Jon Sumrall’s Early Days at Florida: Retention, Recruiting, and Rebuilding the Gators’ Identity
It’s been just under two months since Jon Sumrall took the reins at Florida, and if there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s this: he’s not easing into the job. Hired on November 30 to replace Billy Napier after a tough 4-8 campaign, Sumrall has been in perpetual motion-navigating the transfer portal, hitting the recruiting trail, and laying the foundation for what he hopes will be a new era of Gators football.
Call it a whirlwind, call it chaos-Sumrall calls it a blessing. “Not a whole lot of slow motion,” he said.
“Sleepless nights, good ones and some bad ones. Mainly good ones.”
And the Gator faithful got their first real glimpse of their new head coach on Saturday night, when Sumrall and his family made an appearance at the Florida-Auburn basketball game at the O’Connell Center. During a timeout, he addressed the sold-out crowd, delivering a message that hit all the right notes for a fanbase hungry for relevance: “We’re going to do everything within our power, we’re going to work tirelessly to bring championship-level football back to Florida.”
That’s the mission-and Sumrall’s already deep into the work.
Retention First: Keeping the Core Intact
One of Sumrall’s first priorities wasn’t just adding talent-it was making sure key pieces of the 2025 roster didn’t walk out the door. That meant some unconventional approaches, including a Christmas Eve in-home visit with running back Jadan Baugh and his family.
“I don’t think I’ve ever done an in-home visit with a current player on my team, and I’ve definitely never done one on Christmas Eve,” Sumrall said.
Baugh was one of five core players Sumrall worked to retain, alongside linebacker Myles Graham III, wide receivers Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III, and edge rusher Jayden Woods. Each case had its own nuances.
“Myles Graham was probably the quickest to be back-it helps when you’re a legacy,” Sumrall noted. “VBIII, similar. Dallas was a little trickier; I felt like everyone was trying to get him.”
As for Woods, Sumrall flew to Shawnee, Kansas, earlier this month for a face-to-face meeting to convince the promising edge rusher to return for his sophomore season.
“For me being new, those visits-while maybe a little anxiety-filled because you don’t know what’s going to happen on the other side-I really felt fortunate being able to sit in their houses,” Sumrall said. “A lot of these guys I didn’t get a chance to recruit out of high school, so to be able to get in their homes and share a meal, it kind of felt like recruiting a high school guy all over again.”
That personal touch paid off. “I’m grateful those guys stayed,” he added.
“And I’m grateful a lot of guys stayed. There’s a lot of guys that stayed that I think give us a great shot for success.”
Portal Power: 26 New Additions
While keeping key players was critical, Sumrall also had to reshape the roster. Florida brought in 26 players through the transfer portal for the 2026 class, including Auburn wide receiver Eric Singleton, Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo, and Kentucky safety Cam Dooley. The class currently ranks 13th nationally according to On3 and 26th via 247Sports.
“You never really fully know until you go through spring practice and get into the season,” Sumrall said. “I think we had some areas of need that we maybe fulfilled. I think we had some areas of need where we have to figure out what we have.”
He’s been through this before. Back in his first year at Tulane, Sumrall realized in the spring that he needed more help at cornerback. He landed Johnathan Edwards from Indiana State and Michael Robinson from Furman-both of whom eventually made it to the NFL.
But this time, there’s no second transfer portal window in April or May to make those kinds of late fixes.
“We don’t have the luxury of that second portal window now, so it’s a little more daunting,” Sumrall admitted.
All Eyes on the Quarterback Room
Of course, no rebuild is complete without a solid plan under center. And while Florida doesn’t have a proven starter right now, Sumrall is standing firm in his belief that the pieces are there.
The Gators brought in Aaron Philo from Georgia Tech, a move largely influenced by his relationship with new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, who coached Philo for two seasons in Atlanta.
“The place he was at didn’t want him to leave,” Sumrall said. “And I trust our offensive coordinator to make the call.
I watched him in high school as well. He carries himself the right way.”
Philo’s college résumé is still light-just one career start and 938 passing yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions-but Sumrall isn’t overly concerned about the experience gap.
“If you get the right guy, I think experience can be oversold,” he said. “There are a lot of guys who are experienced and they aren’t very good.”
He also made it clear that Philo isn’t the only option. Sumrall mentioned Tramell Jones Jr. as another quarterback he’s excited about, emphasizing that while Florida may not have a “known, proven starter” in the room, he believes they have quarterbacks they can win with.
“I like our quarterback room,” he said. “Is there maybe a known, proven starter in that room?
No. Is there guys I’m thinking we can win football games with?
Yeah.”
The Road Ahead
With spring practice set to kick off in early March, Sumrall’s first real on-field evaluations are just around the corner. For now, he’s laying the groundwork-retaining talent, building relationships, and assembling a roster that can compete in the SEC.
It’s early, but Sumrall’s approach has been clear: hands-on, personal, and relentless. And in Gainesville, that’s exactly what this program needs right now.