Florida Football Freshman Profile: Aidan Mizell has the need for speed
![Florida Gators wide receiver Aidan Mizell (11) makes a catch during fall football practice at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, August 5, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fd91e9fc3ce84a873e9ba48ad4917890052d746ad8a03b2ec98246b2529502967.jpg "Florida Gators wide receiver Aidan Mizell (11) makes a catch during fall football practice at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, August 5, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]")
As the season fast approaches for Florida football, we are continuing our series of the freshmen on campus and what the odds are they appear this season with the Gators. If you follow recruiting, these will be household names. But if not, these can be a good refresher to catch you up to speed.
We have previously profiled:
Today we look at one of the fastest players in Florida’s 2023 recruiting class, Aidan Mizell.
Florida Football: Track meet
Even if you don’t follow recruiting closely, you probably saw Mizell’s commitment to Florida go viral. He is the player that brought out a live gator during his commitment ceremony.
His pathway to Florida was never really in question as both his parents ran track for the Florida Gators.
Mizell ran the 5th fastest time in all of Florida in the 400-meter dash in 2022 when he made one trip around the track in 46.99 seconds. He was also the 28th fastest in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.65 seconds.
On the football field, the sport he is in Gainesville to play, Mizell was considered a top 100 prospect nationally heading into his senior season at Boone High School in Orlando. That season was derailed by injury, but on paper, he is healthy now.
During his junior campaign, Mizell was noted not just for his speed but also for his ability to win jump ball battles with opposing cornerbacks.
Odds of redshirting: Medium to low
This is probably the most controversial take on the odds of redshirting to this point in our series, as most people would assume Mizell is getting plenty of playing time this season.
And the bits and pieces we have seen of him in public have been solid. His speed was evident during the Spring Game, and those watching camp have noted a couple of highlight-worthy grabs he has made so far.
But one thing that people picked up on when the 2023 roster came out, and player weights were listed, is that Mizell is listed at 6’2″ and 167 pounds. To give a personal anecdote, I am 6’0″ and was 153 pounds in college, and I was a cross country runner/10K guy during track season.
If asked to hold up in the blocking game, is Mizell going to hold his own?
And if he becomes one-dimensional and can only be used in passing situations, is he going to have enough playmaking ability as a freshman to justify his spot on the field?
Aidan Mizell is going to get his opportunity, but when one starts crunching the numbers, one has to realize that someone is going to get left on the sideline for Florida football that we might not expect.
Whether that is Mizell or somebody else remains to be seen.
Next. Kelby Collins is a menace. dark