Florida Gators Jake Slaughter Makes Decision on Future with Gators

The Florida Gators center has confirmed his intentions for next season

Slaughter is ready to run it back with the Gators one last time / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Florida Gators offensive lineman Jake Slaughter has made a decision on his future with the program. He confirmed that he will be back for a fifth and final year in Gainesville. 

“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. “I was just gonna show up in January. But, yes, I’m coming back for my fifth year. 

What he loves about the University of Florida and the teammates he has made it a very easy decision for him to come back. 

“I love this place. I love being with my guys every day, and it just seems like all-around the right decision.”

Slaughter has had a solid week for racking up the accolades. On Monday, he earned his brick at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. 

He was named First Team All-American by AP. 

This honor comes despite recent snubs from the SEC's all-conference list and the Rimingon Award, which is given annually to the nation's top collegiate center.

He was named First Team All-American by Pro Football Focus, Second-Team All-American by CBS Sports and First-Team All-SEC by USA Today Sports and the AP.

Eligible for the NFL Draft, Slaughter has begun to rise up draft boards after this season, where he put up career-high PFF grades in total offense (82.3), run-blocking (83.8) and pass-blocking (80.5) His total offense and run-blocking grades each rank sixth nationally.

While he technically played in the Las Vegas Bowl in 2022, this will be the first game where he gets to play “meaningful” snaps. So, he’s got a major milestone on the field to look forward to following the accolades. 

“Anytime you get to put the ball down, it’s exciting.”