The Florida Gators recently received a tough outlook for the program's 2026 college football season under head coach Jon Sumrall.
Following a challenging 2025 college football season for the Florida Gators, the hype surrounding the program is starting to build ahead of the 2026 season.
The Gators kicked off the offseason with a huge move, hiring former Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall to take over for Billy Napier. Sumrall managed to lead the Green Wave to a College Football Playoff appearance in 2025, which gives the struggling program hope that he can help the Gators become a national powerhouse.
However, the new coaching staff may experience some bumps in the road during their first season.
College football analyst Carter Bahns ranked the toughest schedules in the SEC, with the Gators having the fourth-toughest schedule in the conference.
“The three-game stretch of Texas, Georgia, and Oklahoma is as difficult as it gets,” Bahns wrote. “At least Florida has a bye week between the final two games in that run. Sumrall faces his largest challenges in the middle of the schedule and has some nice runway at the beginning and end, which could allow him to both start and finish strong as he works to get Florida back into conference championship contention.”
Examining Florida's Brutal 2026 Schedule
Unfortunately for Sumrall, the highly acclaimed coach will have a brutal schedule to begin his tenure in Florida. After two opening matchups against the FAU Owls and the Campbell Fighting Camels, the Gators will have their first test of the year on the road against the Auburn Tigers.
To make matters worse, Florida’s schedule will truly heat up by the end of September, as the program’s two-game stretch that includes the Ole Miss Rebels at home and the Missouri Tigers on the road will take place right before the challenging three-game series against Texas and company.
Luckily, Brahns remains optimistic that Sumrall and the Gators can change their fate in 2026, claiming that if everything clicks, Florida has “a shot to place themselves on or near the CFP bubble.”
“Pushing for a league title is probably not in the cards in 2026, but if everything clicks, this schedule gives the Gators a shot to place themselves on or near the CFP bubble," Bahns claimed.
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