Urban Meyer has dropped a bold statement on Jon Sumrall and the Florida Gators.
The Florida Gators were once one of the best football programs in the country, but that feels like ages ago.
Florida went just 4-8 in 2025 and has posted four losing seasons of the last five years, a rather unprecedented run in Gainesville.
Back when Urban Meyer was at the helm between 2005 and 2010, the Gators were one of the most dominant teams in the country, winning a pair of national championships while recording three 13-win campaigns in a span of four years between 2006 and 2009.
Florida is a long way from that right now, but Meyer seems to believe the school can recapture its magic with new head coach Jon Sumrall.
During a recent episode of The Triple Option podcast, Meyer revealed a bold prediction for the Gators.
"You watch out for Florida man," Meyer said. "I'm buying that stock right now. I'm buying it. That Swamp is gonna be like a jet engine, like it used to be."
The Gators have certainly had a busy offseason, putting together one of the best transfer portal hauls in the country. Not only that, but Sumrall convinced numerous key Florida players to stay.
Urban Meyer. Credit: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.Of course, success goes deeper than the transfer portal. It will take strong recruiting and outstanding player development on the part of Sumrall, who has never coached a power-conference team before.
The 43-year-old has four years of head-coaching experience, splitting his time between Troy and Tulane.
Sumrall went 43-12 throughout that span, most recently going 11-3 at Tulane and leading the Green Wave to a College Football Playoff appearance.
There is no doubt that Sumrall's resume is impressive, even if it is rather brief. He is also already making a tremendous impression among Florida fans. But he is also facing a whole lot of pressure in Gainesville.
Success at Troy and Tulane is one thing. Experiencing that type of fruitfulness in the SEC is a totally different ballgame.
Sumrall hasn't given anyone reason to doubt him yet, but he also has yet to truly prove himself, even with Meyer's obvious endorsement.
We'll see if Sumrall is able to lift the Gators back to prominence in 2026 and beyond.
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