Jon Sumrall made the point clear after the Texas game: the bye week is a chance to sort out who deserves a bigger role. With five regular-season games left, Florida has a few names worth watching closely if the staff decides to shake up the rotation.
Start with linebacker Ty Jackson, because his showing against Texas was too loud to ignore. The sophomore made his mark in just 14 snaps, finishing with 1.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and three tackles for stops.
The grades backed up the production, too - he posted career-best marks of 89.2 on defense and 88.1 in pass rush, both good for fourth among FBS linebackers in Week 7. Jackson still sits behind three veterans on the depth chart, and it was only one game, but he brought the kind of downhill energy Florida has been missing.
At 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds, he looks the part of an aggressive middle linebacker. So far this season, he’s played 40 defensive snaps and 26 more on special teams.
There’s also a path for London Montgomery to see more work from the backfield. The senior has already settled in as Florida’s kick returner, but the running game has benefited from the few chances he’s gotten.
Over the last two weeks, he has five carries for 37 yards and an eight-yard catch. His lone touch against South Carolina was a 17-yard jet sweep, one of Florida’s few productive plays that night.
The next week against Texas, he handled five touches for 29 yards and ran with purpose between the tackles while giving Jadan Baugh a breather. Baugh is still expected to carry the overwhelming share of the load, but with Duke Clark sidelined by an ankle injury and no clear return timeline, Montgomery could be a useful jolt.
He’s logged 37 offensive snaps this season, the fourth most among Florida running backs.
Up front, TJ Dice Jr. deserves a hard look as Florida searches for answers at right tackle. It’s possible the solution isn’t currently on the roster, but the second-year tackle has done solid work whenever he’s been called upon.
Dice has played 83 snaps in six games, with most of his action coming early in the season and in mop-up work against Missouri, South Carolina and Ole Miss. Among Florida linemen with at least 50 snaps, he owns the fourth-best pass-blocking grade and the top run-blocking grade.
His reps have come at left tackle or as part of extra-line packages, not at right tackle, so that side of the line remains untested for him. Even so, if Florida is going to assess personnel changes on the right edge, Dice would be the first place to start.
One of the more intriguing possibilities is defensive lineman Stive-Bentley Keumajou-Yondui. The England native didn’t even enroll at Florida until fall camp after reclassifying to the 2026 recruiting class, and he spent the year on the scout team before getting thrown into the Texas game.
He answered with two tackles in nine snaps. A week earlier against South Carolina, he had a tackle for loss in just eight snaps.
Sumrall said Keumajou-Youndui earned the chance because he had been practicing at such a high level. He’s still new to the game, but at 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds, he has the kind of athletic traits that could help right away.
Even a small role, maybe 10 snaps a game, could give Florida some needed depth and energy along the defensive front.
Then there’s cornerback CJ Bronaugh, whose situation is all about health. The freshman has been limited by multiple injuries dating back to the offseason, which is why he has just one snap this season.
In an update 10 days ago, Sumrall said Bronaugh was available to “do some things” in practice. It may be late for him to become a major factor, but he flashed in fall camp and could still offer help to a secondary that needs it.
If the bye week leaves him closer to full strength, he’s one to watch over the final stretch.
In Other News...
Walter Clayton Jr. Just Got Another Real NBA Chance
Walter Clayton Jr. is getting another shot to stick in the NBA, this time with the Dallas Mavericks after being waived by the Memphis Grizzlies. For Florida fans, it is another reminder of how quickly his pro path has moved since he went 18th in the 2025 NBA Draft and started bouncing between opportunities with the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz and Grizzlies.
Clayton averaged 7.8 points per game in the 2025-26 season, enough to keep him in the conversation as a player worth developing on the margins. Now he is set to compete for minutes with Dallas and its G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, with this next stop giving him another chance to carve out a real role. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Bye Week Numbers Expose A Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Floridas 5-2 start through seven weeks has kept the Gators in the thick of the conversation, but the bye week also offered a clear look at where this team stands against the rest of the FBS. The Gators have flashed in a few key areas on both sides of the ball, and the broader stat profile shows a roster that has done enough to win games while still leaving plenty of room for debate about how complete this team really is.
The national rankings paint a mixed picture, with some numbers suggesting a group that can hang with almost anyone and others pointing to issues that keep surfacing in the margins. Special teams, turnovers and penalties all help tell the story here, and those hidden categories are often where good teams separate from merely interesting ones. For Florida, the bye week makes the question impossible to avoid: are these numbers the sign of a team built for a second-half push, or a reminder that the Gators still have too many loose ends to clean up? [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Trask And Walter Clayton Jr Just Got Another Shot
Kyle Trask is back on a roster after a brief stop with the Panthers, landing on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad in a move that keeps his pro career alive for at least another stretch. The former Florida quarterback had already spent time with Tampa Bay before getting his latest shot, and the Cowboys are giving him a place to keep working while the rest of the league keeps sorting through depth and injuries.
Walter Clayton Jr. has also found a new opening, signing a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks and being activated for a game against Houston. For Florida fans, it is another reminder that a familiar wave of Gators is still showing up across the pro ranks, while Sky Blakely and Dulcy Caylor helped the U.S. finish runner-up at the 2026 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, giving the program more reason to keep one eye on what comes next. [Read more 🡒]