Please Read: Welcome to the new-look Inside the Gators
- 10 Takeaways: Thoughts on Florida football’s testing numbers
- Impact Analysis: Florida adds three-star linebacker
- Mitchell Q&A: An in-depth look at Florida football from a player perspective
- Five Florida flip targets for the Gator Nation to follow
- Ranking Florida’s chances with the June official visitors on offense
- Ranking Florida’s chances with the June official visitors on defense
- 10 Takeaways: Thoughts from Florida’s three June 7-on-7 sessions
Myles Graham will be entering his freshman season with the Florida Gators after being enrolled since January as an early enrollee.
Since spring, the inside linebacker has been working with the team, preparing to continue his path as a Gator with a new and improved team. Unlike many other early enrollees across the country, Graham was not only recruited heavily by UF but also has the media and Gator Nation putting him under more intense scrutiny because of his five-star status on Rivals, and his father, Earnest Graham, a being a former Gator football player himself.
“I think Myles understanding the culture and history of the University of Florida, being an extension of his family, gives him a humble approach,” Graham said. “Not only playing football at the University of Florida, but it gives him a deeper connection with his teammates and the community.”
Myles has the advantage of being able to rely on the experiences of his father, a former Gator and an NFL player with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Therefore, he didn’t have to go through the process blindsided by what the next step should be when playing football at a high level.
The decision on where to play collegiate football involves many factors, such as the facilities, coaching staff, strength and conditioning, and the player’s playing time if they are preparing to play in the professional realm.
“We wanted him to be as open to the opportunity with the process,” Graham said. “However, he was so connected to the University of Florida, and at one point, we thought he was wasting everyone’s time. We wanted him to be decisive about his future, which is a great quality, and he also connected with that.”
Myles had a strong connection with the University of Florida due to his father, but his family had moved from Georgia to Gainesville before his senior year of high school, where he attended Buholtz, allowing him to familiarize himself even more with the Gator culture.
“We’re lucky with our livelihood; we can pretty much pick up and go anywhere,” Graham said. “We knew it was easier for our family to move to Gainesville, but we also didn’t want to crowd our children. We emphasize them enjoying their time in school and amongst their peers while being connected to building their circle of influence.”
With Myles immediate family in town he’ll have an extra layer of support during the season, but also during the offseason where he is able to take a step back. In many situations, most athletes aren’t lucky enough to have their family in their college town, and many times don’t get to see them but maybe two or three times during the school year.
“Being from Florida and knowing the University of Florida, we are a great source for parents when they come into town,” Graham said. “If they need someone to check on their child, we definitely have hosted kids at our homes for the holidays or just a Sunday dinner.”
Myles had a great support system, especially considering he was sidelined early into spring practices by a preexisting back injury. While he was seen at open practices, he didn’t fully participate in any drills other than some warm-ups.
“We’re three months out, and he’s participated in OTAs and is running around,” Graham said. “That’s something we have to leave up to him and the staff, but so far, everything is going as scheduled.”
Through his time sitting out, he had a couple of the upperclassmen linebackers, Derek Wingo and Shermar James, have taken him under their wing and talk him through the playbook, showing him the ropes, Graham said. The coaching staff has had many changes, but staying consistent with the program and working alongside his teammates has helped him transition smoothly.
UF lost its Strength & Conditioning coach, Craig Fitzgerald, after just a few months, leading the team to promote Tyler Miles as the new replacement.
Myles loves the transition and has not communicated that the team has missed a beat, Graham said. There has been tremendous success in the offseason.
As Myles enters his freshman season, the Gators have an established linebacker room with prominent athletes. However, the dynamic that Myles brings on the field as a freshman, it can be expected that the five-star will see some playing time during the upcoming season.
“He comes from a background where we think of things athletically,” Graham said. “For him, it’s the more you can do, the better, so he comes in every day and gives his best effort in terms of being a great teammate and building himself up in the strength and conditioning program.”
Myles shows up every day and does what the coaches ask of him, and he is always ready to compete, Graham said.
In the 2024 football season, Myles prepares to run onto the field for the first time in the swamp in an official game. He carries on a once-lived collegiate career that his father also had, but this time, his father gets to experience it all from the crowd cheering him on.
“I don’t know if I am ready for it,” Graham said. “I can’t put words to it, but I am surely looking forward to the experience.”
1 comment