Florida head coach Jon Sumrall’s arrival sparks a massive 36-spot climb in the rankings as a revamped roster and portal talent look to restore grit to the Swamp’s sidelines.
The Florida Gators will enter the upcoming season with one burning question: How fast can new head coach Jon Sumrall turn the program into a winner?
Sumrall wants to win immediately, though the goal this season is to become bowl eligible. A bowl game would show improvement from last season, when the team finished 4-8.
The Gators will play a challenging nine-game SEC schedule, and that could prove difficult for an offense that will have either Aaron Philo or Tramell Jones Jr. start at quarterback.
Chip Patterson of CBS Sports ranked Florida at No. 25 for their preseason poll. The Gators went up 36 spots from where they finished last year to crack the Top 25.
Patterson thinks Florida has enough talent left over from the former regime to compete, while the transfer players added amidst Sumrall's CFP run with Tulane should do enough to "fill the gaps" this fall.
"Another new coach bump, this time for a Florida team that has gotten the most out of its early months with Jon Sumrall," he wrote. "The Gators were able to retain key pieces from Billy Napier's 2025 squad while also adding some transfer portal talent to fill the gaps for a roster that stands, talent-wise, toe-to-toe with most SEC teams.
"Last season's four-win campaign fell way short of that team's ceiling, while this No. 25 starting point might be a little bit low for what Sumrall and the new regime can accomplish in Year 1."
During an interview with Richard Johnson of CBS Sports, Sumrall suggested the roster needs significant improvement in training camp. He noted that Florida needs to live up to what he witnessed in the spring.
"As a first-year head coach, I'd love to have the second portal, really," Sumrall said. "Now I've seen this team practice, and I may have thought I knew about certain guys, but you know more when you've seen them on the grass live."
The Gators are clearly a year or two away from being legit CFP contenders. But UF can have a successful season by showing a competing spirit, something that was lacking under former head coach Billy Napier.