It’s year 30 for the Visor and GatorFootball.com.  It’s been a wild ride, all the more due to the rollercoaster of the last 15 seasons.  Speaking of which……

Florida once again had to hit the reset button, firing Billy Napier after 4 years of incompetence and damage to the program and brand.  After an actual full-scale coaching search and multiple interviews (things that had to be forced upon AD Scott Stricklin, sadly), Jon Sumrall was hired from Tulane as the new head coach.  From the day he was introduced to Gator Nation, he has instilled more excitement into the fan base than seen in over a decade.  His coaching hires were made quickly and smartly, gathering actual professional and competent coaches that are familiar with SEC football and the southeast.  No more “coaches-in waiting” or buddies or yes-men or inexperienced Boy Blunders – the staff is now filled with experience and coaches that are aggressive on the recruiting trail.

The Gators are coming off their 4th losing season in the past 5 – a shocking and unnecessary fall from the elite circle of programs.  Napier and his band of fools were made a mockery by the college football world, and that makes Sumrall’s first 8 months of job performance all the more remarkable.  He’s already won the offseason – he was able to convince key players to return, he’s made himself publicly available to every media outlet, has bonded with his players, put together a Top 10 recruiting class for 2027, and has somehow engaged the fan base – things NEVER seen from Napier.  The entire staff knows the huge task ahead, but are attacking it wholeheartedly and with great energy.

Florida suffered some key losses due to graduation, portal departures, and the NFL Draft.  DT Caleb Banks, CB Devin Moore, C Jake Slaughter, OT Austin Barber, EDGE George Gumbs, PK Trey Smack, P Tommy Doman, QB DJ Lagway, WR Tre Wilson, RB Ja’Kobi Jackson, TE Hayden Hansen, S Jordan Castell, S Sharif Denson, DT Michael Boireau, and CB Aaron Gates all were either starters or key rotation pieces.  Florida again placed most of it’s financial resources towards retention of personnel ahead of going after even a handful of elite portal players – mostly due to the coaching change.  Importantly, the players retained include RB Jadan Baugh, EDGE Jayden Woods, and WR Dallas Wilson – potential all-SEC candidates and team leaders.

Coach Sumrall played in the SEC and has coached across the southeast.  He knows the expectations at Florida and, instead of talking about a “slow rebuild” or a “process”, has embraced those expectations and has publicly stated over and again he wants to win right now.  How and if/when that happens will be fascinating to watch. 

Offense

2025 was, to be kind, a complete crap fest on offense, mainly due to the incompetence of Napier, his inept staff, and his blind loyalty to an injured QB who played OK at best and often badly.  Now, the new staff has to try and pick up the broken pieces of what’s left over and somehow mold them into a SEC-worthy group in only a few months.  New OC Buster Faulkner and new Offensive Line coach Phil Trautwein have a huge task ahead of them.  At least their resumes to date are both excellent, so there’s hope that we will see an actual coherent scheme and smarter play in 2026.  Let’s break it down.

I’m starting with the offensive line because this unit has the most question marks and the farthest to come to allow Florida to be competitive on offense.  It’s gratifying to have a proven commodity like Coach Trautwein – a Gator alum and national champion under Urban Meyer – leading these guys.  Unfortunately, he was left with little to work with, due to a lack of talent and experience due to bad recruiting and coaching by Rob Sale, and losing C Jake Slaughter and OT Austin Barber to the NFL.  Fortunately, he was able to acquire some upgrades through the portal that will be relied upon right away.  At center, Harrison Moore came in from Georgia Tech, where he played for Faulkner and already knows the scheme and line calls.  This is hugely important to the success of the entire O-line.  Jason Zandamela will be his backup.  At guard, Trautwein has 3 guys with some experience to work with in Knijeah Harris, Roderick Kearney, and Bryce Lovett, who have all underachieved in their careers to date and have to step up their play.  TJ Shanahan portaled in from Penn St. where he played for Trautwein, and likely already has the coach’s trust.  The interior of the line should be solid, and will need to be, because the tackle position is a massive question mark and the single biggest worry on the entire roster.  The only players of note returning are Caden Jones (limited experience and not in the best shape previously) and Fletcher Westphal (highly-rated recruit who has been more a rumor than anything else after 3 tears of injuries and little impact when on the field).  Trautwein was able to get Eagan Boyer from Penn St. and Emeka Ugorji from Stanford through the portal, and both will immediately be in the rotation, despite limited experience.  After the fall scrimmages, Lovett may get first crack at LT.  Redshirt freshman TJ Dice could be in line for some reps if the others falter.  It’s a far from optimal situation, but if any coach can somehow mold these guys into something effective, it’s Trautwein.  He and Faulkner will have to coach their asses off this season to develop an offense that can compete against an SEC schedule.  The early returns in fall practice are good, as S&C Coach Rusty Whitt has whipped the holdovers into much better shape, and has all the OL looking leaner and quicker.  If this unit can just be “competent” relative to the rest of the SEC, I’ll take it.

Slightly less worrisome is the QB room.  The loss of DJ Lagway through the portal to Baylor has opened the starting QB position between holdover Tramell Jones and Georgia Tech portal transfer Aaron Philo.  This has been THE hot topic since spring practice, and the battle will continue into the fall and likely through September at least.  Philo has the advantage of knowledge of Faulkner’s system and more playing experience, while Jones has shown better physical traits and has picked up the offense quickly.  Even with Philo being named the game one starter, chances are that both get extended snaps through at least the first 2 games against weaker competition, and perhaps by then one will stand out and be named the starter before the trip to Auburn……or not.  Something tells me that we could see both playing in some capacity even into October for various reasons, including spotty play or injuries.  I hope not, but it’s possible.  True freshman Will Griffin is a highly-regarded recruit who has elite physical traits and has developed well so far, but obviously with no college experience he’ll be one of those “Break Glass in Case of Emergency” players unless the other QBs fail to perform.

Given the huge questions along the O-line and at QB, Florida is blessed with some of the best skill position talent in the country, starting at running back.  Jadan Baugh was priority one for Coach Sumrall to retain, and fortunately he was successful.  Baugh is an All-SEC and All-American candidate for 2026, and has everything you want – speed, strength, quick feet, and is an underrated receiver.  He will be the center of the offense and the focus of opposing defenses, which should help every other position group.  Baugh may also again be used on kickoff returns, although I’d prefer he not take on the additional risk.  Ja’Kobi Jackson was a solid #2 RB, but left for Ohio St.  The staff did a fine job of pivoting by getting Evan Pryor from Cincinnati and London Montgomery from East Carolina.  Both are experienced and also have some experience as kick returners, if needed.  Redshirt freshman Duke Clark flashed against Texas and F$U, and could be the surprise of the group.  One or all will need to spell Baugh and provide quality depth.  New coach Chris Foster should have some fun with this group.

The WR room could be one of the best in the country, and has generated the most buzz around the team.  New WR coach Marcus Davis is young, and will have a lot of pressure and expectations placed on him to maximize the talent at his disposal.  Dallas Wilson showed in just one game against Texas that he is elite, but injuries limited him to just parts of 3 other games.  He has the size, speed, and strength to be dominant, but must stay healthy and produce.  Vernell Brown III had his moments throughout 2025, but also was dinged up for much of the 2nd half of last season.  He’s quick and elusive, has experience in the return game if needed, and is a team leader.  The staff did really well in the portal, acquiring Eric Singleton from Auburn, Bailey Stockton from Georgia Tech, and Micah Mays from Wake Forest.  Singleton would have been a mid-round draft pick, but decided to reunite with his former OC in Faulkner to play in an offense that features his speed and open-field ability.  Stockton came to Florida with Faulkner and could be a sneaky good slot receiver that can extend drives and bail out the QBs when they are under duress.  Mays has good size and surprising speed, had an exceptional spring and Orange and Blue game, and is pushing for a starting role.  TJ Abrams is now in his 3rd year and needs to break out.  True freshmen Davian Groce and Justin Williams are excellent prospects, and one could earn some snaps this fall – right now Williams has looked the best in fall practice.  So much big-play potential in this group, but can the QBs exploit it (or be given enough time to by the O-line)?

The TE room has a lot of bodies but the most questions, and right now it would be a huge surprise if they were a major contributor to the offense.  Amir Jackson returns as the best pass catcher, but his blocking is suspect.  He is being flexed outside as a hybrid receiver in fall camp, and this may be Faulkner’s way of getting some production from him.  Luke Harpring is another GT portal acquisition that followed Faulkner to Florida.  He has familiarity with the offense, but is more of a receiving threat than a blocker.  Lacota Dippre portaled in from James Madison after their Cinderella Playoff run in 2025.  He appears to be the one person of the group that can contribute as a 3 down player – he is an accomplished blocker and a decent receiving threat with good size.  Another portal arrival is Evan Chieca, from small school New Haven.  He has good size and shown some promise as a receiver, but against far weaker competition.  Finally, true freshman Heze Kent was recruited as a TE even while playing at 310 lbs. in high school,  He actually showed good running ability at that weight, but has lost 30 pounds since arriving on campus and has shown some flashes in fall camp.  Overall it’s a group that shows more potential in the passing game, but how Faulkner eventually uses them and how much they actually contribute to a successful offense is a mystery.  New coach Evan McKissack has a huge task ahead of him to develop these guys and mold them into a functional unit.

Defense

Despite some improvement shown the last month of 2024, 2025 was another big disappointment for the defense.  There were some nice surprises, like the emergence of DE Jayden Woods and improved play from LBs Myles Graham and Aaron Chiles, but overall still too few impact players, too many missed tackles, poor safety play, and too many injuries to key players.  Similar to the offense, an almost entirely new coaching staff is in place.  The new Defensive Coordinator is Brad White, who came over from Kentucky.  His defenses were known for toughness and were zone-heavy in pass coverage, so it will be interesting to see if that toughness gets instilled quickly and if he continues to emphasize zone concepts in coverage or mixes things up more at Florida given the speedier athletes at his disposal.  The lone coaching holdover is DL Coach Gerald Chatman, which was a win for both Jon Sumrall and the Gators.  Given the questions on offense along the O-line and at QB, the defense may have to carry the load at least until October, if not most of 2026.

The defensive line has the potential to be one of the better units in the SEC, but it must stay healthier than in recent seasons.  The interior rotation at NG and Tackle will be led by redshirt juniors Brendan Bett and Jamari Lyons, along with sophomores Joseph Mbatchu and Jeramiah McCloud.  Bett was a pleasant surprise the last month of 2025, while the M&M boys were forced into the lineup as true freshmen due to injuries to others and played surprisingly well.  If Lyons is finally healthy, he can start to deliver on the promise he showed as a sophomore in 2024.  There are two intriguing portal transfers in DJ Kalu form Baylor and Emmanuel Oyebadejo from Jacksonville St.  Kalu could be a key depth piece in the middle, while EO is a freak athlete at 6’6″ and 300 lbs. that could be an impact player at either tackle or even DE on passing downs.  There is enough talent and depth for this group to win in the SEC.  The DE and JACK positions are led by Woods, but he has some legit help this season with the return of LJ McCray from injury, along with Kamran James and true freshman KJ Ford.  Woods is receiving preseason notice nationally, McCray looks stronger, faster, and healthier than at any time since his arrival in 2024, James is a solid contributor, and Ford has flashed so much promise in both spring and fall practices that he will be in the rotation right away.  Coach Chatman is a proven developer of talent, and this group could be especially nasty on passing downs, with so many guys able to slide between positions inside and outside.

The LB corps could be the best one in Gainesville since 2019, and will be relied upon to elevate the entire defense.  The aforementioned Graham and Chiles are the leaders going into their junior seasons.  Both have proven themselves in the SEC with the size and occasional coverage ability needed to be a big piece of an effective defense.  Myles Johnson has impressed in practice with his offseason development paired with elite speed and is pushing for more snaps. Senior Jaden Robinson and sophomore Ty Jackson should be solid rotation/depth pieces.  With the expected improved play from the D-line, this unit has the opportunity to really shine.  This group must stay healthy, as there is little experience behind the guys mentioned here.  New coaches Greg Gasparato and Gator alumnus Bam Hardmon have their work cut out for them teaching the new schemes and trying to develop depth.

The secondary is similar to the D-line in terms of potential combined with the hope for good health.  There were some good moments last season, but injuries gutted various positions and it was a very young and makeshift group by season’s end.  Those misfortunes did provide opportunities for some freshmen to get extended playing time the last month, and that could pay huge dividends in 2026.  New coaches Brandon Harris (Cornerbacks) and Chris Collins (Safeties) seem to have injected some real juice into their units, and they have some legit talent to work with.  At CB, there’s a mix of old and new.  Redshirt juniors Cormani McClain and Dijon Johnson are likely at the top of the depth chart.  Both are capable SEC-level players that have had their moments, but both have struggled with injuries and must take a leadership role.  They are followed closely by sophomores J’Vari Flowers and Gator legacy Ben Hanks III.  Both were forced into extended action the last 4 games of 2025 as true freshmen, and they embraced the challenge while showing real promise for the future.  Both showed rapid improvement despite some missed assignments (which were to be expected) and that experience has them right in the mix for big roles in the rotation.  Jordy Lowery portaled in from East Carolina and is the most experienced backup as a 5th-year senior.  The STAR position appears to be a battle between redshirt sophomore Kanye Clark (portal from UCLA) and JUCO transfer Elijah Owens (Mississippi Gulf Coast).  Clark has the edge in high-level experience, and has impressed in practice and in the S&C program.  Owens was familiar to coaches White and Collins when they recruited him while at Kentucky.  He has a larger physical presence, but lacks P4-level experience.  This position has question marks, and could see one or more of the CBs or safeties get involved based on early performance.  The safety position has been a real struggle at Florida since 2016, and perhaps there finally is enough talent and depth here to provide the last level of defense that’s been sorely lacking.  There appears to be a solid 4-man rotation among returning starter Bryce Thornton, portal transfers DJ Coleman (Baylor) and Cam Dooley (Kentucky), and sophomore Lagonza Hayward, another freshman thrown into the fire last season due to injuries to others.  There is enough experience, speed, and physicality here to appear SEC-ready.  Redshirt senior Alfonzo Allen Jr. was an afterthought for most of his career until being forced into duty the last half of 2025, and he had his moments as a fierce tackler and vocal leader, despite coverage limitations.  Sophomore Drake Stubbs played mostly on special teams last season, and is likely just a depth piece barring a rash of injuries to the others.  It will be very interesting to see if Coach White stays with his zone coverage scheme for the most part, especially with this being a new system for the secondary to learn.

Special Teams

No more “Gamechangers”, no more 12 men on the field, no more “2 players with identical numbers on the field”.  Despite the loss to the NFL of both PK Trey Smack and punter Tommy Doman, the outlook for special teams is promising.  Sumrall and new ST coach Johnathan Galante were able to get both PK Patrick Durkin and punter Alec Clark to transfer in from Tulane.  That familiarity should prove valuable, but both also had excellent seasons in 2025.

Galante’s main task is to unlock the return game by identifying the kickoff and punt returners – he has a plethora of elite athletic talent to choose from.  My hope is that Jaden Baugh isn’t used due to the unnecessary injury risk.  The talent pool of VB3, Singleton, Abrams, and Lloyd, along with true freshmen Groce and Williams, should be more than enough to provide the explosiveness missing more often than not in the return game for too many years.  There is now enough roster depth to ensure continued excellent kickoff and punt coverage units.

Coach Sumrall has injected himself into coaching the special teams, showing his acknowledgement of their importance and also getting the attention of the players.  It’s not just lip service – he’s running drills with the players and coaching them up.  It reminds me (again) of Urban Meyer’s days in Gainesville, when he prioritized elite special teams.

Schedule and Outlook

The 2026 schedule marks the start of the SEC’s new 9-game conference schedule, meaning the grind for any SEC team becomes even more challenging.  Every team’s schedule is hard – the only difference now is in just how hard based on the luck of your draw.  Florida comes off relatively better this season, getting 3 road games against opponents facing major coaching and/or roster turnover, and replacing Miami with a FCS opponent.  Jon Sumrall is a SEC alum and knows what to expect.  He also has a coaching staff that is actually professional and competent.  We should expect many fewer on-field gaffes along with actual in-game coaching adjustments.  Barring a rash of injuries, the schedule is as manageable as could be hoped, and far less daunting than recent seasons.

Florida Atlantic – Win

New coaching staff, better coaching staff, better defense, a functional Offensive Coordinator, real juice and excitement around the program again……all lead to a big win.  It may be a little spotty on offense at times as the new QBs get settled and the new offensive scheme is installed, but the Gators are much better than the in-state Owls – even if the FAU roster is filled with Florida kids that want to look good against Florida.  

Campbell – Win

The Camels  – one hump or two? – come to Gainesville for a big paycheck and an even bigger beatdown.  The team from a small private Christian university in North Carolina will be thrown to the proverbial lions, or in this case, Gators.  This is nothing but a glorified scrimmage, and the only things I’ll want to see are plenty of second- and third-team players getting snaps by the second half and – especially against this opponent – NO INJURIES.

@Auburn – Win

These programs have been similar in the wrong ways recently – poor coaching, poor records, exasperated fan bases.  The new head coaches have faced each other from their previous jobs.  Alex Golesh got the Auburn job primarily off of his win at Florida while at USF last season, but he won’t be facing a useless opposing head coach this time.  It’s the first road game and SEC game, and Jordan-Hare Stadium at night can be a tough place to play.  I’m banking on the new Gator staff plus, frankly, the better roster, to pull out a close win.  This game could be a huge momentum boost for the winner.

Mississippi – Loss

Even if Florida is coming off of a big road win and back home, the Rebels have a big edge at QB with Trinidad Chambliss and the experience of making it to the Playoff semifinals last season.  Yes, Lane Kiffin and his elite offensive playcalling are gone to LSU, but I’m just not sure if the Gators are ready to put together consecutive big efforts this early under the new regime.  Ole Miss also returns many starters and offensive skill players.  This game likely stays close until the end.  

@Missouri – Win

The Tigers have – sadly – been a thorn in the side for the Gators far too often since they joined the SEC.  Missouri lost a lot of talent to graduation and the NFL, and I believe will take a step back in 2026.  Columbia is a weird place to play, and many SEC teams have struggled there.  Here’s hoping that Coach Sumrall and his staff find a way to get the win.

South Carolina (Homecoming) – Win

The Gamecocks fell flat last season after coming into the season with high hopes – similar to what befell the Gators.  Coach Shane Beamer is on the hot seat, and will ride or die with QB LaNorris Sellers, who struggled badly last season and looks to prove the NFL talk wasn’t just hype.  It’s desperation time for Carolina, and this game could easily be decided late.  This is a huge game for Florida, coming before the toughest stretch of the schedule.

@Texas – Loss

The Longhorns were a major disappointment in 2025 despite winning 9 games.  They fell short of the Playoff and along the way suffered the indignity of losing to Billy Napier at the Swamp.  Coach Steve Sarkisian went all-in for 2026 with a lot of quality portal additions, and hopes that provides enough talent to surround overhyped QB Arch Manning and make a run at the National Championship. That’s the expectation in Austin this season, and, while I’m not sure they’ll succeed, they have enough firepower at home to win this game.  It will take a near-perfect game from the Gators along with winning the turnover battle to pull off an upset.

Bye Week

Georgia (Atlanta) – Loss

Florida travels to Atlanta this year to play the Bulldogs, while the Jacksonville Jaguars renovate their stadium.  You can easily cut-and-paste most of what I said about Texas and apply it to Georgia’s 2025 season, except the Bulldogs managed to sneak into the Playoff – just to lose in a regular-season rematch against Ole Miss.  UGA should again have a tough defense, but will need their QB play to improve to make another Playoff run.  I think the continuity of Kirby Smart’s coaching tenure and recruiting will be too much to overcome, even though there have been many surprises in this rivalry game.  The game being so close to the Georgia campus will have their fan base hyped.

Oklahoma – Loss

Florida will be looking to bounce back after two tough losses, and it won’t be easy facing the Sooners – even with the game at home.  Oklahoma made their own Playoff run in 2025 and are looking for more in 2026 after losing in the 1st round at home to Alabama.  They will be led by QB John Mateer, who played most of last season with an injured hand.  Head Coach Brent Venables is known as a defensive coach, and his defense could pose serious issues for the Gator offense – especially the O-line.  My guess is that this new road venue, along with the Swamp crowd, could be enough for Florida to pull off a close win, but the Gators come up just short in another tight game. 

@Kentucky – Win

Florida has stumbled too many times since 2021 against the Wildcats, and that trend needs to end now.  Kentucky fired Mark Stoops and brought in alleged offensive wizard Will Stein to revitalize the offense and the program.  He’s talking a big game about how he’s the man, and that won’t play well against SEC foes.  They suffered a huge roster turnover after last season, along with some key losses to the NFL.  Their program rebuild is bigger than Florida’s and likely takes much more time.  I’ll go with the Gators in this one even after playing such a tough stretch of games prior.

Vanderbilt – Win

Huge props to Coach Clark Lea for what he’s done in Nashville.  The Commodores are coming off of the best season in program history in 2025, winning 10 regular season games and actually mentioned in Playoff talk until November.  Enjoy it Vandy fans, because the fall back to earth is gonna be a long and painful one.  The loss of Heisman finalist QB Diego Pavia, a few NFL draft picks, and a large number of key players to graduation means it’s major rebuild time.  Florida should win this one comfortably, barring a huge mental letdown after the previous 4 tough games.

@Florida $tate – Win

The Seminoles are in a world of hurt right now, and I relish it.  Coach Mike Norvell is only around due to his prohibitive contract buyout, their recent recruiting classes have been terrible, the luck of winning due to portal acquisitions ran out 2 years ago, and their fan base is apoplectic.  Even by the end of another rugged SEC season, Florida should have more than enough in the tank to win in Taliban City again and potentially send Norvell packing.  The game will be on Friday afternoon instead of Saturday, which should allow for an even faster case of indigestion for F$U’s faithful the day after Thanksgiving.

Overall Record          8-4

SEC Record              5-4

“You can’t hide in the SEC, and any good (or bad) will be exposed quickly.  There is no more time for slow starts and glacial improvement – Florida must come out of the box hard and fast, and keep going.  The season could go a lot of ways, and we’re about to see where.  I believe winning 8 games would be a good enough season for Napier to keep his job, and even allow for continued recruiting success.  Getting to 9 or more wins would actually get the fan base excited again and make some ripples nationally.  We will see after 2025 is over if it’s all of Gator Nation pulling one way, or Gator Nation v. Napier Nation – again.”

That was my closing paragraph in last year’s season preview.  Pretty accurate, and that last sentence said it all.  At least Napier is long gone, and we can only hope Jon Sumrall, along with the new staff and roster makeover, can begin to remove the stench and stain left behind by that group of loser coaches.  The schedule should allow for a fast start and easing in the new offensive and defensive schemes.  The overall roster looks solid despite some weaker units, but that’s where the new staff can help cover for some shortcomings.  We should expect far fewer self-inflicted wounds due to bad coaching and sloppy play, and – quite frankly – a physically weaker and out of shape team.  These upgrades alone will give the team more opportunities to win.  

Sumrall said it in his opening press conference and repeatedly in the offseason – Florida already has everything it needs in place to become a winning program and Playoff contender.  Having played in the SEC, he knows exactly what to expect, and embraces the challenge.  He wants to win immediately – no soft talk about long-term building and a “process”.  That aggressiveness should transfer to his players, who have to be delighted at the new regime and the outlook their head coach espouses.

Sumrall reminds me very much of Urban Meyer when he first arrived at Florida.  The results may never be the same, but Sumrall “gets it”, and is smart enough to give the program every chance he can to return to it’s winning ways.

It’s that time again……Heeeeeeeeeeeere come the Gators!