Florida’s week was defined less by the buzz it opened the season with and more by a string of setbacks that kept piling up.
The biggest blow came on the football side, where the Gators’ loss to South Carolina sent them tumbling out of the Top 25. Just two weeks ago, Florida was sitting at No. 8 after beating Missouri, but that momentum has vanished after another beatdown. Now the Gators are unranked again.
There was, however, one bright spot in the middle of the frustration: five-star wide receiver Easton Royal flipped from Texas to Florida. It was a major win for the Gators, especially after it looked like they were well out of the race.
Quarterback uncertainty is also hanging over the program. Aaron Philo’s shoulder injury has left Florida’s starting QB as a game-time decision today.
If he cannot go, Tramell Jones is set to make his first career start at Florida. Jones, a former four-star prospect, was the backup last season.
The bad week extended beyond football. Florida volleyball, which had been rolling and unbeaten in SEC play, took a surprising four-set loss to unranked Vanderbilt.
Florida soccer also lost to Vanderbilt, falling 3-0 in a match that wasn’t close, as Vanderbilt controlled most of the action. That leaves the Gators at 6-5-3.
Defensively, the questions keep growing. Florida has given up at least 38 points in three of its last four games, and the conversation has centered on whether the issue is with the players or Brad White’s scheme. The source notes the answer is probably somewhere in the middle.
At SEC Basketball Tipoff, Golden took aim at the NCAA’s treatment of the class of 2022, arguing that its eligibility rules run against legislation the NCAA itself supports.
And looking ahead, elite EDGE Colin Simmons looms as a problem if the Gators can’t find a solution.
In Other News...
Florida Fans May See That 2024 Decommitment Wave Very Differently
Floridas 2024 recruiting cycle has taken on a different look a year later, especially when it comes to the group of prospects who backed away from their pledges. Xavier Filsaime is one of the more notable examples, with the former Gators commit now at Texas and dealing with an injury-plagued season that has kept him from making the kind of impact many expected when he was being recruited.
He is hardly alone in that regard. A review of seven top recruits from Floridas 2024 class who decommitted shows a mixed return at their new schools, with limited playing time, multiple transfers in some cases and several players still searching for a steady role. For Florida fans, the early frustration of losing those names may look a little different now, because the path away from Gainesville has not exactly produced a clean win for everyone involved. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Texas Game Suddenly Rests On One Huge QB Decision
Aaron Philos shoulder issue has turned Floridas trip to Texas into a late-week waiting game, with the Gators listing their quarterback as a gametime decision. If Philo is unable to go, Tramell Jones would be in line for his first career start, a major shift in the spotlight for a team trying to sort out its offense on short notice.
The uncertainty does not stop at quarterback. Vernell Brown III and Bailey Stockton are also listed as gametime decisions, while backup running back Duke Clark will not play, leaving Florida to piece together its depth chart as kickoff approaches. For a Gators team heading into a difficult matchup, the final availability report could end up shaping far more than just one position. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Just Proved It Can Still Take Down SEC Heavyweights
Floridas 27-24 win at Texas did more than just hand the Longhorns another loss, it reminded the SEC that the Gators still have the kind of upset punch that can change the conversation in a hurry. With backup quarterback Tramell Jones throwing two touchdown passes, Florida knocked off a No. 1-ranked team on the road and added a signature result to a season that now looks a lot more dangerous than it did a week ago.
The bigger takeaway for Florida is what the win says about its place in the league race. The Gators had not beaten two top-10 teams in the same season since 2012, and doing it in this setting gives the program a real benchmark under the lights. Texas, meanwhile, saw Arch Manning finish 14 of 20 for 173 yards and a touchdown, but the more telling number was the one attached to the Longhorns recent slide - two straight losses after opening the streak at No. 1. [Read more 🡒]