Jake Slaughter’s college football résumé just added another line of recognition - and it’s a big one.
The Florida redshirt senior center has earned Second-Team All-American honors from The Sporting News, becoming the latest outlet to recognize his standout 2025 season. That nod joins earlier Second-Team selections from both the Walter Camp Foundation and the Associated Press, further cementing Slaughter’s place among the nation’s top offensive linemen.
It’s been a decorated year for the veteran Gator. Slaughter has racked up accolades across the board, including First-Team All-SEC honors from multiple outlets - the AP, Pro Football Focus, and the SEC itself.
He was also named a Rimington Trophy finalist, an award given annually to the best center in college football. That tells you everything you need to know about how he’s viewed nationally.
And the advanced metrics back it up.
According to Pro Football Focus, Slaughter finished the regular season as the fifth-highest-graded center in the FBS, earning a 78.9 overall offensive grade. His 78.3 run-blocking grade also ranked fifth at the position, while his 87.1 pass-blocking score came in at No. 8 - and he allowed just one sack all season. That kind of efficiency in the trenches is rare, especially in the SEC, where defensive fronts are loaded with NFL talent.
But Slaughter’s impact goes beyond the numbers.
“Jake Slaughter is one of the most consistent guys in the building,” said offensive tackle Austin Barber back in November. “Me and him have been together all five years.
Lived with him. He’s my roommate in the hotel.
He’s going to be one of my best friends for the rest of my life. He’s going to be stamped in this program for a very long time.”
Barber’s words paint the picture of a player who’s not just a technician on the field but a cornerstone in the locker room - someone teammates trust, follow, and lean on.
“He does everything the right way,” Barber continued. “He prepares.
He works the hardest in the weight room. He works the hardest on the field.
He’s smart. He knows what to do.
He leads us on the field. He’s the center.
He commands it. Everyone listens to him.
It’s nice to have Jake Slaughter on the field.”
Over his five seasons in Gainesville, Slaughter appeared in 51 games and started 33 of them. His 2024 campaign as a redshirt junior earned him Consensus First-Team All-American honors - a distinction that comes with a commemorative brick outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. That season, he led all Florida linemen in both run-blocking and pass-protection grades (among those with at least 75 snaps), posting marks of 80.2 and 84.2, respectively.
Now, as his college career officially closes, Slaughter is gearing up for one final showcase: the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl. He’ll join teammates Austin Barber and defensive tackle Caleb Banks at the annual all-star game in Mobile, Alabama, where NFL coaches and scouts will be watching closely.
The Senior Bowl kicks off on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at Hancock Whitney Stadium - a key stop on the road to the NFL Draft.
While Slaughter didn’t receive All-American recognition from the American Football Coaches Association - one of the five organizations used to determine NCAA Consensus All-American status - he’s still compiled an impressive haul. And with the Football Writers Association of America set to release its All-American list on Thursday, there’s still one more chance for his name to appear among college football’s elite.
Regardless of what comes next, Jake Slaughter leaves Florida as one of the program’s most respected linemen in recent memory - a player who combined toughness, intelligence, and leadership in a way that set the tone for the Gators up front.