Florida
Florida Gators Freshman Linebacker Myles Graham will Blaze His Own Trail
Recently, the term nepotism in sports climbed back into the consciousness with the Los Angeles Lakers’ drafting LeBron James’ son, Bronny. Yet, people forget the actual offspring of athletes that carve their own path.
Florida Gators freshman linebacker Myles Graham intends to blaze his own trail. The son of a former Gator standout, the younger Graham wants to chase his own destiny. While extremely thankful for his lineage, Myles Graham wants to compete as a Gator under his own terms.
Escaping the Shadow
Graham’s father, Earnest, played five seasons in Gainesville, totaling 3,085 rushing yards and thirty-three touchdowns on the ground. The elder Graham excelled as Gator, before enjoying an eight-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In life, few players enjoy the ability to play high school, college, and professional football within a three-hour drive. Earnest Graham played with a hard-charging, unrelenting style that fought for every yard and wore down opposing defenses. Currently, he ranks fourth in rushing yards and touchdowns. Plus, he stands sixth yards from scrimmage. Now, he patiently waits for his son to step into The Swamp.
New Path
Unlike his father, Myles Graham competes on the defensive side of the ball. As a linebacker, the younger Graham chooses to stop running backs and hopefully make splash plays in the passing game. After spurning other offers, everyone anticipated his commitment to the University of Florida.
However, he will need to earn his spot and playing time. Legacy players see the field in The Swamp, if they can actually play. The name on the helmet supersedes the one on the jersey. Plus, the elder Graham, a former head football coach, understands the work needed to not only see the field but consistently play at a high level. Using his speed and nose for the ball will endear him to both coaches and the fanbase.
Roadblock
As mentioned, no one on the Gators’ staff will hand Myles Graham a starting job. In fact, other talented linebackers stand in the way between him and a starting spot. More importantly, he missed the remainder of spring practice with back surgery.
The injury predates his time at Florida, so taking care of it now sounds like the better idea, instead of waiting. Now, Graham will need to not only recover but get up to speed quickly, if he wants to see the field for any amount of time this season.
Overview
Myles Graham will start his Gators journey with a fight. Other linebackers and potential subpackages along with surgery recovery prevent him from ascending to the starting spot. Yet, with a father in his corner that understands the process and the long game, patience and preparation will make him a far better player. Granted, he stands the chance to emerge from his father’s immense shadow and be Myles Graham, not just Earnest’s son.
The future of Florida’s new congressional map is now in the hands of a Leon County judge after attorneys for voting rights groups and the state squared off in court over whether the redistricting plan is unconstitutional. FOX 13’s Aaron Mesmer reports.
Plans for a new Wawa to open in Port St. Lucie were approved.
A new Wawa fuel station and convenience store will open in Port St. Lucie now that the plans have been approved.
The Wawa will be at the corner of Village Parkway and Becker Road in front of the Lowe’s which is expected to open in the summer of 2026, according to the city’s website.
The plans for a Wawa convenience store and eight fuel pumps were submitted to the city Dec. 3, 2025.
What will go in Port St. Lucie’s Southern Grove?
The plans for the Shoppes at Southern Grove show there will be a new Lowe’s store and six additional outparcels.
The six additional outparcels include the following:
- Gas station: 5,915 square feet
- Outparcel A: 1.2 acres
- Outparcel B: 1.14 acres
- Outparcel C: 1.83 acres
- Outparcel D: 1.04 acres
- Outparcel E: 1.02 acres
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
SUNRISE, Fla. – Five Florida Panthers players and five staff members will represent their home countries at the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship, taking place May 15 through May 31 in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland. Games will be broadcast on NHL Network in the United States.
Marek Alscher, 22, will represent Czechia at the IIHF World Championship for the first time. He previously played for his home country at the 2024 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship, skating in seven games to help the Czechs capture the bronze medal over Finland. Alscher made his NHL debut with the Panthers in 2025-26, notching three assists over four games played. He also skated in 52 American Hockey League (AHL) games with Florida’s affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, recording 11 points (3-8-11).
Aleksander Barkov, 30, missed the 2026 Winter Olympic Games due to injury but had been named to Finland’s preliminary roster in June of 2025. He previously earned a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games alongside current Panthers assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu, and earned a silver medal representing his home country at the 2016 IIHF Men’s World Championship. At the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, Barkov served as captain of Finland.
Anton Lundell, 24, will be participating in his second IIHF World Championship after earning a silver medal with Finland in 2021, where he posted seven points (4-3-7) in 10 games as a 19-year-old. He helped Finland capture the bronze medal at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games this season and previously earned gold at the 2019 IIHF U20 WJC and 2018 IIHF U18 WJC, as well as a bronze medal at the 2021 U20 WJC.
Sandis Vilmanis, 22, will represent Latvia at the IIHF World Championship for the first time in his career. He played for Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in February as well as at the 2022, 2023 and 2024 IIHF U20 World Junior Championships, serving as an alternate captain in 2024 where he produced four points (2-2-4) over five games. Vilmanis made his NHL debut with the Panthers in 2025-26, logging five points (3-2-5) in 19 games with Florida while compiling 38 points (17-21-38) in 48 American Hockey League (AHL) contests with the Panthers affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.
Matthew Tkachuk, 28, will attempt to become the first American to join the Triple Gold Club (Stanley Cup, World Championship Gold Medal and Olympic Gold Medal), as well as the first player in NHL history to win all three parts of the Triple Gold Club within a 12-month span. This will be Tkachuk’s first time participating in the IIHF World Championship.
In addition to his 2026 Olympic gold medal, Tkachuk also earned gold representing the United States at the 2015 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship and the 2014 U17 World Hockey Challenge, as well as a bronze medal at the 2016 IIHF U20 WJC. He served as alternate captain for the U.S. at the 2026 Olympics and 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.
Florida will have four staff members representing the United States. Panthers Assistant General Manager Brett Peterson is serving as General Manager for the second time after holding the position in 2024. Panthers Head Equipment Manager Teddy Richards will serve as equipment manager and Florida’s Head Athletic Trainer Dave DiNapoli will work as athletic trainer. Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Bill Zito will serve on the Advisory Group.
Panthers Assistant General Manager Gregory Campbell will assist with evaluating and selecting players for Canada.
Panthers fans can stay up to date on all the Cats’ representatives at the 2026 IIHF World Championships at FloridaPanthers.com/WorldChampionship.
2026-27 Florida Panthers Territory Memberships are available now! Click here to learn more. For all the latest in Panthers news, concerts and events at Amerant Bank Arena & FTL War Memorial, sign up for ’93 Society newsletter and receive information straight to your inbox. Visit FloridaPanthers.com or SeatGeek.com for all ticketing needs.
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