Once early signing day was over, Florida football head coach Billy Napier said the focus of the program would shift to retaining players on its current roster. On Monday night, Napier landed a return commitment from the biggest target on that list, All-America center [autotag]Jake Slaughter[/autotag].
On the same day the Associated Press named Slaughter a First Team All-American, he decided to put off his pro career to finish what he started in Gainesville. Slaughter’s coming back for the 2025 season. Nick de la Torre of Florida Victorious confirmed that news.
“The draft is always there but my thought was always that there’s so much more we have to do here before I’m done,” Slaughter said. “There’s so much improvement that can be made, not just in my own game but as a football team. That was a big reason. There’s so much left on the table for us.”
The 2024 Gators didn’t take steps forward throughout the season; they took leaps and bounds after a disheartening first month of the year. By the end of the season, the Gators believed they could compete with any team in the country — even with a battered defense.
The emergence of DJ Lagway as an elite starting quarterback had a lot to do with it, but the team improved in other areas, too. The most consistent piece of the team was the offensive line, anchored by Slaughter, who morphed into one of the best centers in the country. Draft experts have him pegged as a mid-round pick, but that’s before workouts and the combine.
For Slaughter, it’s not so much about improving his draft stock but rather bringing the program back to prominence. He’s been in Gainesville for the worst of it and wants to see things through to the end; and he might not be the only one with that mindset.
“We were playing complementary football, winning games, going toe-to-toe with anybody in the country. That was a big part,” he said. “The belief that this team has. All the other guys that are in a similar position as me and are coming back next year. We want to do something pretty special.”
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.