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Aaron Gates Blossoming Into One of the Best on Gators' Defense

As the Florida Gators defense continues to progress, the red shirt freshman has been a standout

Kyle Lander

The Florida Gators defensive back has emerged as a key member of the defense
The Florida Gators defensive back has emerged as a key member of the defense / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
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Maybe I’m beating the same drum for the Florida Gators and its defense, but something changed since that first bye week. It feels like the energy has shifted on the field. More specifically, players are now flying to the ball and making the plays they weren’t earlier in the season. 

However, not all those who have received snaps on that side of the ball should be grouped together. There are a few players who showcased their talents earlier this year even in the toughest of moments for the Gators. Players like Jason Marshall Jr., George Gumbs Jr. and Grayson Howard are prime examples. 

There is also one other player who could be a part of that group and that is second-year STAR Aaron Gates. Every time you look on the field, he’s been in the right spot at the right time and made the plays that needed to be made. So, it’s not surprising when some, such as his own head coach, say he has been one of the best on the Gators defense this year. 

“Yeah, Gates is one of our best football players,” Gators head coach Billy Napier said. “Good in coverage, physical, good tackler. Yeah, I'm excited, and he's got position versatility.”

And Napier wasn’t bluffing about him being one of their best either. Just look at his play against No. 2 Georgia last weekend. 

Against the Bulldogs, he had his best game in the orange and blue. He was graded as the highest Gator on either side of the ball by PFF, receiving a grade of 87.3. Then, when being in coverage, he received a grade of 88.8. Now, most of that might come down to the interception he had, but that isn’t all of it. Gates was targeted three times in the game and only allowed one catch for three yards. He was shutting down anyone that stood opposite of him. 

Gates isn’t just a coverage guy though. If you need him to make open field, one-on-one tackles he can do that as well. He made three solo tackles (four overall), including this impressive tackle-for-loss near the beginning of the second quarter. 

Look, it’s been a while since the Gators have a formidable “guy” at the STAR position. The last notable one was CJ Gardner-Johnson, who is now in the NFL. Yet, if Gates can continue on the trajectory he is on right now, then he might be the next one on the list of Gator defensive backs drafted in the first round. 

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Kyle Lander
KYLE LANDER