Florida’s linebacker room is one of the clearest pressure points heading into the 2026 season, and there’s a reason the Gators are talking so much about speed, communication and comfort. This group is being asked to learn fast, play fast and make the defense feel more natural from the first snap.
That starts with the people teaching it. Head coach Jon Sumrall knows the position well from his own days as a Kentucky linebacker from 2002-04, and he led the Wildcats in tackles in 2004 during his redshirt junior year. Returning junior linebacker Myles Graham said that background already matters.
"He played linebacker in the SEC as well," Florida returning junior linebacker Myles Graham said. "So we were able to bond over that and that helped us build our relationship."
The new defensive setup under Sumrall and coordinator Brad White should also fit the group’s strengths. White was a three-year starter at linebacker at Wake Forest from 2002-04, and the 3-4 look is designed to let linebackers attack, tackle and work in space.
"We're picking it up well," Graham said. "I think we've had some OTAs and film, player-led meetings.
We just got to fine tune the details. His defense, he's very big on us being fast and violent, run to the ball ... so I'm excited.:"
Sumrall also brought Greg Gasparato over from Tulane to coach the linebackers, and Gasparato said the challenge is simple: get the group thinking less and playing faster by the time the season starts.
"We’ve thrown a lot at them quickly to try and get them a little bit uncomfortable, to be honest, and have them have a sense of urgency about learning, recalling, and trying to slow the game down as much as possible," Gasparato said.
The biggest name in the room is Graham, who is trying to take another leap after a productive first two seasons in Gainesville. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker was limited this spring after offseason shoulder surgery, but his résumé already includes 106 career tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 4 pass breakups, 3 sacks and 1 pass breakup.
Gasparato sees a player who already has a strong feel for the game.
"Myles is very mature, played a lot of snaps, and been very productive," Gasparato said. "Football comes very naturally to him."
Graham, who led the team with 76 tackles and added 7 tackles for loss in 12 starts last season, said the next step is broad-based improvement rather than just polishing one part of his game.
"I’ve got a long way to go to be the player I want to be," Graham said. "I just need an improvement in every area. I’ve been doing some self-scout and watching my film."
Behind him, Florida is also counting on Jaden Robinson and Aaron Chiles to keep pushing the unit forward. Robinson, a 6-foot-0, 227-pound senior from Columbia High in Lake City, has started the last two seasons and has piled up 105 career tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in three years at UF. Gasparato said Robinson has embraced the demand to be louder and more directive on the field.
"You've got to be able to talk, run, and hit to play linebacker," Gasparato said. "And if you can’t talk, it’s going to be really difficult to play this position. You have to overcommunicate, and I’ve challenged all of those guys to be vocal, Jaden included, and they’ve all made strides."
Chiles, a former Under Armour All-American teammate of Graham, is coming off a sophomore season with 52 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1 sack. The 6-foot-3 linebacker is now up to 236 pounds after what Graham called a strong offseason in the weight room.
"The sky is the limit for him," Graham said. "I think he has a great build. He has a lot of potential to fulfill and I'm excited to see it."
Depth could matter, too, and Florida has a couple of young options who showed enough last season to stay in the mix. Ty Jackson and Myles Johnson both flashed as true freshmen and could become more important if one of the projected starters goes down.
Johnson, at 6-1 and 239 pounds, had five tackles in 12 games last season. Jackson, listed at 6-2 and 225 pounds, recorded one tackle in 12 games.
The Gators also added four-star linebacker Malik Morris from Lakeland, who joined spring drills as an incoming freshman. Morris helped lead Lakeland to back-to-back state titles in 2022 and 2023.
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Florida Gets An Early Reality Check In Jon Sumrall Era
Florida opens a new chapter this fall under Jon Sumrall after the program moved on from Billy Napier, and the preseason picture around the Gators has been a reminder that a reset does not automatically come with instant respect. Florida checked in at No. 17 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Top 25, while the preseason All-SEC media poll pegged the Gators to finish ninth in the league, a spot that reflects both the skepticism outside Gainesville and the work still ahead in a rugged conference.
There is still enough talent here to make the conversation interesting. Florida returns five starters on each side of the ball, and a handful of players picked up preseason All-SEC recognition, which gives Sumrall a base to build from even in a year that begins with tempered expectations. The challenge now is turning that mix of returning pieces and preseason praise into something more convincing once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
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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 🡒]