How the Georgia Matchup Favors Florida OL Jake Slaughter, Austin Barber

Originally posted on Florida Gators on SI
By Terrance Biggs | Last updated Oct 30, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Florida Gators center Jake Slaughter and left tackle Austin Barber face a lopsided challenge from the Georgia Bulldogs' pass rush. Yet, the matchup doesn't favor the Bulldogs.

Believe it or not, the UF duo will possess the advantage over their rivals in Saturday's game. Now, having the perceived edge is one thing; executing is another. However, the blocking tandem dealt with more formidable opponents this year.

Resurgence

If you look at Barber's season, only two nightmare game performances interrupt an otherwise sterling campaign. Miami won almost every rep, leaving the senior to lurch and punch. Meanwhile, Texas A&M's speed and ability to convert that to power gave him fits, generating six pressures.

Barber surrendered his only two sacks of the season to the Aggies, resulting in a 0.0 pass-blocking grade from PFF.

However, he rebounded against Mississippi State, keeping their pass rushers silent throughout the day. Against Georgia, he doesn't have to worry about a defensive lineman presenting problems. Instead, blitzing linebackers will test him. Linebackers Chris Cole and C.J. Allen tallied six of UGA's sacks.

The Bulldogs cannot get home with their defensive line. Cole will attempt to slide to the outside on Barber, forcing a wider kick slide that could ultimately force quarterback DJ Lagway to step up to throw. He could negate their impact if Barber can ride the linebackers far enough out of the play to prevent a reachback or chop at the passer's hands.

Future Award Winner

With his consistently elite play, Slaughter is an award recipient waiting to happen. As mentioned, Georgia offers little resistance upfront. However, they will send blitzes on either gap, to either side of Slaughter. As a result, he understands that the blitzers will not come completely free, as running into the line's interior means you are met with 600 pounds of mass in either gap.

With that slight hesitation, Slaughter will either guide the defender away or push him into the defensive lineman. Slaughter has allowed one sack and one quarterback hit in 440 snaps. For someone who sees contact on every snap, he plays at the highest level for a college center. The Bullfrogs will attempt to bully Slaughter, using mass and strength to dislodge him from his anchor.

Overview

Georgia has shown little ability to control the line of scrimmage, unless you're Austin Peay, Marshall or Kentucky. For everyone else, the trenches, to this point, have benefited the opponent. In Barber and Slaughter, the Gators have two players with 4,261 snaps per PFF. Under those circumstances, facing a mediocre fight in the trench tilts the game in their favor.

This article first appeared on Florida Gators on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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