Don't sleep on Aaron Gates seeing the field for Florida Football in 2024

Prior to last season, Aaron Gates was a true freshman for Florida Football who had minimal buzz around him to make an impact for 2023. Originally a commit under Dan Mullen, Gates tore his ACL during his senior year of high school, stunting any chance to move up the rankings.

After appearing in four games in 2023, Gates redshirted. And while most assume that Sharif Denson is the heir to the throne for the STAR position in 2024, head coach Billy Napier indicated this week not to count out Gates for playing a significant role.

Florida Football: Open The Gates

Listed at 6'0" and 196 pounds, Gates is one of the larger defensive backs listed on the roster for the Gators and has almost identical size to Jaydon Hill, who was the primary STAR in 2023.

With Hill gone for Texas A&M, the opportunity for someone to step up in 2024 has opened up.

Denson also wasn't seen for much of 2023, but he played 18 snaps against FSU and was credited with two tackles, both of which resulted in a defensive stop. His grade from Pro Football Focus of 71.5 was the 4th highest for a Gator defender against FSU.

But while most have assumed Denson will be the STAR in 2024, Napier indicated the battle to take the field on August 31 against Miami might be closer than most realize.

"Very competitive at the STAR position. (Gates is) in the thick of it here. It was great for him to get four games of experience and play a little bit on special teams. Aaron's a young player. This is his first shot, first go-around, and he's right in the middle. Every day for him is critical. There's some very competitive matchups in the slot. That's a very important piece to our defense that players are involved in a major way with the run fit and the coverage. So you got to be a smart player."

- Billy Napier

Whether Napier is just being nice in the press or whether he is being genuine remains to be seen. This is the time of year we hear about plenty of players having a great camp, only for them to be invisible once the games actually begin.

With true freshman Josiah Davis the only other contender to get snaps at STAR, it feels safe to lean towards the former that Gates will get snaps on August 31 and will be given every opportunity to prove himself worthy of seeing the field even more in 2024.