Gators Name Captains for Week 7 Bout With Gamecocks

Florida named its quartet of captains for the Week 7 contest at South Carolina on Thursday evening.

Photo: Jaydon Hill; Credit: Alex Shepherd

Florida's game seven captains have been named.

Running back Trevor Etienne, center Jake Slaughter, defensive end Tyreak Sapp and STAR corner Jaydon Hill will represent the Gators as captains against South Carolina, the program shared via Twitter on Thursday.

Game 7 Captains 🐊 pic.twitter.com/c6y3x6cCBh

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) October 12, 2023

Etienne returns to the Gators lineup after missing the first game of his career against Vanderbilt as he dealt with an upper-body injury. 

He'll join backfield mate Montrell Johnson Jr., who seemingly found his legs in Etienne's absence after struggling to begin the year, in Florida's effort to sustain the success it saw on the ground against Vanderbilt a week ago.

Center Jake Slaughter will also contribute to that mission as he starts his fifth game for the Gators this season as Kingsley Eguakun recovers from a lingering ankle injury from fall camp. It's his first appearance as a captain in his career.

The upcoming appearance in Columbia, S.C., will be his first as a starter on the road since the season-opening loss to Utah, one he looks to make up for as the Gators search for their second win in nine tries away from The Swamp under head coach Billy Napier.

"Game one taught me, you are not prepared until you are prepared," Slaughter said on Wednesday. "So, you think you go in, you have a good idea of what they are going to do, what your game plan is, and then the bullets get flying. Things can change in a hurry, but you learn as a player you've got to keep going, keep playing. It wasn't my best game I played. I'm thankful for the experience."

On the defensive side of the ball, two leaders of the unit will step into the captain role for the second time this season, respectively.

Since moving to the starting F-end spot following the season-ending injury to Justus Boone, Sapp's stepped into a prominent leadership role on and off the field for the Gators.

The 6-foot-3, 270-pound defensive lineman has serviced in a versatile role in Austin Armstrong's multiple front defense this year. He's proven impactful in doing so, posting nine tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, one pass breakup and two forced fumbles in the first six weeks.

He's joined by a veteran member of the second in Hill. 

The Huntsville, Ala., native assumes captain duties one week removed from an assertive showing from the team's STAR nickel cornerback spot. He was credited for four tackles, a half tackle for loss as he read a screen and blew up the pass catcher in the backfield and one pass breakup on the day.

The Gators' defense will count on Hill to maintain the high level of play against a South Carolina offense that likes to stress the secondary through the air with both passes downfield and with quick hitters to the boundary by quarterback Spencer Rattler. 

Hill understands the task of defending a passer the caliber of the Gamecocks signal caller.

"Spencer Rattler, we came out the same year," Hill said on Monday. "He was one of the top players in our class. I've always known he was a good quarterback. He's very electric. He can get things going for his guys, and we've just got to do a good job staying disciplined, doing our job as a defense."

Florida's matchup with South Carolina will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET inside Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday. 

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