The Florida Gators have already received an interesting bowl prediction entering Jon Sumrall's first season.
The Florida Gators have yet to play a single game with Jon Sumrall at the helm, but it's clear that his impact is already being felt in Gainesville.
Florida hired Sumrall to be its new head coach back in late November following a disastrous 2025 campaign in which it went just 4-8.
Sumrall experienced a great deal of success at Troy and Tulane, going 43-12 over four seasons between the two teams (he split his time between the two schools). Most recently, he led Tulane to an 11-3 record and a College Football Playoff appearance.
The 43-year-old has already gotten off to a great start in building the Gators' roster, having put together a terrific transfer portal haul while also making waves on the recruiting circuit.
Florida appears to be entering a new era, and Brett McMurphy of On 3 has already predicted the Gators to play in the ReliaQuest Bowl next season.
While it isn't a trip to the CFP, it's certainly start, especially considering that you generally need to win a fair amount of games to qualify for that particular bowl game.
For reference, Iowa (9-4) defeated Vanderbilt (10-3) in the ReliaQuest Bowl back in December.
Florida Gators coach Jon Sumrall. Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images.Florida has qualified for a bowl game just once over the last three seasons, defeating Sumrall and Tulane, ironically enough, in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl during the 2024-25 campaign.
The Gators have posted four losing campaigns over the last five years, representing one of the worst stretches in the history of the school.
Sumrall is hoping to change all of that, but rebuilding a program that has fallen on such hard times in recent seasons will be no easy task.
That being said, the Florida name still resonates among prospects and recruits, as evidenced by the fact that the Gators remain a pretty popular destination among the top recruits in the country.
Not only that, but it seemed pretty clear that players were very open to joining Florida via the transfer portal, and Sumrall even convinced multiple key players — most notably running back Jadan Baugh and edge rusher Jayden Woods — to stay in the Swamp for 2026.
We'll see if the Gators can make significant progress next fall.
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.