The Florida Gators don't seem to have the attention of the national media just yet.
The Florida Gators have certainly been very active in the transfer portal, landing 28 players this winter. Of course, they've also lost 34, which is to be expected with a new head coach now at the helm.
Jon Sumrall has gotten rave reviews from most work his work in the portal, with On 3 going as far to place Florida 12th in its transfer portal rankings.
The Gators are expected to be better in Sumrall's first season in 2026, so there is some hype in Gainesville right now. But is Florida good enough to actually make any noise in the SEC next year?
Well, ESPN's Mark Schlabach doesn't seem to believe so, as he left the Gators out of his way-too-early top 25 for the 2026 campaign.
That begs the question: is Florida being disrespected here? Or is Schlabach actually spot on in his assessment?
Let me say this: it's hard to put the Gators in the top 25 after they went just 4-8 last season and have posted four losing campaigns over the last five years.
Yes, I know it's a different era now with Sumrall at the helm, and I fully understand the improvements Florida seems to have made in the transfer portal. But the Gators weren't even close to a top-25 team last season.
Florida Gators coach Jon Sumrall. Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images.Taking that into consideration, you can fully understand why Schlabach isn't yet ready to bump Florida into the top 25 squads in the country.
It's not like the Gators are playing in a winnable conference like the ACC, either. They are in the SEC, which is probably the toughest conference in the land. Plus, Florida has serious questions under center.
The Gators did land former Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo in the portal, but Philo is entirely unproven and isn't even necessarily guaranteed the starting job over Tramell Jones Jr. So we really can't make snap judgments of Florida just yet.
All we can really do at this point is consider how bad the Gators were last year and then look at the moves they have made this offseason. Sumrall has certainly been impressive in the portal, but Florida still has a long way to go.
There was a time when the Gators were always a shoo-in for a top-25 spot, but those days are long gone. It's up to Sumrall to revive them again.
Gators Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Florida Gators. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.