Incoming Florida Gators DL Named No. 2 FCS to FBS Transfer

From the Penn Quakers to the Florida Gators, new defensive lineman is expected to make an immediate impact.

Florida Gators assistant coach for defensive line Gerald Chatman / Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Florida Gators hired Gerald Chatman in December to head up the defensive line. Chatman had previously worked as the defensive line coach with Tulane in 2023 after stops with LSU and the Cincinnati Bengals among others.

Helping Chatman to fortify the Gators' defensive line will be Penn Quakers transfer Joey Slackman. At 6'4 and 300 pounds, Slackman was listed by 247Sports as the second-highest rated FCS transfer in the country behind cornerback Marcus Harris who is going from Idaho to Cal.

"Penn just has a knack for churning out power conference-caliber defensive linemen," wrote Will Backus on CBS Sports. "After Jake Heimlicher transferred to UCLA a year ago, Slackman followed a similar path by breaking out in 2023 and parlaying his success into a spot on Florida's roster. The 2023 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, Slackman led his team and finished second among Ivy League defenders with 12 tackles for loss and totaled four sacks while wrecking the interior of opposing offensive lines. At 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, Slackman comes ready made to hold up in the SEC trenches. "

The transfer portal has enabled late bloomers to move up the ranks of the college football tier system without sitting out a year like past seasons. It's also likely to nearly end the small-school draft picks on NFL Draft day as players like Slackman move to a higher level of competition as they mature.

Penn's loss is Florida's gain as Slackman is expected to step in and make an immediate impact with the Gators before moving on to the NFL Draft.

Q2 0:56 | Penn 21, Cornell 7

Make way for Joey Slackman! 💥#FightOnPenn x #BEGREAT pic.twitter.com/WwTyHIXc1e

— Penn Football (@PennFB) November 5, 2022