Florida boasts a plethora of youthful talent poised to leave their imprint on the college football scene in the upcoming 2024 season. However, there’s a noticeable absence of elite returning talent across the roster.
Redshirt junior center Jake Slaughter stands out as the sole returning Gator to secure a spot on a Pro Football Focus watch list for his position group, following his impressive 81.2-grade season in 2023. Initially serving as a backup in Gainesville, Slaughter seized the opportunity when Kingsley Eguakun suffered an injury for most of the year.
According to PFF, “(Slaughter’s) 81.2 grade was second among Power Five centers to only Jackson Powers-Johnson. He also performed well in our GAS metric, which allows him to dominate on zone runs. His 82.4 run-blocking grade on such plays tied for fifth in the Power Five. As a full-time starter in 2024, expect Slaughter to become much more of a household name.”
Slaughter’s Journey at Florida
Slaughter changed his commitment from Florida State to Florida in 2021 to play under Dan Mullen, eventually becoming one of the select few players to remain in Gainesville under Billy Napier.
After seeing limited action against Samford as a freshman, Slaughter redshirted and earned playing time in all 13 games as a regular on special teams in his second year.
With Eguakun’s limited playtime due to injury in 2023, Slaughter capitalized on the opportunity, making eight starts (622 snaps) at center. He concluded the season ranked No. 14 in the FBS with a 75.9 PFF grade.
Heading into 2024, Slaughter is the frontrunner to anchor the center position for Florida, with second-year players Roderick Kearney and Knijeah Harris serving as his backups.
Top Returning Interior Offensive Linemen:
– Parker Brailsford, Alabama Crimson Tide
– Tate Ratledge, Georgia Bulldogs
– Tyler Booker, Alabama Crimson Tide
– Donovan Jackson, Ohio State Buckeyes
– Clay Webb, Jacksonville State Gamecocks
– Luke Kandra, Cincinnati Bearcats
– Jaeden Roberts, Alabama Crimson Tide
– Jake Slaughter, Florida Gators
– Dylan Fairchild, Georgia Bulldogs
– Willie Lampkin, North Carolina Tar Heels
