Florida Gators 2021 OL Commit Jake Slaughter's SI All-American Evaluation
On Friday afternoon, the Florida Gators added a fourth offensive line commitment to their 2021 class in area standout Jake Slaughter, of Trinity Catholic High School (Ocala, Fla.). Slaughter flipped to Florida after a three-month commitment to the Florida State Seminoles.
As the Gators continue to revamp their offensive line, Slaughter provides interior versatility. With experience playing center and guard, the Gators could go either way when inserting Slaughter into the lineup down the line. Slaughter plays at a college-ready size and with a physical presence in the trenches with strengths as a run-blocker, traits that have become a trend across Florida's 2021 offensive line haul.
Slaughter joins Jones (Orlando, Fla.) tackle Javonte Gardner, A. Crawford Mosley (Lynn Haven, Fla.) tackle Adrein Strickland, and Stephenson (Stone Mountain, Ga.) guard George Jackson as high school offensive line commits in Florida's class. Independence Community College (Independence, Ky.) guard Deyavie Hammond also pledged to the class as a JUCO prospect, after singing with Florida in 2019.
Below, you can find Slaughter's scouting report from Sports Illustrated All-American, as he was named to the SIAA Top 1000 last week. The inaugural, 25-man Sports Illustrated All-American team of the top prospects in the class of 2021 will be unveiled in December.
Prospect: Jake Slaughter
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-5, 310 pounds
Position: Center
School: Ocala (Fla.) Trinity Catholic
Committed to: Florida (7/24/2020)
Projected Position: Center/Guard
Frame: Good height and overall size. Adequate width across shoulders and upper body. Average arm length. Thick, developing thighs and calves. Room for more mass, but focus will be strength and composition.
Athleticism: Good strength and overall power. Moves fairly well as puller and in space, though feet aren’t especially quick. Average speed at best. Far more coordinated than explosive.
Instincts: Multiple-effort player; plays to final whistle. Regularly flattens defenders at get-off as run blocker. Shows powerful, consistent leg drive when road-grading engaged targets downfield. Comfortable hitting moving target despite relative lack of mobility.
Polish: Effective punch. Fires off-ball with good pad level, mostly maintains throughout play. Combo blocks and peels off to second-level defender with good footwork, technique. Shows promising kick slide, but mostly wins with arms as pass protector.
Bottom Line: Slaughter is a solid interior offensive line prospect with natural strength, good length and adequate overall movement skills. Can play guard or center for the Gators based on surrounding personnel. Potential multi-year starter.
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