It would be tough for either of the Nkemdiche brothers to walk into an Oxford restaurant and not be recognized. Same goes for Laremy Tunsil and Laquon Treadwell.

DeMarquis Gates, though? He is likely having dinner right next to you at Proud Larry’s and you don’t even know.

Opposing offenses are taking notice of the yet-to-be household linebacker. Gates actually led Ole Miss in tackles last season as a sophomore, finishing with a quiet 76 in only four starts.

He is described by Ole Miss on his bio as having “exited spring drills as the starter at Mike linebacker … Best linebacker on the team … Athletic, instinctive player who runs well … Knows the defense inside and out.”

So how has his arrival been so peaceful? A lot of that is because of how he made his rise. His fortune came from a teammate’s unfortunate downfall – former linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche fell off the wagon completely.

Denzel Nkemdiche had started nine games, but by the time he was mysteriously hospitalized twice, he was no longer considered part of the team. Gates exploded. In the first two games without Nkemdiche, Gates had season-highs with 14 and nine tackles in wins against LSU and Mississippi State. He had five tackles in the Sugar Bowl win against Oklahoma State.

Gates wasn’t a no-name. He was a four-star prospect from Hampton, Ga., but did miss his senior season with a torn ACL. However, he played in every game as a freshman at Ole Miss.

When the spotlight came to him, he shined, finishing with 2 tackles for loss, 4 deflections, 4 breakups, 4 hurries and a pair of forced fumbles. The ceiling for what he can do if he starts all 13 games is growing higher.

There will be added pressure, especially as the leader of a new-look group that no longer includes staple and leader C.J. Johnson.

But Gates is as confident in his abilities as the writer of his Ole Miss bio.

“I think it’s going to be a blowout season right here,” Gates told The Clarion-Ledger in March. “I just got to take what I learned from last year and make an effort from this year to step it up a little bit and take more upon myself, more tackles, more picks, more everything to help the team win.”

He might not get recognized by anyone on The Oxford Square, but there is no denying first-month opponents Florida State, Georgia and Alabama know exactly where Gates is hanging out.