Florida DB Aaron Gates out for season, will need surgery
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators have lost another starter in their secondary. Redshirt freshman defensive back Aaron Gates is out for the rest of the season and will need surgery, UF coach Billy Napier revealed on Wednesday night.
Gates sustained a knee injury against Ole Miss on the second play of the game and did not return. He has made five starts in 10 appearances, logging 27 tackles, 4.0 TFL, three pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, an interception and a quarterback hurry.
Gates was replaced in the starting lineup by sophomore DB Sharif Denson, who has split time with Gates at the STAR position. Denson has started four of his 10 games played, totaling 33 tackles (20 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, one interception, one forced fumble, one sack and one QB hurry.
“Aaron has been one of our best players the last probably five or six weeks of the season. He’s still a young player but extremely talented. Played corner and receiver, punt returner, kick returner in high school,” Napier said of Gates after the Ole Miss game.
“The big adjustment was the kicking game depth chart. He does a lot for us in the kicking game, as well. Then Sharif Denson is playing basically the entire game. Sharif has been a rotational player. He and Aaron play equal snaps the entire week, and then today he got all of the load.”
Aaron Gates is the fifth starter in the secondary to suffer a season-ending injury, along with safety Asa Turner and cornerbacks Jason Marshall Jr., Devin Moore and Ja’Keem Jackson.
“I would say that we’ve managed the injuries as of late pretty well. I think the secondary, again, for another week, given the dynamic, played pretty well in the (Ole Miss) game. Stayed on top of the routes, outside of a couple plays in the first half. They really made some really good plays in the game, covered a good group of skill players,” Napier said.
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“DD [Dijon Johnson] and Trikweze [Bridges], just the secondary as a whole. Bryce Thornton probably had the best game of his career, two picks, 15 tackles. Jordan [Castell] continues to impress and is kind of the leader, communicator back there.”
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