As the No. 9 Longhorns prepare to head to “The Swamp” to take on the Florida Gators, they will not only play in one of college football’s most hostile environments, but also against some of the nation’s best talents.
Here’s a look at some notable Gators to keep an eye out for in Saturday’s showdown.
Jake Slaughter – offensive lineman
Jake Slaughter, a redshirt senior interior offensive lineman, will play a key role in protecting sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway from the Texas defense that includes sophomore edge Colin Simmons and junior linebacker Anthony Hill Jr.
Slaughter was the starting center for the Gators last season, recording an 83.9 pass block grade and a 79.0 run block grade, ranking in the top 10 for both, according to Florida. Slaughter landed on the preseason watchlist for the Outland Trophy, the award given to the nation’s best interior offensive lineman.
The redshirt senior lineman has also been a topic of conversation regarding being a top NFL prospect in this year’s draft. Matt Miller, an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, included him in an article he wrote in late July about the best draft prospects in every position.
“Slaughter has a chance to be the best run and pass blocker among interior linemen in the class, thanks to his instincts, poise, power and agility,” Miller said in July. “At 6-4 and 308 pounds, he doesn’t have elite anchor ability but moves exceptionally well and has range to pull, trap and get to the second level.”
DJ Lagway – quarterback
In an admittedly a poor start to the season, Lagway has five touchdowns and six interceptions on the season, five of which came against the stiff LSU defense. However, the sophomore has remained positive about the Florida offense finding its rhythm.
“It’s been hard, but let me tell y’all something – we’re going to get things changed, for sure. I can guarantee that,” Lagway said in a Sept. 21 ESPN article by Andrea Adelson, an ESPN reporter covering the Atlantic Coast Conference. “This is not acceptable at all. I’m not going to sit here and lie to y’all and make this seem like this is OK. This isn’t OK. We’ve got to play better football, and it starts with me.”
In his true freshman campaign, Lagway won six of the seven games that he started in. When passing the ball, he completed 59.9% of his passes for 1,915 yards through the air and 12 touchdowns. According to Florida, Lagway tied Chris Leak for the most wins from a true freshman quarterback in program history.
Tyreak Sapp – edge
Redshirt senior defensive lineman Caleb Banks underwent foot surgery following his season debut against LSU, according to a Sept. 19 USA Today article. It will be up to redshirt senior edge Tyreak Sapp to fill that role as an imposing threat on the front.
Similar to Lagway, Sapp has also suffered a lackluster start to the season, only tallying 11 tackles and one sack in the Gators’ opening four games. His 2024 season, though, was one to remember, compiling 47 tackles, seven sacks and forcing two fumbles.
