Florida Gators

Jon Sumrall takes over a Florida program that has cycled through four head coaches since 2017. He brings a 43-12 career record from Troy and Tulane, where he reached conference title games twice at each stop and won at least 11 games three times. His staff hires, including offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner and defensive coordinator Brad White, signal a clear attempt to modernize both sides of the ball. Sumrall also brought strength coach Rusty Whitt, a former Green Beret, to reshape the team's culture and physical identity.

The Gators lost starting quarterback DJ Lagway to the transfer portal, leaving a competition between Aaron Philo, who followed Faulkner from Georgia Tech, and redshirt freshman Tramell Jones Jr. Philo knows Faulkner's system, but his SEC experience is limited. The offense struggled badly in 2025, scoring just one touchdown in five different losses. Faulkner's scheme, which an opposing SEC assistant called a departure from what anyone else in the conference runs, could create mismatches early. The receiving corps gets a boost from Eric Singleton Jr., who transferred from Auburn after playing for Faulkner at Georgia Tech, plus spring standout Micah Mays Jr. from Wake Forest. Running back Jadan Baugh returns as one of the SEC's top tailbacks, and Evan Pryor arrives from Cincinnati as a versatile home-run threat.

The secondary is less settled than the front seven. Redshirt freshman Ben Hanks III impressed in spring, but veterans Dijon Johnson and Cormani McClain need to find consistency. Safety Bryce Thornton is a proven playmaker, and Baylor transfer DJ Coleman adds physicality. On special teams, kicker Patrick Durkin made 25 of 28 field goals in 2025, and punter Alec Clark averaged 46.5 yards per punt, both following Sumrall from Tulane. Vernell Brown III also gives the return game a dangerous weapon.

Florida opens at home against Florida Atlantic, a game where they are heavy favorites, but the real tests come later in SEC play. The offensive line, which features transfers TJ Shanahan Jr., Harrison Moore, and Emeka Ugorji alongside returning starter Knijeah Harris, must gel quickly to protect whichever quarterback wins the job. The team's success will hinge on whether Philo or Jones can make critical throws on third down and in the red zone, areas that were problematic last season. If the front seven lives up to its billing and the offense shows improvement under Faulkner, the Gators could surprise in Sumrall's first year.