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Jim McElwain is managing to stay busy on the recruiting trail in-state as Florida picked up four-star defensive end Zach Carter out of Hillsborough High School in Tampa, and three-star linebacker Ventrell Miller from Kathleen High School in Lakeland.
Carter, the 6'5 245-pounder, chose the Gators over a plethora of other offers, including Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami (FL), Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Southern Cal.
Florida boy forever pic.twitter.com/STZUqCiLrW
— Zachary L Carter™ (@_ZachAttacks) June 24, 2016
Last season, Carter showed why he was such a highly regarded recruit with 76 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks in 2015 and judging from his Hudl film, which you can see below, he demonstrates a great get-off from the line of scrimmage and does a good job of getting of off blocks. The big thing for him in college will be putting on weight and getting more technically sound at the point of attack to complement his athleticism.
Meanwhile, Miller chose Florida over 35 other offers, such as Arizona, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami (FL), and UNC. He had a phenomenal season in his first of varsity football in 2015 with 104 tackles, nine TFLs, five pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and an interception.
— Ventrell Miller (@ventrell_miller) June 24, 2016
Standing at 6'0" and 227 pounds, Miller doesn't have the length that you would like in a Division I linebacker, but he more than makes up for it with his athleticism, as you can see on his Hudl tape below. He reads and reacts well, and he does a good job of striking ball carriers and chesting them up. In college, you have to do more block shedding and contribute in coverage on passing downs, but this can be coached up despite his lack of length.
With these two Florida prospects in hand, the Gators move to #19 in the country in regards to the 2017 recruiting class. Now that business is picking up, look for UF to make a run on defensive backs in the coming weeks, while the offensive line could also be an area of focus with only one commit so far.