Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | L 17-45vs Alabama | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Total | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#3
Aaron Gates
Senior defensive back on Kentucky's 2026 roster.
6′0″ · 199 lb · Newnan, GA
CFB Index 43 · #333 of 537 safetiesLow confidenceTransferred Florida → Kentucky for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
Recruiting
4★
ATH recruit
No. 337 nationally · Signed with Florida
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive back on Kentucky's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Florida in 2023.
- Transferred from Florida to Kentucky in 2026.
Aaron Gates
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. Aaron Gates has played for two head coaches across four seasons and two programs. One game to point at: 5 tackles against Alabama — Week 2, 2026.
5 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2023
- Signed with Florida4-star out of Trinity Christian School
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2025
Kentucky
2026era →
Will Stein
Kentucky
Coaching transition mid-career: Mark Stoops → Will Stein. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Kentucky
2025Florida
2026Kentucky
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Florida5-7HC: Billy Napier · Balanced
2024Florida8-5HC: Billy Napier · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Florida4-8HC: Billy Napier · Balanced
2026Kentucky1-1HC: Will Stein · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 1 game: 5.0 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Will Stein
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2024
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
43 · #333 of 537 safeties
Former four-star. Now #333 at the position.
Career stats
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Box Safety
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
S
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Brenyen Scott’s 2022 season.
68%match
Matches Brenyen on
PD rate
Class year
Tackle volume
Differs from Brenyen on
TFL rate (higher)
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Boo Carter's sophomore season at Tennessee (2025).
Matches Boo on
Tackle volume
Weight
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Aaron Gates
The secondary · Kentucky
- #14Ty Bryant76 tackles · 2025
- #5Jordan Castell54 tackles · 2025
- #20Terhyon Nichols18 tackles · 2025
- #30Grant Grayton16 tackles · 2025
- #3Aaron Gates7 tackles · 2025
17 more on the roster · Kentucky team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology