Florida football C Jake Slaughter among top NFL draft prospects
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Jake Slaughter put together an impressive portfolio during his five-year tenure on Florida football’s offensive line, and after being decorated with an assortment of accolades, it appears that the Gator is destined for greatness at the next level as well.
Recently, USA TODAY Sports writer Ayrton Ostly compiled a list of 10 top NFL draft prospects at every position on offense, which predictably included Florida’s outgoing starting center among the interior offensive linemen.
“Slaughter (is a) true center (and) is a very good pass protector who diagnoses defenses well pre-snap,” Baker notes.
Pro Football Focus gave the Gators’ center an 78.9 overall offensive grade last season, which is the fifth-best among FBS centers. His 78.3 run-blocking grade also represented the fifth-best mark, while his 87.1 pass-blocking rating was the eighth-highest.
He can add this latest achievement to a list that includes the Lombardi Award Watch List, Rimington Trophy Watch List, Outland Trophy Watch List, Sporting News Preseason All-America First Team, while also earning a spot on the All-SEC First Team, USA TODAY Sports’ All-American Second-Team and being named a Rimington Trophy Finalist. Slaughter has also accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl.
Slaughter has been a presence on the Florida Gators‘ offensive line since 2021, spanning two head coaching tenures — but mostly on Billy Napier’s watch. He debuted that season against the Samford Bulldogs on Nov. 13 before redshirting, and after that, the rest was history.
Since 2022, he has appeared in every single Gator game and has started in all of them since 2024, with eight starts in 2023. Slaughter graduated last spring with a degree in Agricultural Education and Communication.
USA TODAY Sports’ top 10 interior offensive line prospects
- Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
- Gennings Dunker, Iowa
- Brian Parker II, Duke
- Cayden Green, Missouri
- Conner Lew, Auburn
- Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
- Jake Slaughter, Florida
- Logan Jones, Iowa
- Parker Brailsford, Alabama
- Iapani Laloulu, Oregon
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football’s Jake Slaughter among top NFL draft prospects
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