Head coach Dan Mullen will take a couple of veteran defensive players with him to Hoover, Alabama, for SEC Media Days on Monday, the SEC office announced on Wednesday.
Redshirt senior defensive lineman Zachary Carter and redshirt senior linebacker Ventrell Miller will speak to the hundreds of reporters gathered inside the Hyatt Regency Birmingham-Wynfrey Hotel. SEC Network will provide 46 hours of coverage throughout the four-day event.
Previously, each program sent three players to Media Days, but that number was reduced this year due to capacity restrictions brought on by COVID-19.
Carter, a Tampa native, is one of the most vocal leaders on defense. He played in all 12 games last season and started 11. He led the Gators with five sacks and 9.5 tackles-for-loss and returned a fumble for a touchdown against Arkansas.
He was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week after collecting season-highs of eight tackles and 1.5 sacks against South Carolina. Despite missing the first half of the Georgia game as a result of his involvement in a bench-clearing brawl against Missouri a week prior, he registered a career-high five quarterback hurries against the Bulldogs.
He tied for second on the team in 2019 with 4.5 sacks and seven tackles-for-loss despite starting only two games.
At 6-foot-4 and 277 pounds, Carter is an athletic freak. His combination of elite strength and athleticism allows him to rush the passer and stuff the run from either the strongside end spot or at tackle, though he figures to receive more snaps at end this season.
Meanwhile, Miller was the one constant during a tumultuous year for the defense. He started 10 games at middle linebacker and led the team with 88 tackles. He also tacked on 3.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles-for-loss. He was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week after making 15 tackles and a sack in the opener at Ole Miss.
He started 11 games at outside linebacker in 2019 and finished second on the team with 55 stops. He recorded a career-high two sacks in the opener against Miami.
In 2018, Miller returned an interception 82 yards for a score against Idaho, the ninth-longest return in school history.
With plenty of youth expected to line up alongside him and behind him in the secondary, the Gators will rely on Miller to provide leadership and be the glue that holds the defense together.
Together, Carter and Miller will try to return the Gators’ defense to glory after one of the worst statistical years in school history in 2020.