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For a long stretch of the 2017 recruiting cycle, Hillsborough (Fla.)'s Zachary Carter was Florida's top commitment.

A four-star recruit ranked the No. 3 strong-side defensive end, Carter pledged to UF over Clemson on June 23, 2016. Carter was often talked about as one of Florida's top 2017 commitments, but this past fall, he did not make it on the field and will instead see his career begin as a redshirt freshman in 2018.

"I saw him being redshirted as a positive," Carter's father, Fred, told Inside The Gators. "It helped him to grow, first of all as an individual, as well as I thought it helped his body mature more."