Gators Offensive Lineman Earns Another First-Team All-SEC Honor

For the second time this week, a major publication has recognized the efforts of this Florida Gators offensive lineman

Make that another First-Team All-SEC Honor for Slaughter / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Florida Gators offensive lineman Jake Slaughter has been named First Team All-SEC by the Associated Press.

AP First Team All-SEC >> @JakeSlaughter5 🐊#GoGators | @AP pic.twitter.com/D42vXdC3AD

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 12, 2024

This is the second First-Team All-SEC honor that Slaughter has received this week. On Monday, he recevied a similar honor from USA Today.

For the first time in his career, the Gators center started all 12 games of the regular season. 

During the season, he ranked third nationally among centers with an offense grade of 81.2 along with a run block grade of 79.1 - good for seventh in the country - and Leads the Gators in PFF offense, pass block and run block grades.

Slaughter is in his fourth year with the program and has progressed with each season toward this moment. 

In his first season back in 2021, he made his debut against Samford. This was his only appearance in the Dan Mullen era, and he was redshirted. In his first full season on the field, he played all 13 games, including the Las Vegas Bowl, but was primarily in a special teams role. 

Come 2023, the Ocala-area native and Trinity Catholic alumnus made his first career start when he took on the role at center for Week One on the road against Utah. He would make eight starts at center and play in all 12 games. 

Slaughter will now have the chance to follow this up with his second bowl appearance and a chance at his first bowl game win. The Florida Gators will take on Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 20. 

With him as a starter at center, the Gators won seven games for the first time since 2020, which was also their most recent winning season heading into 2024.