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Jake Slaughter is college football's top returning interior OL, per PFF

On3 imageby:Keith Niebuhr•06/24/25•

On3Keith

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Photo courtesy of UAA Communications

Florida Gators center Jake Slaughter, a consensus All-American last season, is the top returning interior offensive lineman in 2025, per Pro Football Focus. Wrote PFF’s Max Chadwick:

One year after placing eighth on this list, Slaughter tops it after a stellar redshirt junior season. He was the only Power Four center to earn 80.0-plus PFF grades as a pass blocker and a run blocker. Even more impressive is that he faced a murderer’s row of defensive tackles, including Walter Nolen, Alfred Collins, Shemar Turner, Deone Walker, Omarr Norman-Lott and Joshua Farmer. All of those players should be selected in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Slaughter’s 85.8 PFF overall grade since 2023 trails only Jackson Powers-Johnson among Power Four centers. He moves very well at 6-foot-4 and 308 pounds, allowing him to dominate in a zone blocking scheme.

Jake Slaughter is coming off a big season

Slaughter, a senior from Ocala (Fla.) Trinity Catholic, started all 13 games at center last season and led the Gators offensive line in offensive snaps with 800. The following Gators also were recognized as being among the top 10 returning players at their respective positions earlier this year:

PFF has recognized other Gators, too

7. DJ Lagway, QB, Florida: “Like Manning, Lagway might not have a proven track record. But also like Manning, he has limitless potential.  The true freshman showed why he was the top quarterback recruit in the 2024 cycle, leading the Power Four with an 8.8% big-time throw rate in 2024. Lagway’s 95.6 PFF passing grade on deep throws placed him third in college football.”

10. Eugene Wilson III, WR, Florida: “Wilson played in just four games this past season following knee and hip surgeries.His electric true freshman season was enough to earn him a spot on this list, though, with his 81.5 PFF receiving grade that year being a top-20 mark among Power Four wideouts, as well as his 480 yards after the catch and 18 forced missed tackles. Wilson was utilized mostly underneath during his freshman year with a conservative quarterback in Graham Mertz, but that should change next year with a gunslinger in DJ Lagway under center. Expect Wilson to bounce back in a major way.”

7. Tyreak Sapp, Edge, Florida: “Sapp enjoyed a major breakout in his fourth season with the Gators. His 90.4 PFF grade placed 10th among all edge defenders in America and second among returning ones. The former defensive tackle is at his best in the run game, placing fourth among all FBS edges in run-defense grade (88.7) while tying for fourth among Power Four ones in tackles for loss/no-gain (13). Sapp is a more than capable pass-rusher as well, earning an 82.2 grade in that regard.”

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