In week four, redshirt freshman wide receiver Aidan Mizell filled in for Florida while top receiver Eugene Wilson was out with an injury. The 6’1.5, 186-pound receiver helped the Gators defeat Mississippi State 45-28, hauling in a team-high five grabs for 36 yards. Although Mizell’s stat record isn’t very impressive, a terrible ‘blindside block’ penalty on running back Montrell Johnson resulted in the callback of an amazing 65-yard touchdown. It was one of the best plays we’ve seen this season, to put it simply. On a five-yard hitch route, I believed Mizell would be tackled three or four times, but he kept scuttling through traffic, making defenders miss with his open-field speed and elusiveness.
After the game, senior receiver Chimere Dike remarked, “I was proud of him, you know, that’s the type of football that you know he’s capable of playing,” on Mizell. “Helpan Mizell, I feel bad for the kid; he could have even had more if we had a couple of those called back.” I informed him on the sidelines that he had around 200 fake yards, but overall, I thought he played really well. After missing almost the whole senior high school season, Mizell was obviously a raw talent in his debut season in 2023, but he has since made significant progress.
Dike stated of Mizell, “I’ve seen Aidan just continue to grow and take steps.” “Yeah, he obviously possesses the size, speed, and other attributes you’re looking for, but it’s encouraging to see a guy who can consistently work and improve week after week,” the player said. He did a great job playing today, and I’m proud of him. I anticipate that he will play a significant role on our squad moving forward. The Orlando native appears to be a completely different football player after gaining 16 pounds throughout the offseason. His ability to run routes and catch the ball has also clearly increased.
“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.
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