Top 25 of 2025: Sophomore Graham is a big piece of the puzzle

Please Read: Welcome to the new-look Inside the Gators

• Commitment Burn Barometer
• Mock Signing Class 5.0
• Early Entry Review: Woods’ name rang out
• Getting to Know: Daniel Pierre Louis
• Getting to Know: Onis Konanbanny
• Post-Spring/Transfer Portal Ranking of Florida position-by-position
• Getting to Know: Byron Louis
• First Five off the Bus
• 15 Pre-Spring Class of 2026 Out-of-State Names to Know
• 20 Pre-Spring Class of 2026 In-State Names to Know
• Impact Analysis: Where Florida Football Signees Come From

The summer is flying by, and the Florida Gators’ 2025 campaign is quickly approaching. As the players and coaches prepare for their August 30 kickoff against Long Island, Inside the Gators’ staff members took stock of the roster to break down our list of the ’25 most valuable players’ for the 2025 season.

It is based on who we believe are the 25 most valuable players. These are not necessarily the best players, but the most valuable in relation to the team having a successful 2025 season.

Christian Alvis, Lance Williams, and Mark Wheeler compiled their list of the 25 most valuable Florida players, combined them, assigned a point value (25 points for a #1 vote down to 1 point for a #25 vote), and here’s how the final tally worked out (ballots and points in parentheses).

Note: The ranking isn’t based on a straight points system (25 points for a #1 placement down to 1 point for a #25 placement). A consensus mattered more, so one person’s opinion didn’t carry more weight than the group as a whole. This way, a player who appears on all three ballots, but has fewer overall points, will be higher than a player who appears on two ballots with more points.

(Tie) No. 12-Myles Graham (3-ballots | 40-points)

• Position: Linebacker
• Class: Sophomore
• Size: 6-foot-1, 228-pounds

Alvis Analysis: That late-season defensive run I have been talking about had Myles Graham written all over it. He was really in a groove the last 3 games of the season, and I expect that to continue. It wouldn’t surprise me if by the end of the season, Myles is considered the best linebacker on the team. (Voted: No. 13)

Lance’s Last Word: Linebacker Myles Graham showed exponential growth during his freshman season. By the end of the year, it felt like Graham was everywhere. He was impressive in 2024, but he’ll have big shoes to fill with the departure of Shemar James. (Voted: No. 8)

On the Mark: I have already offered up my mea culpa when it comes to linebacker Myles Graham. I have an antiquated notion of what a linebacker should look like, and coming in at a little over 6-foot, and at that time looking like he might have been 210-215 pounds, I figured it would take him a while to contribute at this level. I was wrong, it didn’t. With the departure of Shemar James (another linebacker who came in a bit undersized), Graham should see much more time this season. You would like to see him make more one-on-one impact plays. A lot of his stats came via group tackling (going on a 2 1/2-to-1 assist-to-solo tackle ratio). He should get better with experience, though. (Voted: No. 17)

(Tie) No. 12-Trey Smack (3-ballots | 40-points)

• Position: Kicker
• Class: Senior
• Size: 6-foot-1, 201-pounds

Alvis Analysis: Kicker Trey Smack was very consistent last season. He made all his extra points and was 18 for 21 on his field goal attempts. There is not much else you can ask him to do, but there will be one game this season where he is called upon for a game-winning kick, and I think he will rise to the moment. (Voted: No. 25)

Lance’s Last Word: Kicker Trey Smack is essential for Florida’s success. Through his two seasons as the primary starter, Smack has proved to be one of the best kickers in the country. The Gators’ grueling schedule should result in some close games, and Smack’s leg could prove to be the difference. (Voted: No. 9)

On the Mark: As I stated with Tommy Doman a little further up this list, on a yearly basis, I have to remind the voters that they need to consider special teams players when they put together their list. When they are consistent, we tend to forget the significance they have in a game. It is when they are inconsistent or screw up completely that they get the headlines. Having said that, while I do believe that Trey Smack is a vital part of Florida’s success, I might have been in ‘make-up’ mode by ranking him as high as I did. Is he important? Yes. Is he the fourth most important? Not likely. (Voted: No. 4)

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