Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award Names Jake Slaughter to Watch List
Tuesday, September 30, 2025 | Football
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award announces their 2025 watch list of 67 college football athletes with one Florida player making the list. Jake Slaughter is tacking on another award watch list to his resume as the season continues to progress.
The Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award is in its ninth year, with the first award being presented to UCF's Shaquem Griffin in 2017. This award is dedicated to honoring the exceptional leadership, courage, integrity and sportsmanship these players have both on and off the field. It is the first award to primarily focus on the a player's leadership, and was named after Jason Witten who was not only one of the best NFL tight ends but was a leader in both on the field and in the community.
Slaughter has shown his leadership on the team by holding the center position for the Gators in the past throughout his past five years with the program. In 2024, Slaughter had the seventh highest run block grade in the country with 79.0 and was ranked fifth nationally for his offense grade among centers with 81.1 according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Slaughter led the team in PFF offense, pass block and run block grades along with leading the offensive line with 800 offensive snaps for the season. Off the field, Slaughter is also dedicated to his academics, earning his bachelor's degree in Spring 2025, and doing volunteer work within the community.
The 64 members of the watch list will be narrowed down to a group of 20 semifinalists by members of a selection community on Tuesday, Oct. 14. From there three finalists will be selected on Monday, Dec. 15 and the winner will be announced on April 16, 2025.
