Florida Gators LB Ventrell Miller Named to Butkus Award Watch List
Joining quarterback Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts to represent the Florida Gators across multiple 2020 award watch lists, rising redshirt junior linebacker Ventrell Miller has been named to The Butkus Award collegiate watch list ahead of the looming 2020 season. No Gators linebacker has ever previously won the award.
Miller had himself a productive redshirt sophomore campaign, accumulating 11 starts at MONEY linebacker and recording 55 tackles, three sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, and two defended passes.
Following the graduation of three-year starting middle linebacker David Reese II, Miller and several other young linebackers are set to compete for the middle linebacker role should there be a 2020 season, amidst the coronavirus pandemic. James Houston IV, in the same graduating class as Miller, also carries ample experience and should be expected to take on a big role, although rising sophomore Mohamoud Diabate and even incoming freshman Derek Wingo could pose a threat for snaps.
Below, you can find the list of 51 linebackers named to the 2020 Butkus Award watch list from across the nation, listed alphabetically.
Blaze Alldredge, Rice
Troy Andersen, Montana State
Rayshard Ashby, Virginia Tech
Derrick Barnes, Purdue
Terrel Bernard, Baylor
Nick Bolton, Missouri
Tuf Borland, Ohio State
K.J. Britt, Auburn
Baron Browning, Ohio State
Damone Clark, LSU
Riley Cole, South Alabama
Jabril Cox, LSU
Kuony Deng, California
Paddy Fisher, Northwestern
Jake Hansen, Illinois
Treshaun Hayward, Western Michigan
Lakia Henry, Mississippi
Anthony Hines, Texas A&M
Riko Jeffers, Texas Tech
Buddy Johnson, Texas A&M
Nate Landman, Colorado
Shane Lee, Alabama
Devin Lloyd, Utah
Carlton Martial, Troy
Cameron McGrone, Michigan
Ventrell Miller, Florida
Dimitri Moore, Vanderbilt
Dylan Moses, Alabama
Amen Ogbongbemiga, Oklahoma State
Azeez Ojulari, Georgia
Joseph Ossai, Texas
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
Micah Parsons, Penn State
Hamilcar Rashed Jr., Oregon State
Monty Rice, Georgia
Max Richardson, Boston College
Merlin Robertson, Arizona State
Malcolm Rodriguez, Oklahoma State
Mike Rose, Iowa State
Jack Sanborn, Wisconsin
James Skalski, Clemson
Isaac Slade-Matautia, Oregon
Charles Snowden, Virginia
Chazz Surratt, North Carolina
Erroll Thompson, Mississippi State
Henry To'o To'o, Tennessee
Joe Tryon, Washington
Garret Wallow, TCU
Pete Werner, Ohio State
DaShaun White, Oklahoma
Jahad Woods, Washington State
