Linebacker Myles Graham is set to begin his sophomore season in Gainesville and the expectations are at an all-time high.
Almost immediately after enrolling at UF, Graham suffered a back injury that caused him to miss most of spring camp. Despite losing out on a significant learning and adjustment period, Graham proceeded to have a productive rookie campaign, totaling 30 tackles 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, and one forced fumble. Graham earned a spot on the Freshman All-SEC team for his efforts in 2024.
Graham, son of Gator great running back Earnest Graham, plays with a fire that we haven’t seen at the linebacker position in quite some time. It’s more than football; it’s personal.
“Being a legacy here is everything,” Graham said. “I get to put on the 5, the same number my dad wore at Florida. I have Graham on my back. So, being a legacy means everything to me. We had some speakers come in and talk to the team and they preached to us that our last name is greater than our first name. Representing that every day it means the world to me. Having that is everything to me.”
Graham leaned on his father throughout his football journey to help him get to this point. Earnest Graham is considered one of Florida’s greatest running backs, ranking third in career rushing touchdowns (33) and fifth in career rushing yards (3,065). He would go on to play eight seasons in the NFL and is now the head coach at Santa Fe High School in Alachua County.
“He taught me everything I know, honestly,” Graham said on his father. “Getting here is not something I could have done without him. One of the biggest things he teaches me, though, is to never get complacent. Never get too comfortable or stay in your comfort zone. He’s done a lot of things in his life and he’s seen guys get complacent and seen what happens. He doesn’t want that to be me. He knows I can accomplish a lot in this game and he doesn’t ever want me to get comfortable. There is always room to get better and grow.”
The 6’1, 228-pound linebacker displayed his physicality last season, particularly in run defense where he graded as Florida’s third best run defender, according to Pro Football Focus. This was instilled in Graham as an eight-year-old playing youth football against 10-year-olds.
“My dad used to call me a man amongst boys. But, in Pop Warner I started when I was about eight years old, and my dad, you know, he stressed to me about how important physicality was. He didn’t like me getting pushed around out there or anything. So he made me play up a level, you know with the bigger boys, so it paid off in the end. But it wasn’t fun at first, but you know, I got the hang of it and I started to learn the ropes of the game,” Graham said on a lesson from his father.
Graham has received high praise for his work ethic, improvement in leadership, and physicality over the offseason.
Edge rusher Tyreak Sapp raved about the second-year linebacker.
“He showed me every day that I can trust him. He comes in every day to work. He puts in the work, not just on the field, in the film room, after practice, takes care of his business, takes care of his body. I love what Miles does every day,” Sapp said on Myles. “I trust Myles when I’m out there and when we have that type of chemistry, only Lord knows how dangerous that can be.”
Fans, coaches, and teammates are anticipating a big season from Graham in year two. High expectations are nothing new for Graham as the fifth ranked linebacker in the 2024 class and the son of a Gator great.
“Pressure is a privilege, they say pressure makes diamonds, so I just listen to it, and it’s a blessing,” Graham said. “Having expectations, a lot is expected from you, so I’m going to make good on that. Every opportunity that comes my way, I’m gonna make the most of it. I’m not gonna be perfect on the field, but I’m gonna give you my all. I’m gonna give you my last, I’m gonna empty the tank every play, every game, so that it’s definitely a privilege. But I just want to make the people close to me proud, the people in this facility, the people around me, and, you know what I’m saying, everybody around me.”
Graham is just one piece to the linebacker puzzle, however. Florida returned four talented linebackers from last season including Pup Howard, Aaron Chiles, and Jaden Robinson. The Gators also welcomed two freshmen in Ty Jackson and Myles Johnson, who have received prominent feedback in recent weeks.
“We’ve got a lot of talented guys, older and younger guys. So like Jaden (Robinson) said, we have a lot of guys that could start here. We have a lot of guys that could play anywhere, honestly,” Graham said on the linebacker room. “So we’re all going to eat man. We all just want to see each other go out there and do what we do. We do have goals as a defense, and that’s just to be the best that we can be. Be the best defense, you know that the Gators can be, and we’re going to play hard, play fast, play physical. Like I said, we’re going to have to empty the tank, leave no doubt, and just play and just do what we do.”
Florida’s linebacker room could be the strength of the defense in 2025, and Graham will be a large factor as someone who plays stout run defense and has the athletic ability to drop into coverage.