The SEC is often regarded as the toughest conference in college football, and whether or not it’s true, there’s no doubt the sport’s most polarizing conference is a pipeline for NFL talent. The best 35 players in the SEC aren’t necessarily the top 35 draft prospects, but a good chunk of them are bound to be Day 1 or 2 picks.
Rosters are mostly set with spring practice and the second portal period out of the way. Summer workouts are good to get freshmen on the same page, and fall practice is the dry rehearsal for the real deal, which starts in just about 60 days. So, The Athletic’s Manny Navarro broke down the best the SEC has to offer heading into the 2025 season.
Five Florida Gators made the list, which goes up to 35.
Quarterback DJ Lagway and All-American first team center Jake Slaughter are the two obvious selections, but a fifth-year defensive lineman also made his way into the top 25. Each member of the top 25 received a blurb to break down the selection and can be found below.
The Nos. 26-35 players on the list don’t have any attached elaboration but are considered “10 others to watch.” Offensive tackle Austin Barber (No. 33) and defensive lineman Caleb Banks (No. 35) are in that group.
No. 10 C Jake Slaughter
Slaughter graded out as one of the best overall centers in the game from Week 1 last season. He earned the All-American nod and likely could have gone in the third round or higher in the most recent draft. Instead, he’s returning to anchor the first true year of Florida football with DJ Lagway leading the charge. A Gator through and through, there’s first-round potential if everything goes right for Slaughter.
“The first-team Associated Press All-American enters his fifth season in Gainesville and is considered by most to be the best center in college football,” Navarro said. “He’s a big reason Florida…
Source link : https://gatorswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/gators/football/2025/06/30/florida-football-dj-lagway-jake-slaughter-the-athletic-top-sec-players-2025-caleb-banks-tyreak-sapp/84410281007/
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Publish date : 2025-06-30 21:21:00
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