BREAKING: Gators' Slaughter Named Walter Camp Preseason First-Team All-American

Heading into his final collegiate season with considerable hype after earning AP First-Team All-American honors in 2024, Florida Gators center Jake Slaughter has earned another accolade ahead of the 2025 season.

Slaughter was named to the 2025 Walter Camp Preseason First Team Offense, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced Tuesday. He is the lone Gator selected to either preseason teams.

Elite 🐊

Jake Slaughter, Walter Camp Preseason First-Team All-American. #GoGators pic.twitter.com/PfqS2YjO1Y
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) July 1, 2025

Slaughter returns to Florida after earning numerous postseason accolades in 2024, including being named to the AP All-America First Team, AP All-SEC First Team, ESPN All-America Team and PFF All-America First Team.

Garnering significant draft hype after the 2024 campaign, Slaughter elected to return to Florida for his fifth and final season of college football.

“It’s funny. I didn’t realize it was a thing you do where you say if you’re coming back or not,” he said in December when announcing his decision. “I was just gonna show up in January. But, yes, I’m coming back for my fifth year."

At his All-American slab ceremony in December outside of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Slaughter went into deeper detail about his decision to return.

"I've looked at (the grades) a couple times. And yeah, there were some that were pretty good. There were some that were all over the place. I'm not a riverboat gambler by any means. I wanted it to be a sure thing," he said. "And like I said, you know, a lot of the decision is I wanted to come back, be with the guys and do something special."

Slaughter is one of four returning starters on the offensive line from 2024 and one of three senior starters, joining left tackle Austin Barber and right guard Damieon George Jr., and, once again, he'll be expected to be the face of the group.

“It’s huge," assistant offensive line coach Jonathan Decoster said of Slaughter in spring camp. "The center is the most important part on the offense line, you are the quarterback of the o-line. They have to get the Mike points right, their IDs and protection. Just him settling into the leadership role, becoming an All-American, now he has the accolades to match it, the expectations rise. You always coach the best players the hardest and that raises the level of the room, so I am challenging Jake right now to take his game to the next level, especially in the run game.”

Slaughter and the Gators begin the 2025 season at home Aug. 30 against Long Island with kickoff set for 7 p.m.

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