The Florida Gators are walking into the 2026-27 season with the kind of attention that can swallow most teams whole. In Florida’s case, the buzz is only getting louder.
CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish surveyed nearly 100 Division I coaches on which team would be the best in college basketball next season, and Florida landed in a class of its own. The Gators drew 55% of the vote, a massive gap over Duke, which finished second at 16%. Tennessee came in third at 7%, while UConn and Illinois each picked up 5%.
That kind of separation doesn’t just make Florida the preseason favorite. It signals how the rest of the sport sees Todd Golden’s group: not merely as a title hopeful, but as a team that could run the table in a way few college teams ever do.
A big reason is continuity, which is becoming rare currency in modern college basketball. Florida brings back 11 players from last season and 81.8% of its scoring. CBS Sports noted that is the fourth-highest percentage returned by a preseason No. 1 seed over the past 24 years.
Thomas Haugh sits at the center of it all after passing on what would have been a likely NBA lottery path. Coaches have also pegged the versatile forward as the leading candidate to become the best player in college basketball.
The frontcourt around him looks loaded as well, with reigning national defensive player of the year Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon both back in the mix. In the backcourt, Boogie Fland returns, and Denzel Aberdeen could add another veteran piece if his bid for fifth-year eligibility goes through.
Three players projected to be part of Florida’s core were starters on the program’s 2025 national championship team, and they now bring two more years of experience with them. That blend of talent, familiarity and physical maturity is a big part of why the Gators look so formidable.
One anonymous coach told CBS Sports there was “no excuse” for Florida not to spend most of the season ranked No. 1. Another said the Gators could lose only four games before the SEC Tournament.
Those are huge expectations, but they’re built on a roster that looks ready for them. Golden may have a team good enough to win more than 30 games, dominate the SEC and push Florida back to the national championship game.
That kind of profile makes every game a spotlight game. Every opponent will treat Florida like a measuring stick.
For now, though, the warning from around the country is clear: this is not a normal preseason favorite. This is a team that coaches believe can be something far more dangerous.
In Other News...
Jack Pyburn Suddenly Has A Decision Florida Fans Need To Watch
A Louisiana courts temporary relief for 16 players has created an unusual new wrinkle for Jack Pyburn, the former Florida and LSU pass rusher who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent. The ruling could open the door for another college football season even after NFL contracts are already in place, provided the players return the compensation tied to that pro deal.
For Florida fans, Pyburns name now sits in the middle of a bigger conversation about eligibility, player movement and what happens when the college and pro paths collide so quickly. LSU has been mentioned in connection with his possible return, and the situation leaves a very real decision hanging over a player who only just took the next step in his football career. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Redshirt Freshmen Are Drawing Attention Fans Should Notice
Maxwell Footballs 2026 Shaun Alexander Freshmen Player of the Year Watch List offered an early glimpse at which young players could start turning promise into production, and Florida had two names on it. Wide receiver Dallas Wilson and cornerback Ben Hanks III both made the cut after flashing in limited action last season, a reminder that the Gators roster still has some intriguing upside brewing among its younger pieces.
Wilson gave Florida a spark as a pass catcher, finishing with 12 receptions for 174 yards and three touchdowns, while Hanks showed he could make his presence felt in the secondary with eight tackles, pass breakups and an interception. For a team that is always looking to build depth on both sides of the ball, having redshirt freshmen already drawing national attention is the kind of development the Gators will want to keep seeing as the offseason moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Just Got A Reminder Of What It Lost In The Backcourt
Gonzagas addition of Xaivian Lee offers a small window into what Florida was dealing with when it let him go, because the guard arrives in Spokane with the same kind of steady production that made him useful in Gainesville. Lee came to Florida after his time at Princeton and averaged 11.6 points and 4.2 assists last season, a blend of scoring and playmaking that would have fit naturally into a backcourt trying to replace a lot of lost production.
For Florida, the reminder is less about one departure than about the uncertainty around the whole rotation. Javon Bennett and Isiah Harwell are among the names in the mix, but the Gators still have pieces whose status hinges on court orders or NCAA clearance, which leaves the backcourt picture unsettled heading into the next stage of the offseason. Losing a player like Lee does not settle those questions, and it only sharpens them. [Read more 🡒]