Florida football’s preseason ranking question gets answered Tuesday, Aug. 4, when USA TODAY Sports rolls out the preseason US LBM Coaches Top 25 at noon ET.
The reveal will stream live on USA TODAY Sports’ YouTube page and will feature analysis from college football experts Blake Toppmeyer, Matt Hayes and Paul Myerberg, plus a special guest during the announcement.
For Florida, the spotlight is especially bright because this is the first season under Jon Sumrall. The Gators are trying to climb the SEC standings after a 2025 season that started with them ranked No. 17 in the preseason USLBM Coaches Top 25 and ended at 4-8. That slide cost Billy Napier his job and opened the door for Sumrall, who arrived from Tulane after guiding the Green Wave to an American Conference title and a College Football Playoff Appearance.
Sumrall’s staff already reflects the kind of upgrade Florida is aiming for. He brought in Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech to run the offense and hired Brad White from Kentucky as defensive coordinator, giving the Gators two coordinators with Power 4 experience.
There’s also a decent amount back on the roster. Florida returns five starters on offense and five on defense, including junior running back Jadan Baugh, sophomore wide receiver Vernell Brown III, junior linebacker Myles Graham and sophomore edge rusher Jayden Woods.
The preseason All-SEC media poll slotted Florida ninth in the conference, while a few Gators did earn individual recognition. Baugh landed second-team preseason All-SEC honors at running back.
Woods made third-team preseason All-SEC at defensive end. Brown was also named third-team preseason All-SEC as a special teams returner after averaging 11.7 yards per punt return last season, good for sixth in the SEC.
In Other News...
Florida Linebackers Face Early Pressure In Jon Sumralls Defensive Reset
Floridas linebacker room is suddenly one of the most important parts of Jon Sumralls defensive reset, with the Gators leaning into a 3-4 look that puts extra weight on that position group. Under Sumrall and defensive coordinator Brad White, the goal is to build a defense that gets its best play from the middle of the field, and that means the next wave of Florida linebackers has to develop fast with the 2026 season in mind.
Myles Graham, Jaden Robinson and Aaron Chiles are expected to be at the center of that push, but the depth chart also has names worth watching behind them. Ty Jackson, Myles Johnson and incoming freshman Malik Morris give Florida some options, yet the bigger question is how quickly that entire group can adapt to a scheme that asks linebackers to do plenty of the heavy lifting. The Gators are clearly treating this as a position that can shape the defenses ceiling, not just fill it. [Read more 🡒]
5 Games Florida Fans Can Watch While Waiting On Gators Kickoff
Fall camp is getting underway this week in Gainesville, which means the long wait for Floridas season opener against FAU on Sept. 5 is finally starting to shrink. Until then, there are a handful of games worth keeping an eye on for Gators fans looking to scratch the football itch, from the Hall of Fame Game to early preseason action and even a high school matchup tied to a Florida recruit.
Among the most interesting is the NFL preseason game involving Anthony Richardson, along with a high school game featuring recruit Braxton Rein and a college game that puts former Florida coach Dan Mullen back in the spotlight. They are all different in setting, but each gives Gators fans a reason to stay plugged in while the real countdown to kickoff continues. [Read more 🡒]