The week leading up to the 2026 Senior Bowl is upon us, and practices have already kicked off, with some players gaining even more respect and others taking a misstep or two.
In attendance are four former Florida Gators: offensive linemen Austin Barber and Jake Slaughter, as well as defensive linemen Caleb Banks and Tyreak Sapp.
In a moment that could feed Florida fans for the rest of the offseason, two of those former Gators went head-to-head in the first day of practice.
Jake Slaughter and Caleb Banks go head-to-head
Yes, this probably happened fairly frequently during Florida football practices, but fans don't get to sit on the sidelines and watch their favorite players line up against each other every day.
So, when a video of Slaughter and Banks lining up across from each other during the first day of Senior Bowl practices, Gator fans ate it up. Not to mention, former Florida lineman Trevor Sikkema was in attendance for Pro Football Focus, and people jokingly said he was just about to suit up himself.
Jake Slaughter against Caleb Banks.
— Max Chadwick (@CFBMaxChadwick) January 27, 2026
Gator on Gator. @TampaBayTre almost hopped in too pic.twitter.com/5VUo5c81gf
Slaughter just spent five years with the Gators, utilizing his redshirt season in 2021, but rapidly became the starting center during his third year in Gainesville.
After starting his collegiate career with the Louisville Cardinals, Banks transferred to Florida and quickly became a star, but struggled to maintain his health during the 2025 season, suffering multiple injuries that kept him sidelined.
While clips of Barber and Sapp have yet to go viral, the first day of the week-long show leading up to the Senior Bowl is already paying dividends for the former Gators, who are looking to boost their stock in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.