Zachary

Carter

Miller was the Raiders’ sixth-round pick, and it seems very likely that the signal-caller will be back with Las Vegas on their practice squad. Tommy Mellott — a former college quarterback who is making the move to wide receiver — was also part of the cuts for the Raiders. The full list of players who won’t make the 53-man roster: aived DT Zach Carter, RB Chris Collier, DE Jahfari Harvey, WR Shedrick Jackson, LB Matt Jones, DT Treven Ma’ae, G Atonio Mafi, RB Sincere McCormick, DE Ovie Oghoufo, TE Carter Runyon, WR Justin Shorter, OL Laki Tasi, S Trey Taylor, CB Greedy Vance, T Dalton Wagner and S JT Woods, WR Alex Bachman, S Terrell Edmunds and TE Albert Okwuegbunam while Lonnie Johnson Jr. was placed on the injured list and designated for return.

After a standout season for the Gators, Carter (6'4/285) will forego the bowl game and start his preparation for the NFL Draft. He announced the decision on his Twitter page on Friday. He will be a very intriguing prospect for teams come April being a versatile player on the defensive line. He can line up anything from 2i to a true edge. Carter has ample power, strength, and athleticism to succeed in whatever role you ask him to play. He currently ranks as Mel Kiper Jr’s 10th ranked defensive tackle in the upcoming draft class.

Carter (6'4/285) could have entered his name into the NFL Draft this past offseason, but elected to return to school. If Carter’s plan was to return to school to boost his draft stock, it’s safe to say he’s on the right track. Through five games, Carter has seven tackles and 15 quarterback pressures. He also leads the SEC in sacks with four and has eight tackles for a loss.

Carter could have made a reasonable leap to the NFL if he really wanted to. Over the past two seasons, Carter has been a top contributor for the UF front, picking up 9.5 sacks. Carter has also used his long arms to bat down four passes over that span. At 6-foot-4 and 290-pounds, Carter moves quite well for a player his size and has proven himself as a menace when allowed to just pin his ears back. Time will tell if Carter can round out his game enough to raise his draft stock in 2021.

Toney, fellow wideouts Jacob Copeland and Trevon Grimes, and defensive end Zachary Carter were not with the team when fall camp began a week ago for personal reasons. All have since joined the team, with Carter saying via social media that he was playing this season “in honor of all COVID-19 fighters and victims.” During his press conference ahead of the start of fall camp, HC Dan Mullen said that he would have no issue with any player that decided to opt out of playing this season. All four players are expected to be key contributors for the Gators this season, with Florida being viewed as a legitimate threat to dethrone Georgia atop the SEC East.

While Mullen did not say who decided not to attend the first day of fall camp, he did confirm that multiple players did not attend. Among those who reportedly sat out Monday’s session were wide receivers Kadarius Toney, Trevon Grimes and Jacob Copeland, and defensive end Zachary Carter. During his press conference on Monday, Mullen said that he would not be surprised if multiple players (and possibly a couple coaches) opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns.

Carter once said that he would not be making a commitment until after the completion of his senior season at Hillsborough High (Florida). That plan has been adjusted and he looks much, much closer to making a decision, now, with Rivals’ Rob Cassidy relaying that the 6-foot-4, 237-pounder might commit before his aforementioned senior season has even started. Carter addressed what he likes about both of his leaders, saying, “When I go up to Clemson, I can feel the family environment. I feel it there. With Florida, it’s nice that it’s close. Being two hours away really helps them. I don’t really care about distance, but that’s a nice perk.” He ranks as Rivals’ No. 62 overall prospect for the 2017 cycle.

Carter kicked around the idea of waiting until after his senior season at Hillsborough High to announce the commitment, but he has changed course over the last few weeks and voila, a commitment to the Gators. His choice came down to Florida and Clemson, with HC Jim McElwain winning the day. As for his role down in Gainesville, Carter explained, “They told me that I’m a rush end, but I’ll play strongside also. So that’s sorta what they’re talking about now anyway.” Rivals checks him into their master list of 2017 recruits at No. 62 overall.

"[Carter] possesses the length and strength to set the edge as a run defender with the ability to quickly locate the ball and shed,” Haubert wrote. “Not a player who will just wow you athletically, but he has a quick first step.” The 6-foot-4, 237-pounder is not close to a finished product at this point and Haubert views him as something of a work in progress. Wrote the analyst, “The key for defensive line coach Chris Rumph will be maximizing Carter’s ability. He’ll need to be more consistently explosive and better utilize his excellent size and strength.”