With the 2025 NFL season officially wrapped - capped by the Seattle Seahawks’ 29-13 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX - all eyes now shift to the offseason. And make no mistake, this is where front offices earn their paychecks. Between now and March 9, when the free agency negotiation window opens, the league enters one of its busiest stretches: the franchise tag window opens, the NFL Scouting Combine takes over Indianapolis, and yes, the trade winds are already starting to swirl.
For Florida Gators fans, this offseason brings more than just curiosity about where top NFL stars will land - it’s also a showcase of the program’s next wave of talent. Nine former Gators have received invites to the 2026 NFL Combine, a strong showing that speaks to both the depth and development happening in Gainesville.
The NFL announced that 319 prospects will participate in this year’s Combine, a critical evaluation stage for teams preparing for the draft. Among them: wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant; offensive linemen Austin Barber and Jake Slaughter; defensive linemen Caleb Banks, George Gumbs Jr., and Tyreak Sapp; cornerback Devin Moore; kicker Trey Smack; and punter Tommy Doman Jr.
That’s a near double-digit group of Gators heading to Indy, each with a shot to raise their draft stock in front of general managers, scouts, and coaching staffs from all 32 teams. It's a testament to the talent pipeline Florida continues to produce - and it wouldn't be surprising to see that number grow in the years ahead.
While the Combine spotlights the future, there's also a familiar face from Florida’s past making headlines this offseason: Eddy Pineiro. The former Gators kicker is coming off a stellar season and has been highlighted as a must-retain free agent for the San Francisco 49ers.
Now, picking a kicker as a team’s priority free agent might raise some eyebrows - but not when that kicker is Pineiro. He was nearly automatic in 2025, converting 28 of 29 field goal attempts.
That 97% success rate led the entire NFL. In a league where close games are often decided by a single kick, that level of consistency is invaluable.
If you followed Pineiro during his Florida days, this kind of performance doesn’t come as a shock. A former soccer player out of Miami who transitioned to football, Pineiro was electric during his time in Gainesville.
Between the end of the 2016 season and the entirety of 2017, he nailed 29 of his final 30 field goal attempts. He wrapped up his college career with an 88.4% conversion rate (38-for-43) - the best in school history for any kicker with at least 35 attempts.
At the time, his 38 made field goals ranked sixth all-time at Florida, though he’s since been passed by Evan McPherson and Trey Smack. Still, Pineiro’s legacy is secure.
He hit 16 straight field goals to end the 2017 season, tying Jeff Chandler’s 2001 mark for the second-longest streak in program history. He also finished that year with a national-best 94.4% field goal percentage.
Now, with Smack entering the NFL and Pineiro thriving in it, Florida could soon have two of its own playing pivotal roles as kickers at the professional level. It’s a quiet kind of dominance - but one that wins games when it matters most.
As the Combine approaches and free agency looms, the Gators are well-positioned - both in terms of the talent they’re sending to the league and the impact their alumni are already making. The next few weeks will be crucial, not just for NFL teams shaping their rosters, but for a group of former Gators looking to take the next step in their football journeys.