Undersized to All-American: Jake Slaughter Ready to Cap-Off All-Time Career with Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Jake Slaughter enters his fifth and final season with the Florida Gators as one of the top offensive linemen in all of college football and a strong candidate to be a first-round pick in next year's NFL Draft.

It wasn't always this way, though, for the now-All-American.

After not seeing the field much in his first two seasons, the Ocala, FL, native didn't get his first start until the 2023 season opener against Utah. It wasn't a planned start, either, with then-starter Kingsley Eguakun a game-time decision due to injury.

With Eguakun unable to go, head coach Billy Napier turned to Slaughter to lead his offensive line. Slaughter recently recalled a conversation with Napier regarding his first start two years ago.

"Coach Napier, it was maybe six months ago, I remember it was him and I just hanging, we passed each other in the hall, he was laughing, ‘Slaughter, I remember, how long was your face before the Utah game? I love you buddy, but I knew you were in for a long day,'" Slaughter said.

While the team's and Slaughter's individual results left a lot to be desired in the 24-11 loss, it was the beginning of what's been one of the all-time great careers by a Gators' offensive lineman. Slaughter would go on to start seven more games that season before a dominant 2024 campaign in which he earned AP First-Team All-America honors.

Now entering his senior season, Slaughter is ready to leave it all on the field.

"You know they're kicking us out after this year; they don't want us no more," he said. "We warm up, and I get to go love up on Tyreak Sapp and get some dap up and tell him go lead, let’s compete and he tells me the same thing. So it's one of those, like, it's kind of been ingrained in us that all we're going to do is compete and take care of our guys. So it's been special.”

Billy Napier, Rob Sale, Jake Slaughter and Jonathan Decoster pose as Slaughter receives his All-American brick in a ceremony outside of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. | Jordan Herald / UAA

Slaughter's story, one of resilience, strong leadership and a will to be great, began well before that start at Utah nearly two years ago, though, and it certainly wasn't done all on his own. It's a testament to multiple influential people in Slaughter's life who taught him multiple qualities he carries with him to this day.

"Jake's got a great story. He's a product of his environment," Napier said. "His family, where he's from, his passion for this place. I think he's very driven to contribute to the team, to be at his best for his teammates."

The first quality is toughness, which Slaughter credits to his father, Jack.

"He's just a tough dude. That alarm clock goes off, put your boots on and go to work," Slaughter said of his father. "... I respect my old man because you can't knock that guy down, and if you do, he's gonna pop up. My old man, he's gonna take care of it.”

The next is togetherness, which Slaughter says comes from his former high school coach John Brantley III, a former UF quarterback and the father of another former UF quarterback.

"His big thing was we're not going to win as individuals," Slaughter said. "We're going to win as a team. You have toughness and grit, but his message was always togetherness. So that was one major thing I took from him.”

The last is the ability to not be overwhelmed by the task at hand, which Slaughter credits to his coaches at Florida, along with his parents and former coaches. It's something that took time, especially since he was thrown into the fire in that 2023 season.

Nonetheless, it's allowed him to become stronger both on and off the field.

"I think coaches here have done a great job," Slaughter said. "Coach (Rob) Sale poured into me. Coach Stape (Stapleton), who was here at the time, he did a great job, like, ‘Hey, man, life goes on. Let’s go play better ball.’ That’s the fact of the matter. But it goes back to high school coaches, youth coaches, Mom and Dad."

All of these qualities have shaped Slaughter into who he is today, helping a young, undersized and under-the-radar three-star recruit who struggled in his first start blossom into an All-American and possible first-round pick.

Slaughter's success story doesn't surprise those who have been around him pre-Florida in the least bit.

"He's got a work ethic like no other, and he's just a great kid," Brantley III told Florida Gators on SI. "So all this right now doesn't surprise me, and I'm so proud of that young man. Coach Sale and I talk all the time, and he keeps me up on him. So very proud of that young man."

It doesn't surprise his current head coach, either, who took a chance on Slaughter despite not being one of his chosen recruits and despite his early struggles.

"I can remember the valuation workout we did with the team during bowl practice immediately upon arrival, and I wrote down that I felt like the guy had tools to be a really good player," Napier said. "He's big, he's long, he's got power, and I think he can move. So I think he had the traits to do it, I just think he needed to develop some confidence, and he just needed repetition."

That confidence eventually led to a leadership role. Napier explained the fifth-year senior consistently set the tone in workouts, practice and during games as he emerged as an on-field contributor. The teammates who have been with him the longest saw that growth firsthand.

"I mean, he's just a hard worker, you know? It's not hard to see that he's probably one of the hardest working people in the building," said tackle Austin Barber, a member of Slaughter's 2021 signing class. "And he's super smart. He can see things that I think a lot of centers can't see. It's just really cool to see him grow. We've grown up together. Jake has done a really good job of knowing what to do and how to do it well.”

Those newer to the program also saw it despite not being with Slaughter at his beginning.

"He’s a people person. He’s all in for his teammates, and he’s the best, I feel like he’s the best in the country at the position," said senior guard Damieon George Jr., who transferred in before the 2023 season. "He’s just all for his teammates. He’s got my back every day, and I know I’ve got his back because he’s gonna lay it on the line for his guys every time.”

A lot has changed for Slaughter in his five years with the program, especially with the outside hype. Entering his final season, Slaughter was named to the Outland (best interior lineman), Rimington (best center) and Lombardi (most outstanding lineman) Award Watch Lists, the Preseason All-SEC First Team and the Sporting News Preseason All-America First Team.

While the attention has changed, Slaughter hasn't. He still has the same work ethic and will to be better than what is expected of him.

"You know, it’s one of those things that you’ve got to recognize it is a tremendous honor, it is, but it really doesn’t mean anything," he said. "Preseason honors, but it’s like, at the same time, you’ve got to go put it on tape. You gotta go win games and you’ve got to go play your best ball."

He will have his opportunity to win games and play his best ball starting on Saturday when No. 15 Florida hosts Long Island to open the season on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. From there, Slaughter will round out what has become one of the best success stories in program history, and those who have seen him from behind the scenes will be right there with him.

"What a thrill to turn on the TV, or go to Gainesville and watch a game and see number 66 out there running around," Brantley III said. "Makes you proud to be a coach."

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