real nice,” Mizell said on his performance in week ten.
Mizell has showed steady improvement through two seasons at UF and looks the part of a future center piece in Florida’s offense. His hyper-elite speed and dynamic run after the catch ability make him a valuable weapon for the Gators moving forward.