Florida’s first real test of the Jon Sumrall era arrives this weekend, and the Gators’ new head coach is making the message plain before No. 21 Florida meets No. 4 Ole Miss.
There’s no shortage of weight on this one. Sumrall is in his first season running the program and has Florida off to a 3-0 start, but the trip into ranked-opponent territory changes the conversation fast.
The Gators have opened with a pair of lopsided wins, then survived a road battle at Auburn, and now they get Ole Miss at home with both teams carrying unbeaten records into Sept. 26.
Before the matchup, Sumrall leaned into a leadership standard he says he repeats constantly to his team.
“I say this to our team almost daily. Good teams can be coach led. Great teams have to be player led,” Sumrall said, per SEC Network, ahead of the contest.
That’s the kind of line that fits where Florida is trying to go. Sumrall took over with the goal of pushing the Gators back into serious postseason contention and into the College Football Playoffs, and he already has a track record that supports the belief. He guided Tulane to a CFP berth in 2025, and Florida hired him hoping that same rise can continue in Gainesville.
The results so far have been sharp. Florida opened with a 66-21 win over Florida Atlantic, followed that with a 52-3 rout of Campbell, then held off Auburn 44-39 on the road. Ole Miss has also been rolling, starting with a 41-38 win over Louisville, then a 41-9 win over Charlotte, and most recently a 32-24 victory over LSU.
Now the Rebels come in on a high, and Florida gets them in a home setting for a game that will tell a lot more about the Gators than the first three weeks did. Kickoff is set for Sept. 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
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