Florida football awards tracker, four UF players taking part in Senior Bowl

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Four former Florida football players are slated to take part in the Panini Senior Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 31,

Florida Gators starting defensive tackle Caleb Banks, starting All-American center Jake Slaughter, starting left tackle Austin Barber and starting defensive end Tyreak Sapp will take part in the marquee event in front of NFL Scouts in Mobile, Ala., on Jan. 31 (2:30 p.m., NFL Network).

After a breakout junior season that included seven tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 2024, the 6-6, 330-pound Banks appeared in just three games in 2025, missing time with a broken foot. Banks wound up with six tackles in the three games, including one tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.

But Banks, a projected second-to-third round NFL Draft picks, has made an impression this week with his bull rush techniques during Senior Bowl workouts.

The 6-5, 303-pound Slaughter is two-time All-American, earning first-team All-American honors at UF in 2024 and second-team All-American honors in 2025. He made 33 career starts over five seasons as UF and emerged as a leader on UF’s 2024 and 2025 teams.

The 6-6, 314-pound Barber has made 38 career starts at left and right tackle for UF over the past four seasons, earning third-team, All-SEC honors in 2025 while posting the highest run block grade (90) on UF per Pro Football Focus.

Sapp (6-3, 274 pounds) finished his Gator career with 124 total tackles, 10 sacks, 21.5 tackles-for-loss, four forced fumbles and 72 pressures over1,426 snaps.

The Senior Bowl is considered the nation’s top college football all-star game, attracting coaches, scouts and personnel executives from all 32 NFL Teams.

Florida football K Trey Smack connects on three FGs at East-West Shrine Game

Former Florida kicker Trey Smack connected on field goals of 24, 57 and 40 yards at the 101st East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 27 in Frisco, Texas,

Smack’s performance continued to help his NFL Draft after he connected on 18 of 22 field goals for UF in 2025, including 5 of 6 from 50 yards or longer. Smack’s 10 field goals of 50 yards or longer in his UF career stands as a UF record.

Former UF punter Tommy Doman also took part in the game in front of NFL scouts, averaging 47.5 yards on two punts A transfer from Michigan, Doman averaged 44.0 yards on 50 punts, with 17 of his punts downed inside the 20-yard line in 2025.

Former UF wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant also saw action on the field during the game but did not record a catch. Sturdivant, a transfer from UCLA, had 27 catches for 406 yards and 3 TDs in his lone season with the Gators.

Florida football C Jake Slaughter earns All-American honors, was Rimington Award finalist

Florida football senior center Jake Slaughter earned second-team AP All-American honors on Monday, December 15.

This makes the 6-foot-5, 303-pound Slaughter a two-time All-American, as the Sparr native earned first-team All-American honors last season. This year, Slaughter earned second-team honors behind Iowa’s Logan Jones, who also won the Rimington Trophy, given to college football’s best best center.

Slaughter started all 12 games for the Florida Gators this season and in 748 snaps and allowed just one sack, one quarterback hit and two hurries. Slaughter earned a Pro Football Focus offense grade of 78.9, a run block grade of 82.2 and team-high 87.1 pass block grade. In 12 starts, Slaughter graded 70 or higher as a pass blocker 11 times, per PFF.

Slaughter has made 33 career starts at center for UF over the last three seasons and emerged as a leader on UF’s offensive line. His PFF offensive grade of 81.1 ranked best of all UF offensive players in 2024.

Slaughter also was named one of three Rimington Trophy award finalists, a second-team, USA Today All-American, a second team Sporting News All-American and a second-team FWAA All-American.

Two Florida football players earn freshman All-SEC honors

Two Florida players earned spots on the freshman All-SEC team on Dec. 11. UF wide receiver Vernell Brown III and true freshman UF edge rusher Jayden Woods both made the squad for their performances during the 2025 season.

The 5-11, 178-pound Brown appeared in 10 games with six starts at wide receiver, leading the team in receptions (40) and receiving yards (512). He also emerged as one of the top punt return threats in the SEC this season, averaging 11.7 yards per return with a long return of 40 yards.

The 6-3, 248-pound Woods appeared in all 12 games for the Gators, making two starts. He recorded 28 tackles, 3.5 sacks for 23 yards, 5.0 tackles for loss for 28 yards, an interception, one pass break up, two quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery. Woods closed out the season co-leading the team with sacks (3.5) and was third on the team in TFLs (5.0).

With the honors, Florida has posted a league-leading 115 Freshman All-SEC honors and has had 14 total since 2022.

Five Florida football players earn coach’s All-SEC honors

Five Florida football players were named to the coach’s All-SEC team on Tuesday, Dec. 9.

Slaughter was the lone first-team All-SEC selection for the Florida Gators. Sophomore running back Jadan Baugh earned second-team All-SEC honors, while left tackle Austin Barber was named All-SEC third team, along with kicker Trey Smack (as a kickoff specialist) and long snapper Rocco Underwood.

The 6-1, 231-pound Baugh finished with 1,170 rushing yards, 210 receiving yards and 10 TDs (8 rushing, 2 receiving). Baugh’s 266-yard rushing performance in UF’s 40-21 win over rival FSU on Nov. 29 was the second-most in school history, behind only Emmitt Smith’s 316-yard rushing performance against New Mexico in 1989.

The 6-6, 314-pound Barber started all 12 games at left tackle for Florida in 2025, posting a a PFF run block grade of 82.2.

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida football awards tracker, four UF players eager to make mark in Senior Bowl

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