Florida got three names onto the preseason All-SEC teams this week, with running back Jadan Baugh, wide receiver Vernell Brown III and edge Jayden Woods all earning recognition from media members at SEC Media Days in Tampa.
Baugh was the headliner among the trio. He landed on the second team at running back and also made the third team as an all-purpose player after a breakout 2025 season that put him squarely on the league’s radar. Brown III checked in as a third-team return specialist, while Woods was named to the third team as a defensive lineman.
Baugh heads into his junior year after piling up 1,170 rushing yards and eight touchdowns last season while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. That production earned him second-team All-SEC honors at the end of the year.
He also became the first Florida running back to go over 1,000 rushing yards since Kelvin Taylor in 2015, and he enters 2026 as the program’s first returning 1,000-yard rusher since Errict Rhett in 1992. Pro Football Focus ranked the 6-foot-1, 228-pound back No. 37 on its list of the top 50 players entering the 2026 season.
Brown III made his mark in multiple ways in 2025, but his work as a punt returner helped get him on the preseason list. The 5-foot-11, 177-pound receiver averaged 11.7 yards per punt return, good for 18th nationally, and he was one of only two freshmen and 18 FBS players to log five punt returns of at least 20 yards. He was also a Freshman All-SEC selection last season and led Florida with 40 catches and 512 receiving yards in 10 games.
Woods earned his spot after a strong true freshman season in 2025. Across 448 snaps - the most among Florida defensive linemen last year - he posted 28 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 5.0 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception. He also became the first Florida true freshman since Johnnie Church in 1992 to lead or co-lead the team in sacks.
In Other News...
Jon Sumrall Just Sent A Clear Message About Florida's Identity
Jon Sumrall made plenty of noise at SEC Football Media Days, and not just because of the usual summer talking points. The Florida coach came across as energetic and firm, even drawing attention for the way he handled a phone disruption during his session. More broadly, he used the platform to project the kind of edge and accountability he wants attached to the program, the sort of tone that can matter as much as any depth-chart battle in July.
He also stood apart from some of the grumbling around the league about the SECs new nine-game conference schedule. While other coaches focused on the strain and the postseason implications, Sumrall signaled a different posture, one built around accepting the challenge rather than looking for an escape hatch. It fit the image he was trying to sell in Atlanta, and it left the clearest question hanging: whether that no-excuses identity will become Floridas actual calling card once the games start. [Read more 🡒]
Jon Sumrall Just Confronted Florida's Biggest Roadblock To Elite Status
Jon Sumrall has barely settled into Gainesville, but the new Florida coach is already leaning into one of the programs biggest realities: restoring the Gators to elite status will take more than a fresh voice on the sideline. He has sought guidance from Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer as he tries to map out the next phase of the rebuild, while also making it clear to fans that their backing matters as much as anything happening inside the football offices.
The challenge is bigger than wins and losses. Florida is trying to rebuild its recruiting strength and overall competitive footing after years of falling short of its old standard, and Sumrall has been direct about the need for stronger support around the program. The Gators still have a fan base with deep history and expectations, but turning that into the kind of sustained edge Florida once had is the roadblock he has stepped into first. [Read more 🡒]