Jon Sumrall Embraces the Realities of the Transfer Era as He Takes Over at Florida
GAINESVILLE - Jon Sumrall’s coaching journey has come full circle - from a redshirt freshman linebacker left off Kentucky’s travel roster to the head coach of one of the SEC’s most high-profile programs. And as he prepares to take the reins at Florida in 2026, Sumrall brings with him not just a defensive mind and a track record of success, but a very real understanding of what today’s college football players are navigating.
Back in 2002, Sumrall was a frustrated 19-year-old when Kentucky made the trip to Gainesville without him. He was on the travel list - until he wasn’t.
“I was on the travel list, and got taken off the day before because we had an injured receiver and needed to take another receiver, not another defensive player,” Sumrall recalled Wednesday. “I was on the fringe of the travel roster at that time, and so didn’t make the trip.”
He admits he was ready to transfer - if the portal had existed back then. The plan?
Head back home to Alabama A&M. But his dad had other ideas.
“I had a dad who said, quit whining and get better and make yourself good enough they can’t leave you off the travel roster,” Sumrall said. “So I probably would have maybe on my own accord at some point, but grateful for a dad who wouldn’t let me look for the easy way out.”
That moment stuck with him. And now, as a head coach in an era where the transfer portal and NIL have reshaped the college football landscape, Sumrall isn’t judging players who make moves - even when they’re leaving his own program.
“There’s so many things at play,” he said. “I respect every guy’s decision. I’m never going to belittle or demean a guy for what decision he feels like he’s got to make.”
Sumrall is still preparing No. 11 Tulane for a College Football Playoff opening-round matchup against No.
6 Ole Miss this Saturday - a game that could be his final one with the Green Wave. But back in Gainesville, the roster he’s inheriting is already shifting.
More than 10 Florida players from the 2025 roster have announced their plans to transfer. Among the names drawing the most attention: 1,000-yard rusher Jadan Baugh, who capped his season with a monster 266-yard performance against Florida State. Baugh has become one of the most coveted backs in the portal, with Texas - now led by former Gators assistant Jabbar Juluke - reportedly making a strong push.
Then there’s wide receivers Vernell Brown III and Dallas Wilson, two of the most electric freshmen in the country this past season. Both have the kind of upside that makes them instant-impact players anywhere - and that means other programs are circling.
And earlier this week, quarterback DJ Lagway officially entered the portal. After a rocky 2025 campaign, Lagway’s decision reportedly came down to two factors: NIL compensation and the knowledge that Sumrall plans to bring in a transfer QB to compete for the starting job.
Sumrall isn’t naive about the role money plays in these decisions. He’s lived it firsthand at Tulane.
In 2024, star quarterback Darian Mensah left the Green Wave for Duke after the regular season, chasing both Power Four competition and a significant NIL payday.
“Darian got probably eight times more than we could pay him here, maybe 10 times more,” Sumrall said. “He made about $4 million.
We probably could have paid him maybe 400 (thousand). I’m kind of like, well, yeah, I get it.”
Tulane went on to lose the 2024 Gasparilla Bowl 33-8 to Florida without Mensah under center. But there was no bitterness from Sumrall - only understanding.
“Darian Mensah, I’m still really close to to this day,” he said. “When guys are making decisions based upon a little bit of money, it’s not completely life-changing, sometimes you have to help them see the reasons you may want to stick with a certain place. Everybody has to go through their own process.”
That’s the balancing act for coaches in 2025: building a program while navigating a college football world where loyalty, opportunity, and financial incentive are constantly pulling at players in different directions.
Sumrall gets it. He’s lived it. And as he steps into one of the toughest jobs in the SEC, he’s not just trying to build a roster - he’s trying to build trust.
“It’s the world we live in,” he said.