Florida Adds Familiar SEC Face as Marcus Davis Joins Gators’ Staff as Outside WRs Coach
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida head coach Jon Sumrall is continuing to build out his staff with a focus on SEC experience and proven player development, and his latest hire checks both boxes. Marcus Davis, a former Auburn standout and most recently the Tigers’ wide receivers coach, is heading to Gainesville to take over as the Gators’ outside wide receivers coach.
Davis brings a résumé that blends on-field production with a growing reputation as a sharp offensive mind. He spent the last three seasons coaching Auburn’s wideouts, and his 2025 group was one of the more balanced units in the SEC. Three receivers posted at least 25 catches, 450 yards, and multiple touchdowns - a testament to Davis’ ability to develop talent across the depth chart.
Cam Coleman led the way with 708 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 56 catches, while Eric Singleton Jr. paced the team in receptions with 58, adding 534 yards and three scores. Malcolm Simmons chipped in with 457 yards and two touchdowns on 25 grabs. That kind of production across the board speaks to a coach who knows how to scheme for different skill sets and get the most out of his room.
"Coach Davis not only brings SEC coaching experience to our staff, but playing experience as well," Sumrall said. "He's a Florida native who was a team captain and has produced as both a player and coach. There’s no doubt Coach Davis will prove to be a great addition for us."
And Sumrall’s not just talking about leadership - Davis’ track record backs it up. In 2024, Auburn’s passing offense ranked 28th nationally at 263.9 yards per game and 15th in yards per completion (13.77).
Senior KeAndre Lambert-Smith stood out with a top-10 national mark in yards per reception (19.62) and was later selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Chargers. Coleman and Simmons, both freshmen at the time, finished the season among Auburn’s all-time freshman receiving leaders.
Davis’ ability to elevate young talent isn’t new. Before returning to Auburn, he spent 2022 at Georgia Southern, where he helped engineer one of the most explosive passing attacks in the country.
The Eagles ranked fourth nationally in passing yards per game (329.2) and tied for 20th in passing touchdowns (28). His receiving corps put up nine 100-yard games - a school record - with Khaleb Hood, Derwin Burgess Jr., and Jeremy Singleton all ranking in the top five in the Sun Belt for receptions per game.
Go back another year, and Davis was at Hawaii in 2021, where he coached all-conference selection Calvin Turner Jr. Turner’s versatility and production earned him a spot in the East-West Shrine Bowl and second-team All-Mountain West honors.
That Hawaii offense? Over 3,900 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns, averaging more than 300 passing yards per game.
Davis’ coaching journey also includes a stop at Florida State in 2020 as an offensive graduate assistant, where he worked closely with the wide receivers and helped with recruiting. Before that, he was already gaining experience on the sideline at Auburn, working in player personnel and development in 2019 and as an offensive analyst in 2018, focusing on running backs and returners.
But long before he was coaching up SEC receivers, Davis was making plays on the field himself. A four-year letterman at Auburn from 2013 to 2016, he was part of the Tigers’ SEC Championship and BCS National Championship run as a freshman.
He played in 50 games, started 15, and finished his career with 83 receptions. Davis also made his mark on special teams, finishing eighth all-time at Auburn in punt return average (9.76).
He was named a team captain as a senior, a reflection of the leadership qualities that continue to define his coaching style.
A Florida native from Boynton Beach, Davis was an all-state quarterback at American Heritage Boca Delray High School before heading to Auburn. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communication in 2016 and added a master’s in education in 2017. He was also a multi-year SEC Academic Honor Roll selection - a detail that speaks to his attention to detail and work ethic on and off the field.
Now, Davis brings that full-circle journey back to his home state, where he’ll look to help elevate Florida’s receiving corps in a conference where explosive plays and elite perimeter talent often separate contenders from the pack.
“My family and I are blessed to be here,” Davis said. “I’m looking forward to getting to work. Go Gators!”
With proven development chops, SEC roots, and a player’s perspective, Marcus Davis looks like a strong addition to a Florida program aiming to make noise in the toughest conference in college football.