Florida football starting center Jake Slaughter added another honor to his growing list of accolades as he was named an AP first-team All-American on Monday.
A redshirt junior from Sparr, the 6-foot-5, 308-pound Slaughter joined the late Bill Carr (1966) and Maurkice Pouncey (2009) as just the third center in Florida Gators history to earn first-team All-American honors.
Slaughter started all 12 games for UF this season and in 728 snaps, allowed only one sack, one QB hit, six QB hurries and eight pressures while committing only three penalties. He graded out as the top center in the SEC and UF’s top offensive player, best pass blocker, and best run blocker per Pro Football Focus (PFF).
In addition to earning AP first-team All-American honors, Slaughter has earned honors of 247Sports/CBS Sports All-American Second Team, PFF All-American First Team, CFN All-American Second Team, AP All-SEC First Team and USA Today All-SEC First Team.
With the accolade, Slaughter will have an inscribed brick outside The Swamp that will note the honor.
“It doesn’t get much better than that,” Slaughter said.
Slaughter also announced at a Gasparilla Bowl press conference in Tampa that he intends to return for his senior season.
“I feel like we have a lot of unfinished business,” Slaughter said. “I love this place, love being around all the guys. It seemed like all-around the right decision.”
Slaughter joins guard O’Cyrus Torrence (2022) as the second AP All-American in three years under Bill Napier. In all, 13 UF offensive linemen have earned AP All-American honors, a list that includes Pouncey, Carr and Pro Bowler Lomas Brown (1984).
Florida football coach Billy Napier praised Slaughter’s leadership along with his high level of play.
“He has a way about him that’s inspired confidence to the players around him,” Napier said. “I think he’s helped that room as a whole, that room is as healthy as it’s been since we’ve been here, not only the caliber of player but the culture of that room as he’s been at the center of that.”
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