In a Florida season filled with inconsistencies and disappointments, one thing that has stayed true is Myles Graham’s performance. Graham, who has been one of the few bright spots for the Gators, is the unofficial captain of his defense, helping lead Florida back to being one of the top units in the conference.
When former Gators linebacker Shemar James left for the NFL, Florida needed a replacement leader to wear the green dot for the 2025 season. It went with a sophomore, Graham, to take on the role. Graham appeared in all 13 games last season, recording 30 total tackles, nine solo, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, a sack, an interception and one forced fumble, all to earn Freshman All-SEC honors.
But with the new role in hand, Graham has continued to elevate his game making a big year-two jump this season. Through 10 games, Graham tallied a team-high 60 total tackles, 32 solo, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, one sack and four pass breakups. The second-year linebacker has received credit for being a leader on-and-off the field with how he conducts himself and represents the program.
While Florida’s defense has been its strength, the unit had a disastrous outing two weeks ago at Kentucky. Florida gave up 38 points and 401 total yards of offense, with 233 coming on the ground.
Florida could not get off the field, allowing Kentucky to go 10 of 15 on third and fourth down. After the game, Graham expressed his frustration with the performance.
“It’s really embarrassing, and I did not know we were going to come out and play like that. I’m really blindsided just like everybody else is,” he said. “We got to look in the mirror, and we got to do better. That’s completely unacceptable, and that’s not the Gator standard.”
Determined to bounce back, Graham elevated his game last week when Florida visited Ole Miss. Florida did not get the result it was looking for, losing 34-24, but the defense looked improved from a week prior.
The Gators made two goal-line stands, added an interception and gave Florida’s struggling attack a chance against one of the top scoring offenses in the nation. While the Gators didn’t score in the second half, Graham’s performance was stellar. He finished with nine total tackles, a sack, two tackles-for-loss and two quarterback hurries.
“Myles Graham played exceptional,” interim coach Billy Gonzales said. “He was all over the field. He was a physical force.”
Linebacker Aaron Chiles seemed unsurprised by Graham’s performance, crediting it to his work ethic and preparation. He talked about how Graham embraces playing “hard-nosed football” and shows his toughness by not shying away from contact.
With Florida firing Billy Napier in October, every player knows a new coaching staff will be arriving soon. The circumstances can raise questions about who is committed to a program and who will enter the transfer portal shortly after Florida hires its new coach, per new NCAA rules.
But as the season winds down and Florida is no longer bowl eligible, it might seem like players could be losing interest. Chiles believed the opposite, and explained that Graham has made it clear to Florida’s defense that winning for Florida’s upperclassmen is priority No. 1.
“We’re really focused on finishing the season,” Chiles said. “When that stuff comes, it’s going to come. But I would say, right now, the talk is [about] finishing strong for our seniors and winning these next two games.”
