Jake Slaughter


Jake Slaughter is an American college football center for the Florida Gators.

Early life

Slaughter attended Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala, Florida. He was rated as a three-star recruit and held offers from schools such as Florida, Florida State, Miami, Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Arkansas and Utah. Slaughter initially committed to play college football for the Florida State Seminoles before flipping his commitment to play for the in-state rivals Florida Gators.

College career

Slaughter took a redshirt season in 2021, only appearing in one game for the Gators. In 2022, he appeared in all 13 games, mostly on special teams. In 2023, Slaughter appeared in all 12 games for Florida, while getting his first time as a starter, making eight starts at center over 622 total snaps.
Heading into 2024, Slaughter was named a team captain. In 2024, Slaughter started all 13 games for the Gators and earned first-team all-SEC and first-team All-American honors. Slaughter helped lead an in-season turnaround from 4–5 to 8–5, allowing only a single sack and quarterback hit over 800 snaps.
Slaughter made the decision to return to Florida for his final year of eligibility, leading the drive for other Gator offensive linesmen to return to the program. Ahead of the 2025 season, Slaughter was named the best returning offensive player in the SEC by PFF. He was also named to the preseason All-American watchlist and Outland Trophy watchlist.