By: Nick Marcinko -- August 3, 2024 STORY BY: Reid Robinson Florida center Jake Slaughter arose as one of the unexpected stars for this Gators team last season. The 6’4.5 308-pound center ranked as the 9th best center in the FBS, scoring a 75.9 offensive grade in 12 games played including eight starts, according to Pro Football Focus. Heading into this year, Slaughter is set to be the leader of this unit, which will be critical with the tough stretch the Gators have coming up this year. Florida’s schedule is loaded with top 25 opponents, and a week one rivalry game against the University of Miami. Jake Slaughter details tackle depth, offseason improvements | GatorCountry.com
#10 OL and #7 QB. The problem is half of our schedule is on those lists. Oddly enough, our RB room isn’t top 10, but UGA is citing the traitor. I find it comical as he couldn’t block and was RB2 on our roster. I have little to no concerns about our offense. If our D can crack the top 40, we could surprise a lot of people.
It all starts up front, and a good O-line will make for a much improved offense. It's nice to have players like Slaughter that buy into the team concept without dwelling on himself. He's the right man for the job at Center. If we stays healthy, we will surprise several teams this year. Another good read about our team/players.
"This offensive line is attempting to revamp their image heading into the third season under Billy Napier. Florida needs to improve in both the run and pass protection. Heading into the year, PFF rated this offensive line unit 10th in the nation while Slaughter came in as the No.8 returning interior offensive lineman, according to PFF analyst Max Chadwick." So we're to believe that we have the 10th best OL in the country??? Maybe in the SEC