Offense
The quarterback position seems to belong to Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo. He comes to Gainesville along with new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner. Philo knows his system and it should be a seamless transition. Tramell Jones Jr. will also compete for the QB1 job.
The running back room returns one of the SEC’s top backs in Jadan Baugh. Last season, Baugh rushed for 1,170 yards and 8 touchdowns. The additions of Landon Montgomery (East Carolina) and Evan Pryor (Cincinnati) are massive. Pryor is a home-run threat as a runner and receiver.
The wide receiver room returns some experience in Vernell Brown III, Dallas Wilson, and TJ Abrams. The additions of Ace Ciongoli (Indiana), Eric Singelton Jr (Auburn), Bailey Stockton (Georgia Tech), Micah Mays Jr. (Wake Forest), Jaylen Lloyd (Oklahoma State), and tight end Luke Harping (Georgia Tech), among others, are big.
The offensive line room returns experience in Caden Jones, Knijeah Harris, Bryce Lovett, and Jason Zandamela. The additions of Harrison Moore (Georgia Tech), Emeka Ugorji (Stanford), Eagan Boyer (Penn State), and TJ Shanahan Jr. (Penn State) are absolutely massive for this unit.
Defense
The defensive line room has a ton of potential. LJ McCray, Jeremiah McCloud, Brendan Bett, Kamran James, and Joseph Mbatchou, among others, are returnees. The additions of Mason Clinton (Southern Miss), Emmanuel Oyebadejo (Jacksonville State), and DK Kalu (Baylor) provide added depth.
The linebacker room returns experience in Jaden Robinson, Myles Graham, Aaron Chiles, Jayden Woods, Ty Jackson, and Myles Johnson, among others. The addition of TJ Bullard (UCF) provides depth. A shift to a 3-4 scheme provides this group a lot of opportunities.
The secondary room returns experience in Bryce Thornton, Dijon Johnson, and Cormoni McClain, among others. Ben Hanks III could be a future star as well. The additions of Jordy Lowery (East Carolina), Cam Dooley (Kentucky), Kanye Clark (UCLA), and DJ Coleman (Baylor) are massive.
Specialists
Both kicker Patrick Durkin and punter Alec Clark follow Jon Sumrall to Gainesville from Tulane. Each is fantastic and could be future Lou Groza and Ray Guy Award finalists.
2026 Schedule
- 9/5 Florida Atlantic
- 9/12 Campbell
- 9/19 at Auburn
- 9/26 Ole Miss
- 10/3 at Missouri
- 10/10 South Carolina
- 10/17 at Texas
- 10/31 vs Georgia in Atlanta, GA
- 11/7 Oklahoma
- 11/14 at Kentucky
- 11/21 Vanderbilt
- 11/28 at Florida State
Final Analysis
We all know Florida has everything you need to be successful. It seems they finally hired the right man for the job in Jon Sumrall. He has won a lot at Troy and Tulane. He hired a fantastic staff that should help get this program back to being a contender soon enough. In 2026, expect nothing short of a bowl game.
