Zachary Carter put together a solid season in 2020. He played in all 12 games and led the Gators with five sacks and 9.5 tackles-for-loss. He scooped up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown against Arkansas.
He was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week after making eight tackles and 1.5 sacks against South Carolina.
He established a new career high with five quarterback hurries against Georgia despite being suspended for the first half.
Carter rose to the occasion in the SEC Championship Game, recording a sack and two tackles-for-loss against Alabama.
He showed off his versatility to NFL scouts by playing both end and tackle. He could’ve declared for the NFL Draft and probably been a middle-round pick.
But Carter wasn’t satisfied with merely having a “solid” year. When he watched his film following the season, he saw a bunch of plays that he left out on the field. He couldn’t finish his college career like that, so he decided to return to Florida for a fifth year determined to go out on top.
To help him do so, he watched his diet more closely over the offseason and did 10-15 pass-rush reps every day with left tackle Richard Gouraige. His goal was to be more explosive off of the ball this season now that he’s back to playing end full time.
The results have already followed. Carter notched a career-high three sacks in the opener against Florida Atlantic despite only playing a little more than half of the game. He’s tied for second in the country in sacks and tackles-for-loss after week one.
The Owls couldn’t match his quickness and strength, and he was in the backfield on seemingly every play.
“I really wasn’t surprised because we worked so hard in the offseason,” Gouraige said. “Me and him worked out there after every workout. After every skills-and-drills and all that, we always do sets and stuff. I know what Zach can do and stuff like that. It’s pretty cool knowing that Zach dominated that game. He deserved it.”
The SEC office awarded his efforts by making him the Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week along with Georgia’s Jordan Davis on Tuesday.
Carter said his dominant performance against FAU serves as validation for the work he put in over the offseason and inspires him to keep the momentum rolling, starting Saturday at South Florida.
“I just know I had to put in that work this offseason, and, to go out there week one and execute like that, it just gives me confidence that my hard work can pay off,” Carter said.
Carter also takes his leadership role within the defensive line group very seriously. His top backup at the strongside end position, Princely Umanmielen, is only a sophomore. There are five tackles who are in their first or second college seasons and a couple of true freshmen trying to learn the ropes at strongside end.
Carter is one of the most experienced players on the entire defense, so he’s made it his responsibility to impart some of the things he’s learned onto the next generation of players.
“Not only did he make plays and production, but he was a good teammate to other guys with his energy, his leadership, coaching guys,” defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. “He didn’t really play probably midway through the third quarter on — there was really no reason to play him — but he was in the game, working the game and helping some of the guys we’re going to need from a depth standpoint get the coaching they needed.”
Despite not playing much in the second half, Carter was seen on the sideline offering words of encouragement and advice. He didn’t just sit down on the bench and casually enjoy the rest of the game, which must’ve been a tempting option for him.
“I still have to make my presence felt on the sidelines,” he said. “I’m on the sideline encouraging guys and coaching them. I’ve got to help them get to where they want to be, so I’m always on [them]. Even if I’m out of the game, I’m not tuning out the game. I’m tuning in the game, and I’m trying to help other people.”
Carter’s gotten off to an ideal start this season. But he’s just getting started.
“After that performance, in my mind, I’ve got to keep building off of that,” Carter said. “I can’t get complacent. I can’t get satisfied with that performance. I came back for a reason, so I’ve got to continue to build off of that. I’m on a mission, so I’ve got to complete it.”