Soon-To-Be Florida Gator Jake Slaughter Wins Scot Brantley Trophy, Plus Other Football News

Come this fall, the Florida Gators will have two Scot Brantley Trophy winners on their roster.

Joining the inaugural award winner—Gators’ wide receiver Trent Whittemore—will be Ocala Trinity Catholic’s Jake Slaughter.

The Scot Brantley trophy, which is sponsored by the Ocala Quarterback Club, is an annual recognition given to the most outstanding football player, student and citizen within the nine Central Florida counties of Marion, Alachua, Citrus, Levy, Sumter, Lake, Volusia, Putnam and Columbia.

Defining the most outstanding football player, student and citizen is boiled down to a couple of factors: On-field excellence, academics, leadership, athleticism, commitment, recommitment, faith, goal orientation, character and conscience.

Each year, a long watch list is narrowed down to four finalists. In 2020, the four finalists included Slaughter, quarterback Nate Mikell (Wildwood), athlete Trevonte Rucker (Vanguard) and linebacker Zach Williams (Forest).

And on January 13, the Ocala Quarterback Club announced Slaughter as the 2020 recipient.

Slaughter, who played under John Brantley III, brother of the trophy’s namesake, joins Whittemore and former North Marion Colt and current Tennessee Tech defensive back Jyron Gilmore as the third winner of the award.

With each of the previous award winners being specialty players, it came as a shock when Slaughter learned he had won as an offensive lineman.

“It really is an honor to receive this award and I couldn’t be more thankful for it,” Slaughter wrote in a statement. “It truly means a lot to be recognized by a Marion County great like Mr. Brantley, especially as an offensive lineman.

“Considering the talent of the other three finalists, I was shocked to find out that I had won,” Slaughter added. “I’m beyond thankful for all of the great teammates and coaches I’ve had throughout my high school career. And winning this award is the perfect ending to it.”

During his career with the Celtics, the 6-foot-4, 300-pound monster up front has helped clear the way for Trinity Catholic to abuse defenses on the ground.

As a junior, Slaughter opened holes for the Celtics’ bellcow running back, Jamarian Samuel, who rushed for over 2,000 yards in 2019. In 2020, with the return of Brantley, a former Florida Gators quarterback from the 1970s, the Trinity Catholic showcased a more balanced offensive attack.

This season, not only did Slaughter have to make lanes for ball carriers, but he also played an integral part in protecting Trinity Catholic’s quarterback. And as fate would have it, Cole Gonzalez, son of Florida’s wide receivers coach Billy Gonzalez, would be the one taking snaps for the Celtics.

When asked if he and the Gonzalez’s joke about him protecting Cole, or else…, Slaughter is quick to laugh about the past conversations.

“Oh absolutely, we joked about stuff like that,” Slaughter said. “Cole is awesome, he’s a great buddy… great quarterback.”

And next year, the 2020 Scot Brantley recipient will possibly be playing a different role in Coach Gonzalez’s life. Instead of protecting his son from defenders, Slaughter could play a part in giving Florida’s signal caller time to throw downfield to Gonzalez’s receiver corps.

But regardless, Slaughter will be ready.

OTHER FOOTBALL NOTABLES

The Gators extend an offer to 4-star RB Dallan Hayden

The Gators’ running back room has been perhaps the biggest disappointment for Dan Mullen and his staff’s recruiting efforts. Fortunately, the transfer portal has blessed Florida at this position (see: Lorenzo Lingard and Demarkus Bowman).

But somewhere down the line, Mullen and staff will have to set the hook on a running back. And Tennessee native, Dallan Hayden, who just received an offer from the Gators, might give Mullen and staff an opportunity to land their big fish right off of the recruiting trail.

Currently, Hayden is expected to commit to the Volunteers. However, with the recent news out of Knoxville, it’s the perfect time for the Gators to swoop.

Hayden also has offers from Ohio State and Notre Dame, among others.

Florida adds Akron transfer Dylan Meeks

The Gators are adding another defensive end to their roster in the shape of Dylan Meeks, a transfer from the Akron Zips.

The move to Gainesville will bring Meeks closer to his hometown of Orlando, where he graduated from Dr. Phillips High School as a 3-star prospect.

Though he didn’t play in the 2020 season, Meeks was the second-leading tackler for the Zips as a junior in 2019, where he tallied 47 tackles.

The Gators use transfer portal to beef up defensive line

With Kyree Campbell and TJ Slaton moving onto the NFL, Florida was hard pressed to find bodies to replace the two-year starters. However, with Mullen’s continued finesse in the transfer portal, the Gators might have found their solutions with the addition of defensive tackles DayQuan Newkirk and Antonio Shelton.

Newkirk will join the Gators after spending the last three years with the Auburn Tigers. The Orlando native tallied 28 tackles in 2020, after starting every regular-season game for the Tigers.

Shelton, on the other hand, comes to Gainesville to spend his sixth year of eligibility with the Gators. At his previous home at Penn State, Shelton started 20 games and recorded 14 tackles in 2020.