The Florida Gators have received a rather disappointing prediction heading into Jon Sumrall's first season as head coach.
The Florida Gators hired Jon Sumrall to be their new head coach back in late November, hoping that Sumrall is the man to bring the once-dominant program back to prominence.
Sumrall has gotten off to a fast start in Gainesville, putting together a terrific transfer portal haul and also making plenty of noise on the recruiting circuit.
But has the 43-year-old done enough to put Florida on the map in his first season?
Brad Crawford of CBS Sports doesn't seem to thinks so, as he predicted the Gators to settle for a trip to the Liberty Bowl next year.
Crawford has Florida facing Oklahoma State in the matchup, which wouldn't exactly be must-see TV.
On one hand, it's good to see that Crawford at least has the Gators qualifying for a bowl game after missing out in two of the last three seasons.
But the Liberty Bowl isn't a high-profile affair, as evidenced by the fact that a 7-6 Cincinnati team played in the game this past year.
Florida Gators coach Jon Sumrall. Credit: Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.But I guess we shouldn't expect a whole lot more from a Florida squad that went just 4-8 in 2025 and has posted losing campaigns in four of the last five seasons.
Sumrall can only do so much in one offseason, so he definitely deserves a grace period when it comes to rebuilding the program.
Back between 2006 and 2009, the Gators were a juggernaut, winning a pair of national championships (and keep in mind, this is long before the College Football Playoff was a thing) and record three 13-win seasons.
Since then, Florida has managed double-digit victories just four times, most recently doing so in 2019.
The program has definitely taken a hit since Urban Meyer departed after 2010, as the Gators have cycled through head coaches like water over the last decade-and-a-half.
Perhaps the buck can finally stop with Sumrall, who went 43-12 across four seasons between Troy and Tulane (he spent two years at each school).
Most recently, Sumrall led Tulane to an 11-3 record and a CFP appearance, where the Green Wave lost to Ole Miss.
Florida will open up its 2026 campaign against Florida Atlantic on Sept. 5.
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