Florida lands Ivy League DPOY Joey Slackman from Penn

Field Level Media|published: 12/17/2023, 9:26pm EST

Nov 18, 2023; Columbia, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Florida Gators helmet against the Missouri Tigers prior to a game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. credits: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Penn defensive tackle Joey Slackman announced Sunday night he is transferring to Florida.

It's a big get for the Gators' defense, as Slackman won the Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League's Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. Slackman tallied 50 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, four sacks, four hurries and a blocked field goal over just nine games.

Slackman has one more year of NCAA eligibility.

"It was the place where I felt like every aspect of myself as a player and a person could be developed," Slackman said in a statement to ESPN. "Getting to the draft next year is a goal of mine — obviously winning comes first — and Florida is a place where I feel like I can get everything out of a place and give everything I have to a place in a year."

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, Slackman had 115 tackles (25 for loss) and 11 sacks in 28 games over the past three seasons with the Quakers.

—Field Level Media