Florida’s NFL presence is already deep entering Week 1, with 43 former Gators making initial rosters after cutdown day.
That number reflects more than just a healthy alumni list. It shows a program still sending a wide range of talent to the league, from former first-round picks to undrafted players, with a few veterans on injured reserve or another injury designation while still under contract. The result is a footprint that stretches across the NFL as teams settle on their opening rosters for the 2026 season.
The group on offense is led by familiar headliners. Anthony Richardson and Kyle Pitts headline the ex-Gators on that side of the ball, while O’Cyrus Torrence and Jawaan Taylor give Florida established names in the trenches. Ricky Pearsall anchors a receiver group that also features several younger players still carving out roles.
Florida’s quarterbacks on NFL rosters are Anthony Richardson with the Indianapolis Colts and Graham Mertz with the Houston Texans.
At running back, Malik Davis is with the Dallas Cowboys.
The wideout list includes Chimere Dike of the Tennessee Titans, Justin Shorter of the Las Vegas Raiders, J. Michael Sturdivant of the Green Bay Packers, Ricky Pearsall of the San Francisco 49ers and Demarcus Robinson, also of the 49ers.
Kyle Pitts Sr. is with the Atlanta Falcons at tight end.
The offensive line group is especially crowded. David Sharpe is with the Baltimore Ravens, Austin Barber with the Cleveland Browns, Trent Brown with the Houston Texans, Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson with the Tennessee Titans, O’Cyrus Torrence with the Buffalo Bills, Jake Slaughter with the Los Angeles Chargers, Jawaan Taylor with the Atlanta Falcons, Stone Forsythe with the Carolina Panthers, Fred Johnson with the Philadelphia Eagles and D.J. Humphries with the Washington Commanders.
On defense, Florida’s alumni mix proven production with a younger wave trying to stick. Jonathan Greenard, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Alex Anzalone are among the more established former Gators still making noise in the league, while Gervon Dexter Sr., Caleb Banks and Shemar James represent the next layer of the pipeline.
Up front, TJ Slaton Jr. is with the Cincinnati Bengals, Caleb Banks with the Minnesota Vikings, Gervon Dexter Sr. with the Atlanta Falcons, Cam Jackson with the Carolina Panthers, Jonathan Bullard with the Dallas Cowboys and Zach Carter with the Arizona Cardinals.
The EDGE group includes George Gumbs Jr. with the Indianapolis Colts, Brenton Cox Jr. with the Green Bay Packers, Jonathan Greenard with the Philadelphia Eagles and Dante Fowler Jr. with the Seattle Seahawks.
At linebacker, Ventrell Miller is with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Alex Anzalone with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Shemar James with the Dallas Cowboys.
Florida also has a strong showing in the secondary. C.J.
Gardner-Johnson is with the Buffalo Bills, Jason Marshall Jr. with the Miami Dolphins, C.J. Henderson with the Atlanta Falcons and Devin Moore with the Dallas Cowboys.
Special teams remains one of Florida’s clearest strengths at the pro level, with seven former Gators on NFL rosters. Evan McPherson is with the Cincinnati Bengals, Tommy Townsend with the Tennessee Titans, Tommy Doman Jr. with the Buffalo Bills, Jeremy Crawshaw with the Denver Broncos, Trey Smack with the Green Bay Packers, Rocco Underwood with the Philadelphia Eagles and Eddy Piñeiro with the San Francisco 49ers.
For Florida fans, that’s a lot of familiar names to track every week - 43 former Gators spread across the league and already part of the NFL landscape.
In Other News...
Florida May Not Keep This Rising Assistant Much Longer
Greg Gasparatos stock is climbing fast enough that Florida may not get to enjoy him in the same role for long. The Athletic recently included the Gators linebackers coach among 25 rising coaches to watch before the 2026 season, a nod that reflects how quickly he has built momentum after stops as a defensive coordinator and interim head coach at Troy, then following Jon Sumrall to Tulane and on to Gainesville.
For Florida, that kind of recognition is good and complicated at the same time. Gasparato has already drawn Power Four coordinator interest, and he looks like the sort of coach who could be in line for a bigger job sooner rather than later, which only adds to the sense that his time as a position coach in Gainesville could be part of a longer audition than anyone first expected. [Read more 🡒]
Gators Fans Finally Get A Real Look At Sumrall's Roster Battle
Floridas Week 1 depth chart for the opener against Florida Atlantic did more than list names and positions. It marked the programs first public release of that kind in nearly two years, giving fans and the team a clearer view of where things stand heading into the new season. For a roster still taking shape under Jon Sumrall, the move offered a straightforward snapshot of roles for the contest and a little more clarity than the Gators have given the public lately.
Sumrall has made no secret of where he stands on the issue, saying he favors transparency with players about where they fit and what kind of playing time they can expect. That approach makes the depth chart more than a formality for the opener. It is a small but useful signal about how openly this staff plans to handle roster battles, and it gives Florida followers their first real look at how those decisions are being sorted out before the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Basketball May Be Closing In On A Recruiting Breakthrough
Florida basketball is spending part of its recruiting energy on two of the most intriguing high school visitors in the country, with Beckham Black and Colton Hiller both making their way through Gainesville. Black, a five-star point guard in the 2027 class, arrives with plenty of attention already attached to his name as the brother of NBA player Anthony Black, while Hiller comes in as the top-ranked player in the 2028 class and has emerged as one of the sports premier young prospects.
The timing matters, too, because Florida appears to be leaning harder into marquee prep recruiting as roster turnover looms. Both prospects carry multiple offers and the sort of national profile that can change the ceiling of a class, and Hillers family ties to Florida football recruit Maxwell Hiller add another layer of familiarity to the visit. For a program trying to build momentum on the trail, this is the kind of stretch that can hint at a bigger shift in how the Gators want to construct the roster going forward. [Read more 🡒]