Tag: Ventrell Miller

Florida announces rosters for Orange and Blue game

Who are Gators fans cheering for Team Orange or Team Blue? Florida’s spring game is this Thursday night.

Florida’s first football game under new head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] is finally here. The Orange and Blue Game is Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. EDT and can be seen on SEC Network+. Ahead of the game, the Gators unveiled their rosters for the spring game on Wednesday.

The rosters consist of 52 and 48 players, respectively, even though outside linebacker [autotag]Chief Borders[/autotag], running back [autotag]Montrell Johnson[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Jordan Young[/autotag] are expected to play for both teams. Napier and Florida also divided up its on-the-field coaching staff and off-the-field analysts and staffers. Women’s basketball coach [autotag]Kelly Rae Finley[/autotag] and men’s basketball coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] will serve as the honorary captains for the Orange and Blue teams.

Napier has elected to put the first-team offense and defense on opposite teams. The first-team defense will be on Orange while the first-team offense will be on Blue. Orange’s defense will be highlighted by safety [autotag]Trey Dean[/autotag], defensive tackle [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag]. Blue’s offense will be led by quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag], wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] and offensive linemen [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag].

It’s an exciting time for Florida fans because it’s their first chance to see Napier in charge and the program’s first spring football game in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here is a look at the rosters for both teams:

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Here’s why Ventrell Miller is missing some of Florida’s spring practices

Ventrell Miller won’t be available for some of UF’s spring practices, but it has nothing to do with his bicep injury.

Sixth-year linebacker Ventrell Miller has been noticeably absent for several of the Florida Gators’ spring practices and head coach Billy Napier explained why during his Tuesday press conference.

“Ventrell is cleared,” Napier said. “Ventrell is in the process of trying to complete his degree. He’s a veteran player. He’s in the back half of his career and there’s a particular course that he has to take this semester so he can graduate in the summer. So, there’s a conflict on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so we just get him on Saturday right now.”

That’s a huge sigh of relief for many in Gator Nation who know that Miller’s 2021 season ended early after suffering a torn bicep against USF in September. Florida’s defense never looked right after losing Miller, so it’s good to know that he’s still on track to return.

“I think the consensus here last year when he got hurt was that it was a little bit of setback for the team and defense in particular,” he said. “We’re excited he’s back. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Ventrell. He’s another player, much like Nay’Quan, that I think has some leadership qualities and some maturity about him.”

It’s not ideal to miss two practices a week, but that maturity Napier complimented should help Miller learn the new scheme while on a different schedule than the rest of the team. Still rehabbing from his injury, Miller would likely have been limited throughout the spring anyway, so missing a few practices a week isn’t the worst thing in the world.

“That’s probably not a bad thing due to his injury and the amount of volume that he can handle, so it’s working out,” he said. “But I’m going to tell you that when Ventrell is here, you can feel his presence. He’s a vocal guy. He’s got a great presence and energy, and he’s certainly been a very productive player.”

Throughout his career at Florida, Miller has amassed 166 tackles (90 solo), 15 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery. If all goes well, he’ll add to that total this fall before moving on from UF with a degree in hand.

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This Florida linebacker to return for sixth season

Ventrell Miller will be coming back to Florida after missing most of the 2021 season with a torn bicep.

The Gators got a major boost for their defense heading into 2022 as star linebacker Ventrell Miller announced via an Instagram post that he would be returning to Florida for a sixth season in 2022. Miller will be taking advantage of the blanket extra year of eligibility granted to all players in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Miller was considered one of the best linebackers in the SEC heading into his redshirt senior season in 2021, and he was thought to be a potential early-round draft pick. However, his season was cut short by a torn bicep he suffered in Florida’s second game of the season against South Florida.

“Life is full of tough decisions,” Miller wrote. “However my mind is made up. I’m Excited to announce that I will be entering the New Years as a Florida Gator! Merry Christmas. #LastRide #gogators”

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As a redshirt junior in 2020, Miller led the team with 88 tackles (7.5 of which were for a loss) to go with 3.5 sacks. Over his Florida career, he has totaled 164 tackles (15 for loss), 7.5 sacks and an interception. His return should prove very helpful for a front seven that is already losing its veteran leader in Zachary Carter and saw starting linebacker Mohamoud Diabate enter the transfer portal.

With Miller coming back, he and rising redshirt junior Tyron Hopper, who saw extended action down the stretch of the season, will likely be the starting linebacker duo.

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Florida interim DC Christian Robinson praises seniors ahead of final game

23 seniors will be honored ahead of Florida’s game on Saturday against FSU.

Saturday’s game against Florida State will be the final home game for many Florida seniors. 23 players will be honored at a Senior Day ceremony before the game, but Gators interim defensive coordinator Christian Robinson kicked off the adulation early with some tributes on Twitter.

Robinson focused mostly on the linebackers group after being the position coach at Florida for the past four years. Former coach Dan Mullen elevated “C-Rob” to defensive play-caller after the team let go of Todd Grantham. With Mullen out, there’s no telling what his position will be with the team next year if any.

It’s been a rough season on paper for Florida’s defense, but Robinson acknowledged more than just on-the-field attributes that make these seniors special. It’s always sad to see a Gator move on, but tributes like these help contextualize a player’s impact in their short time at the university.

Coach Robinson started with Ventrell Miller, whose final season ended early after an injury in Week 2:

Then came Amari Burney:

Jeremiah Moon returned for a sixth and had his best season yet:

Dylan Meeks, a walk-on transfer from Akron, provided depth for Florida: 

Randy Russell never played due to a heart condition, but Coach Robinson noted his impact on the team:

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Behind Enemy Lines: Five Florida questions with Gators Wire

We check in with the enemy, Gators Wire answers five questions about the game.

We find ourselves in a similar situation as last week against the Kentucky Wildcats. The LSU Tigers desperately need a win this week against an SEC East foe. The Florida Gators come into Tiger Stadium looking to hand out some redemption against a team that is struggling.

Prior to this week’s game, we found out that star wide receiver Kayshon Boutte won’t be available for this game. Actually, he won’t be available for the rest of the season which is a major blow for the offense. Without much protection, a consistent running game, and now the best offensive weapon on the team, doesn’t leave much hope for the Bayou Bengals.

Still, you have to play the game. No one gave the Texas A&M Aggies much of a chance last Saturday against Alabama, they stunned the No. 1 team in the country. LSU has the opportunity to quiet some of the noise surrounding the program and their head coach with a win on Saturday.

The team isn’t going to play for an SEC Championship, but they have an opportunity to salvage the season and get to a bowl game. With Florida coming to town, we check in with Tyler Nettuno of Gators Wire. He answered five questions about Florida ahead of the trip to Death Valley.

Injury update ahead of Alabama-Florida collision

The latest injury update before the SEC clash between Alabama and Florida!

Injuries are a part of the game of football, unfortunately. With that being said, both Alabama and Florida are still relatively healthy overall. But there are a few injury updates that need to be addressed before the two teams collide in Gainesville.

For Florida, it was reported earlier by Gators Wire that quarterback Anthony Richardson’s availability is pending the results of an MRI from earlier Saturday morning.

Richardson’s availability will play a critical role in the outcome of today’s contest between the Tide and the Gators.

It should also be noted that starting linebacker Ventrell Miller is out for the remainder of the season for the Gators with torn biceps.

On Alabama’s end, the Tide is mostly healthy aside from Christopher Allen. Last weekend starting corners Josh Jobe and Jayln Armour-Davis missed the contest against Mercer with injuries. All indications are that both players will be available today.

The biggest question heading into today’s matchup for Alabama is the status of super sophomore Will Anderson. Anderson limped off the field against Mercer early in the second half last week, but according to Coach Saban, Anderson practiced Thursday.

During his weekly radio program on Thursday night, Saban said, “he did more today than he has done all week”.

It hasn’t officially been announced that Anderson will play, but it seems he is very likely to compete today against the Gators.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

Gators make slight tweak to depth chart for Alabama

No big changes in UF’s depth chart for Alabama but there’s one tweak made.

The Gators lost starting linebacker Ventrell Miller to a torn bicep tendon earlier this week and the team’s depth chart against Alabama looks a little different as a result.

Miller is still listed as the No. 1 linebacker but Jeremiah Moon has made his way into the rotation. Mohamoud Diabate, Amari Burney and Moon look to be the main guys at linebacker for Florida but Ty’Ron Hopper should also see some playtime. Other than adding ” OR Moon” next to Burney’s name this week, the Florida depth chart has stayed the same since Week 1.

Earlier in the year, Gators coach Dan Mullen told reporters he didn’t pay too much attention to depth charts before games. Preferring to save his game plan for the actual game, it’s possible we see some different looks from Florida this week against a tougher opponent.

Malik Davis has started both games so far for the Gators at running back, but Dameon Pierce is listed as an “OR” option to Davis. Pierce led the team down the field in the first quarter against USF, so both should be a factor early against Alabama, especially as Florida looks to limit interceptions.

The cornerback position, while unchanged on the depth chart, has been a position of interest for Gators fans. Avery Helm still has a firm hold on the starting cornerback job opposite of preseason All-American Kaiir Elam. True freshman Jason Marshall Jr. was expected to compete for the job, but he’s looked sloppy at times against weaker competition than Alabama.

Emory Jones is still the starting quarterback, but will this be the week Anthony Richardson wins the job?

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Key Gators linebacker reportedly out for the year

Miller suffered a torn bicep tendon, which required surgery this week.

Florida suffered a major loss on defense in Saturday’s win over South Florida. Redshirt senior starting linebacker Ventrell Miller, who led the team in tackles in 2020, underwent surgery for a torn bicep tendon and will be out for the rest of the season, according to the Orlando Sentinel’s Edgar Thompson.

It was first reported by G. Allan Taylor of The Athletic that Miller had undergone bicep surgery and would miss an indefinite period of time, including Saturday’s contest against No. 1 Alabama. According to Thompson’s reporting, however, that indefinite period will last the remainder of 2021.

In Miller’s place for the rest of the year will be Ty’Ron Hopper, a redshirt sophomore from Alpharetta, Georgia. Hopper has seen limited time during his career, and he has just 25 tackles (1.5 for loss) in three years.

“My role’s going to get a little bigger,” Hopper said. “But I’m here for the challenge, for sure. I’m focusing on getting better every week.”

Fellow linebacker Mohamoud Diabate said that Miller will play a major role in helping acclimate Hopper to a starting role, according to Thompson.

“Ventrell will still be around to make sure everything’s good,” Diabate said. “We feel confident in what we’re doing. We rotate so much that it’s like what, like our coaches always say, we don’t have really any starters because we’re just all older we’ve all played a lot.”

Miller had 88 tackles in 2020, and he had eight through the first two games this season. With him out of the lineup, Florida loses one of its most vocal on-field leaders defensively.

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Three Gators land on Mel Kiper’s latest 2022 NFL draft big board

Kiper mentioned three Florida players on his big board, including one in the top 25 overall.

The 2021 college football season is just around the corner, meaning that conversations about the 2022 NFL draft can only be avoided for so long. Though Florida had eight players selected in the NFL draft last year (including two in the first round), it once again has a number of players that could push to be early selections.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper released his preseason big board for 2022, and in his list of the top 25 players in the class, he includes Gators cornerback Kaiir Elam at No. 17 overall.

Elam’s tape is a little inconsistent, but he has flashed enough over the past two seasons to be considered one of the top defensive backs in the 2022 class. At 6-foot-2, he has long arms. He had five interceptions over the past two seasons and broke up 11 throws in 2020. Florida is known for producing defensive backs, with its last first-rounder in 2020 (CJ Henderson to the Jags at No. 9). Elam could be next.

Elam has seen a lot of NFL draft hype this offseason, with some mock drafts showing him being selected as high as the top five. Elam was thrust into early playing time due to injuries as a true freshman in 2019, and he didn’t look back. He eventually developed into the best defensive back in a struggling unit last year.

Elam ranks No. 2 on Kiper’s draft board among cornerbacks, behind only LSU‘s Derek Stingley, who will almost certainly be a top 10 pick next spring.

NEXT: Who else made Kiper’s list?

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These four Gators are on the preseason Coaches All-SEC team

Kaiir Elam continues to collect preseason accolades but who joined him on the preseason Coaches All-SEC Team?

Four Florida Gators were named to the preseason Coaches All-SEC Team on Tuesday. Defensive end Zachary Carter and cornerback Kaiir Elam were selected to the First Team, linebacker Ventrell Miller made the Second Team and receiver Jacob Copeland landed on the Third Team.

Elam’s selection comes as no surprise and just a day after he was named a preseason AP All-American. It’s the latest preseason honor for Carter as well after being named on the media’s preseason All-SEC First Team and the Wuerffel Trophy watchlist. Miller, last year’s team leader in tackles (88), and Copeland earned the same spots on the media’s preseason team.

The defenders named on the list are the anchors of their respective units and will need to have strong seasons if the Gators are to compete for an SEC Championship again. Copeland, a redshirt junior, is looking to break out as the main guy for Emory Jones.

The complete preseason Coaches All-SEC Team can be found on the next page.

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