Micah Handlogten was one of the more inspiring stories from Florida’s National Championship season. The 7’1 center was not supposed to play after suffering a gruesome leg injury during the SEC Championship game vs. Auburn on March 17th, 2024.
The plan was for Handlogten to medically redshirt, giving him ample time to recover and get his body back in playing condition. But as the 2024-25 season progressed and the Gators’ appeared to be a legitimate contender, Handlogten made the unselfish decision to return for his teammates despite already missing more than half the season, providing Florida with much needed depth after a pair of injuries to their front court.
It’s safe to say the move paid off for both parties. Florida won 15 of the 16 games Handlogten played in including the final 12 contests of the season. Handlogten played in all six of the NCAA Tournament games, combining for 16 points, 25 rebounds, and six assists. In the National Championship victory over Houston, Handlogten recorded two points, four rebounds, two assists, and one block.
Handlogten’s unselfishness led him to a memory that will last a lifetime.
“I mean I can’t really put it into words,” Handlogten said. “Obviously I’ve been very open about my faith through all my interviews and such, so just to put my faith and God and have it all come out to be what it ended up being, it means the world and I can’t really put it into words.”
One moment that stood out over everything else: Handlogten seeing his parents on the court after claiming the program’s third National Championship.
“Definitely hugging my dad after,” Handlogten said. “Just seeing him, I’ve never seen my dad cry one time before, just being able to see him, how proud he was and how happy he was, just being able to be there with him, and just be in the moment with him was awesome.”
After a few weeks of celebration, it was time for Handlogten to get back in the gym. Although the Lake Norman, North Carolina native was back on the court at 100%, he had work to do to prepare for next season.
“It was more just trying to get back into shape, trying to lose a couple of the body fat percentages that I had,” Handlogten said.
As one could expect, Handlogten wasn’t in the best condition after such a lengthy recovery. A successful offseason cut Handlogten’s body fat percentage in half entering the 2025-26 season.
“I think I was up to 17 or 18 percent body fat, which for me is just not very sustainable. I was able to get down to nine percent, which is really big for me as far as mobility goes, so just trying to improve my body like that,” Handlogten said.
“I’m hovering right around 260 right now, feeling strong, feeling mobile, which is the biggest thing for me as I wanted to gain strength but keep my mobility, so just to have that now it feels really good.
Florida held an open practice for the media on Tuesday, where Handlogten appeared to be in the best shape of his playing career, displaying improvements in speed, conditioning, and strength. Handlogten started his journey at UF holding 230 pounds; he’s up to 260 pounds and carrying the weight with ease.
”I definitely can hold my own a lot more, under the basket and with other bigger guys,” Handlogten said. “Like I said, just being able to hold my own but also being able to move like I did before was a really big key for me.”
It’s unclear what role the senior center will have this upcoming season. The Gators returned center Rueben Chinyelu, who started all 40 games in the National Championship season. Although, it’s important to remember that Handlogten was the starter prior to Chinyelu’s arrival.
“I’m so excited. I mean the spirit of competition is what makes people great,” Handlogten said on contending for a starting spot. “To have a great center in Rueben, I mean we compete for minutes each and every day on the court, it’s a blessing. You have someone that’s an All-SEC caliber big that you go against every day at practice, you’re gonna get better. You guys go against each other, iron sharpens iron, we’re both making each other better and it’s going to be better for the season.”
Outside of his physical improvements, Handlogten is looking to expand his arsenal offensively.
“I’m definitely looking to add a little bit more scoring moves,” Handlogten said. “I was a good passer growing up, tried to set the tone defensively and through play making, so I want to kind of build off that and expand my game a little more offensively.”
Handlogten is in the best shape of his life and looks poised for a productive senior campaign.
Stay tuned at Gator Country for insider updates at Florida’s Thursday practice.