Florida Gators LB Ventrell Miller Named to Butkus Award Watch List

Miller is the third Florida player named to an award watch list in the past week.

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