Florida unveils spring roster with four super seniors

Four super seniors will exercise their final year of COVID eligibility inside the Florida football program in 2022, according to the Florida football spring roster. Linebacker Amari Burney, safety Trey Dean, linebacker Ventrell Miller and receiver Jordan Pouncey will become fifth year players next season.

Burney has played his entire collegiate career in Gainsville, amassing 145 total tackles in four seasons. His most productive year came in 2020 where he had 30 solo tackles (52 total) with two sacks and an interception. In 2021 he had 25 solo tackles (44 total).

Pouncey, a Texas transfer, has had an extremely limited role since arriving in Gainesville. The wide receiver has recorded just three catches for 48 yards and a touchdown since 2019. The Winter Park, FL native did not record a reception last season, either and only one total in the past two seasons.

Coming off his best season yet, Dean piled up 40 solo tackles (88 total), 1.5 sacks and one interception last season. His numbers ranked second overall on the Gators roster, only trailing Mohamoud Diabate (89 total, 34 solo). His 40 solo tackles were the most on Florida’s roster in 2021.

Throughout his career, Dean has put together an impressively consistent resume with 174 total tackles, 94 solo, 4.5 sacks, four interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Miller, an NFL hopeful, and now a redshirt super senior underwent surgery in September to repair a torn bicep suffered during Florida’s second game of the season against South Florida and was forced to sit out the entire season.

“Ventrell, he’s a great guy and a great teammate, great leader, but I feel like we shouldn’t have an issue picking up with that leadership role,” Miller’s former teammate and Florida defensive lineman Zachary Carter, said. “Guys just have to, you know, they have to step up.” 

In his three years prior, Miller compiled 156 total tackles (90 solo), 7.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and one interception. Assuming he’s fully healthy heading into the 2022 season, expect Miller to jump right back into the Gators starting lineup.

“There’s a delicate balance between the number of players we add and also hitting that 85 number,” head coach Billy Napier said of keeping older players around. “So a little bit of this is to be determined. It’s always a big juggling act, a big math problem. You’re adding and subtracting today. Certainly as we approach May 1 there will be more attrition.

“And really in the transition year, with a new staff and kind of a new culture, I think that there’s some things that come with that, both positive and negative.”