GAINESVILLE, Fla. — There’s Myles Graham, in the middle of Florida’s defense, making another stop. There he is again, seated next to quarterback DJ Lagway, answering pointed questions as a young team leader following the loss at LSU. Hey, look at Graham over there, grilling outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on a sunny afternoon with UF legend Danny Wuerffel as part of a recent Kingsford commercial shoot.

Graham has quickly transitioned from a talented prospect to an emerging star for the Gators.

“It’s a blessing,” he said. “I got my feet wet last year, so I’m getting more reps this year, and I’m just building off of what I started. I’m just getting better every game, stacking [plays] each and every game.”

Of course, Florida fans know Graham is not your typical up-and-comer trying to carve out a name for himself. Graham’s connection to his No. 5 Orange & Blue jersey runs in the family. His father, former UF and NFL running back Earnest Graham, is the fourth all-time leading rusher in school history (3,085 yards from 1999-2002).

Myles Graham grew up around the game and, as a senior, transferred to Gainesville’s Buchholz High, a few miles from the UF campus. His father is in his first season as head coach at Santa Fe High School. Their bond was built around the game, and the Gators are a massive part of their story.

Myles, in his first season as a starter, is doing his part to continue the family legacy.

“My dad used to call me a man amongst boys out there,” Myles said. “He stressed to me about how important physicality was. He didn’t like me getting pushed around. He even played me a level up. It paid off, but it wasn’t fun at first.”

In last week’s loss at LSU, Graham turned in arguably his best performance yet, registering four tackles, one for loss, and two pass breakups. More than that, he set the tone physically at linebacker in a UF defensive performance that held the third-ranked Tigers to 316 yards and 10 first downs.

The 6-foot-1, 228-pound Graham is never the biggest player on the field, but good luck in trying to find anyone who plays tougher.

“He’s strong, fast,” said teammate George Gumbs Jr. “He can do a lot of things.”

“Superstar potential,” added fifth-year senior Tyreak Sapp. “That guy’s a dude.”

Graham leads the Gators with 17 tackles entering Saturday night’s showdown at fourth-ranked Miami. Eleven of the stops are solo, and he has two tackles-for-loss and a pair of quarterback hurries.

But as promising as his play has been, Graham’s talent stretches into the huddle and locker room. He turned 20 last month, but sounds and acts much older. In the aftermath of the loss at LSU, Graham reminded you of a 10-year NFL veteran after a disappointing loss in the Super Bowl.

“His parents have done a great job exposing him to things,” Gators head coach Billy Napier said this week. “He’s extremely intelligent. He’s a product of that, how he was raised and the people he’s been around.”

Graham made a favorable impression as soon as he joined the team.

“He’s just a pro,” veteran safety Jordan Castell said.

Graham committed to the Gators in 2022 as a junior at Woodward Academy in Atlanta. He moved to Florida and played at Buchholz to enroll early at UF in January 2024.

Gumbs arrived at UF at the same time, a transfer from Northern Illinois. It didn’t take long for Gumbs, whose path to recognition on the field differed significantly from Graham’s, to notice that his new teammate had an all-business approach.

“He’s got a very big work ethic,” Gumbs said. “During the offseason, I worked with him a lot, so just gelling with him and growing with him, I see how he’s motivated and how he gets after things. And it’s no surprise how successful he is.”

Graham made his collegiate debut as a reserve last season against Miami. He gets another shot at the Hurricanes on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium.

Graham vowed, following last week’s loss, that the Gators could turn it around. They will need to play better, but Graham’s background and historical knowledge of the program drive him to do his part.

“The passion just means more when you grow up watching this university through the ups and downs,” Graham said in preseason camp. “You just want to be up at the mountain top again, so you give it your all every single day.”

 

Graham started to flash his potential late last season as a true freshman. He had a sack against Georgia, forced a fumble at Texas, and in Florida’s win over Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl, Graham had an interception.

He put in the work in the offseason, and it’s shown up in Florida’s first three games.

“He’s got that physicality, that edge, that competitive spirit,” Napier said. “He’s improving his skill level, his football intelligence, his role on the team as a leader, a communicator. He can play football.”

As the Gators seek to reverse their fortunes, Graham not only looks to his father for advice but to Brandon Spikes, the program’s director of player development. Spikes is one of the greatest linebackers in school history and a role model for Graham.

Based on Graham’s increased role, he has listened to what Spikes told him before the season.

“Spikes says, ‘We’re not lacking in talent.’ He says we’re lacking in leadership,” Graham said. “We need more vocal leaders, and that’s something I’m working on.”

Graham has been a bright spot for the 1-2 Gators. Florida’s defense has surrendered just two touchdowns and is ranked 23rd nationally in rushing defense and 28th overall.

Myles Graham is the present and future. He is just getting started. To help him find his way, he often thinks about the past.

“Being a legacy [player] here is everything,” he 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.”