Scooby Williams starting for Gators in place of LB Ventrell Miller
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After serving as the backup to Ventrell Miller the past two games, Florida inside linebacker Scooby Williams will make his first career start Saturday against USF.
Miller is out this weekend after suffering a lower leg injury in the Kentucky game and the Gators are turning to Williams, a top-100 overall recruit in the 2021 class.
Williams made his college debut at USF last season and appeared in four games, including the SEC opener against Alabama, before taking a redshirt. He finished the year with three solo tackles, two coming in the Gasparilla Bowl vs. UCF.
“Scooby came here at the same time last year as me,” Florida defensive end Justus Boone said. “Both young guys, we both got a chance to not really play too much last year, got a little time to do some extra work and get us prepared. I feel like he got prepared. Actually, watching Ventrell go down and get hurt last game, Scooby stepped up and did what he was supposed to do and was a good part of our defense.”
He stepped in for Miller against Kentucky and made a tackle in the second half. Like Boone, Florida coach Billy Napier credits Williams for preparing himself to be ready when his number is called.
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“It’s a great opportunity,” UF coach Billy Napier said of Williams getting the start. “In that room, you’ve got some veteran players — Ventrell and Amari [Burney] — and then you’ve got some guys that haven’t played a ton of football. That doesn’t mean they haven’t been working and preparing for this opportunity. The benefit of how we practice is those guys get the same amount of reps. They’ve been able to learn and process and improve fundamentally.”
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In other Florida football news
- The Gators will be without starting linebacker Ventrell Miller on Saturday against the Bulls.
- There are several notable changes on the Gators’ depth chart for the South Florida game.
- Backup quarterback Jack Miller is still working to get back on the field after thumb surgery.
- First-year coach Billy Napier says the Gators will continue their running back by committee.
- The father of USF coach Jeff Scott served as a mentor to Florida’s Billy Napier at Clemson.
- Gators Online previews five USF Bulls players to watch in Saturday’s matchup with Florida.
UF recruiting roundup
- 5-star EDGE Keon Keeley details his recruitment with On3 as Alabama, Florida and Ohio State pursue.
- Florida’s staff won’t back down for prospects committed elsewhere, particularly in-state targets.
- UF cornerback commit Ja’Keem Jackson talks his latest Florida visit and who he wants to flip.
- The No. 1-ranked 2024 running back Jerrick Gibson is scheduled for a return trip to Florida.
- The mutual interest between the Gators and a four-star safety in the 2024 class is very high.
- An elite cornerback in the 2024 class is set to visit Florida for the second time in three weeks.
- A top-10 overall prospect in the 2025 class has booked another trip to the Swamp for a game.
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