When you’re committing to the Gators and planning to play in the Swamp, you’ve got to look the part.
Boone (Orlando) receiver prospect Aidan Mizell did just that on Friday afternoon when he pledged to Florida over Alabama and Tennessee. When Mizell took the stage at his high school gym for the announcement, he was donning a UF shirt.
But just in case that wasn’t visible, he was also joined by two baby (but very much real) alligators. Mizell, the No. 72 overall prospect in the 2023 class on the 247Sports Composite Rankings and 13th-best receiver in the nation, didn’t really need the alligators for people to take notice of his commitment.
It certainly helped, though, as the clip of his commitment made the rounds on Twitter Friday evening.
Top100 WR Aidan Mizell commits to #UF with live Gators pic.twitter.com/pBxZk1vsX8
— Blake Alderman (@Blake_Alderman) July 29, 2022
#BREAKING: 4⭐️ WR Aidan Mizell has committed to Billy Napier and @GatorsFB 🐊🐊🐊@AidanMizell really brought out the real life Gators 😳🐊 @Swamp_247 pic.twitter.com/yibng46o1h
— 247Sports (@247Sports) July 29, 2022
Now, I have some questions.
Where and when did he acquire these alligators? How long was he holding the alligators before he walked on stage? Did the school know beforehand that the alligators would be there? Where are the alligators now?
Unfortunately, we may never have the answers to these questions, but one thing is for certain: In an era where recruits are trying to bring a level of showmanship to their commitment announcements, Mizell’s will definitely be remembered for a while.