The Swamp is getting another marquee test, and Florida believes the noise will matter.
No. 22 Florida (3-0, 1-0 SEC) hosts No.
6 Ole Miss (3-0, 1-0 SEC) on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 3:30 p.m. on ABC, with the Gators leaning into the kind of atmosphere they think can tilt a game. Florida has won five of its last six at home, a stretch that included last season’s upset of No.
9 Texas, and the Gators will play in front of their 21st straight sellout.
“It’s a huge advantage, especially on defense," Florida football defensive lineman Jayden Woods said. "If the stadium is insanely loud, the offense, they can’t operate, they can’t communicate, some teams they have to go silent count, it depends. Really, that’s a huge advantage, for us as a defense.”
Sophomore receiver Vernell Brown III put it more simply.
"The Swamp is a very hostile environment," Florida sophomore wide receiver Vernell Brown III said. "You know, 90,000-plus fans, they’re on our side.
It’s kind of like a 12th man on the field. And you know we know the fans will show up and show out every Saturday and give us that little advantage.”
Florida’s offense has been built around Aaron Philo’s steady start and Jadan Baugh’s hammering run game. Philo, a 6-foot-2, 207-pound starter, is 3-0 and ranks sixth in the SEC in passing after completing 47 of 64 throws for 721 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s averaging just over 21 attempts a game, with Florida’s ground game doing plenty of the heavy lifting.
"He’s right at kind of where we want him, maybe a few more," Faulkner said. "He’s played good enough to kind of cut him loose a little bit.”
Baugh has been even more punishing. The 6-1, 225-pound back has opened the 2026 season with three straight 100-yard games and is striking the Heisman pose in the end zone as part of his Heisman campaign. He leads the SEC with 458 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 8.4 yards per carry, and he’ll try to stretch his streak of 100-yard games to five straight, going back to the end of the 2025 season.
Brown has been a two-way spark for Florida. He leads the Gators with 14 catches for 246 yards and two touchdowns, and he has also scored twice on punt returns. He’s on pace to top the 512 receiving yards he had as a freshman.
"Obviously, with the game of football, and especially as a receiver, there are a lot of things that are outside of my control," Brown said of his year two improvement. "But just really doubling down on my process and continuing to develop as a player, and obviously, with the new system, really learn the system and continue to put in the work."
Woods is coming off a breakout week that earned him Chuck Bednarik Award national defensive player of the week honors. Against Auburn, he had six tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. For the season, the 6-3, 245-pound edge has 15 tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks.
"You can’t solely base how you feel and how you work based on results," Woods said. "For me, it’s right back to chalk board.
Right back to my process. You know whatever happens on Saturday, happens.
I can’t control the stat line. I can’t control that, but I can control how I work Monday through Friday on Saturday.”
Florida also gets a key piece in coverage from Cormani McClain, who grabbed his first interception of the season and third of his career in the 44-39 win over Auburn. The former five-star recruit from Lakeland will be important against Ole Miss receiver Duece Alexander, whose speed could test the Gators on the outside.
Florida’s depth chart for the game lists Philo at quarterback, Baugh at running back, Brown at one receiver spot and McClain at cornerback. On offense, Tramel Jones is behind Philo at QB; Duke Clark, Evan Pryor, London Montgomery and Byron Louis are behind Baugh at running back; Kahleil Jackson backs up Brown; Bailey Stockton and TJ Abrams are listed at another receiver spot; Dallas Wilson and Micah Mays are at the third receiver spot; Lacota Dippre and Heze Kent are at tight end; Bryce Lovett, TJ Dice and Eagan Boyer are at left tackle; Knijeah Harris and Rod Kearney are at left guard; Harrison Moore and Jason Zandamela are at center; T.J. Shanahan and TJ Dice are at right guard; and Emeka Ugorji and Caden Jones are at right tackle.
Defensively, Florida’s front lists Kamran James, Emmanuel Oyebadejo and LJ McCray at end; Brendan Bett and Joseph Mbatchou at nose guard; Jeramiah McCloud, DK Kalu and Jamari Lyons at defensive tackle; Woods, Kofi Asare and KJ Ford at edge; Myles Graham and Myles Johnson at linebacker; Aaron Chiles and Ty Jackson at linebacker; Jaden Robinson, TJ Bullard at linebacker; Kanye Clark and Alfonzo Allen Jr. at STAR; Ben Hanks III and Dijon Johnson at cornerback; McClain and J’Vari Flowers at cornerback; Bryce Thornton and Cam Dooley at safety; and DJ Coleman and Lagonza Hayward at safety.
Special teams lists Alec Clark and Nicholas Inglis at punter, Patrick Durkin and Liam Padron at kicker, Carter Milliron and Lincoln Anderson at long snapper, Brown and Bailey Stockton at punt returner, and London Montgomery and J’Vari Flowers at kick returner. Eric Singleton Jr. is listed as questionable with an ankle injury.
In Other News...
Jon Sumrall Just Turned Up The Pressure On The Swamp
Floridas home atmosphere drew an unexpected comparison this week when Jon Sumrall said the crowd at the Gators game against FAU felt livelier than what he saw at Auburns Jordan-Hare Stadium during a recent game. The comments added a little extra buzz around the Swamp, especially with Ole Miss coming to town next and the stakes rising for a fan base that prides itself on making home games feel like an event.
Sumrall also made clear he is expecting more from the crowd when the Rebels arrive, and that alone has turned the conversation toward what kind of edge Florida can create at home. His remarks came with the usual backdrop of coaching chatter and prior reports tying him to Auburn, but the immediate takeaway for Gators fans is simpler: the pressure is on to make the next Saturday night even louder. [Read more 🡒]
Florida May Get A Crucial Boost For Ole Miss Showdown
Florida could get an important piece back just in time for its Sept. 26 showdown with Ole Miss, as wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. is listed as questionable after missing time with the ankle injury he suffered in the season opener. His status matters for a Florida offense that has had to adjust without him, and the timing of the report adds another layer to a matchup that already carries real weight in the SEC race.
Ole Miss is sorting through its own injury questions as well, with running back Kewan Lacy also listed as questionable while dealing with a shoulder issue and working on limited reps in practice. The SEC availability report shows several Rebels still in flux for the game, leaving both sides with roster uncertainty as kickoff approaches and a clearer picture may not come until much closer to game day. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Spurrier Just Weighed In On A Texas Game Gators Fans Know Well
Steve Spurrier has a way of turning a future SEC-style conversation into a reminder of old Florida battles, and this one came with a familiar edge. The former Gators star and coach weighed in on Tennessees upcoming game with Texas, pointing to the Volunteers previous win over the Longhorns and backing them to do it again in Knoxville.
For Florida fans, any Spurrier opinion involving Tennessee still carries extra weight because of what he used to do to the Vols on the sideline. His long track record against Tennessee and his connection to the state give his take a little more bite than a casual prediction, especially with a Texas game that Gators supporters already know well in the background. [Read more 🡒]