Florida’s depth chart is back in public view, and Jon Sumrall isn’t making a big mystery out of it.
Ahead of Monday’s press conference, the Gators released their Week 1 game notes for Saturday’s 7:45 p.m. ET matchup with Florida Atlantic, and buried inside the 77-page packet was something Florida fans hadn’t seen in a while: a depth chart. It’s been nearly two years since UF last put one out, after the program stopped doing so once the SEC’s availability reports became part of the routine in 2024 and former coach Billy Napier chose not to keep publishing it.
That made the return worth watching during fall camp, especially with Sumrall now in charge. The first-year Florida coach has already built a reputation around Gainesville for being direct and open, and when he was asked about the possibility of releasing a depth chart, he didn’t sound bothered by the idea at all.
“I hadn't thought about who I'm going to release it to. I don't have a problem with it being released publicly, Scott can handle all that.
I don't care about what's public, really. If you want to know who practiced first with the ones each day, I'll tell you.
I'd have to go back and look at my script because we roll them in and out so much right now," Sumrall said on Aug. 10.
"We'll have a depth chart at some point. You got to have a depth chart.
You don't go into a game and go 'I think we're going to play this guy, maybe'."
Three weeks later, Florida did exactly that.
And according to Sumrall, the public release didn’t expose anything the players inside the building didn’t already know. He said the program has been straightforward about where everyone stands, and that there’s no benefit in keeping players guessing. The message is simple: earn more with better work in practice and better play in games.
“We're really, really direct. I don't hide things with our players.
I'm brutally honest. My wife would tell you that's one of my greatest strengths and maybe one of my greatest weaknesses.
I'm going to tell you the truth. If you like the truth, you're gonna love being around me.
If you hate the truth, you're gonna hate being around me. Everybody on our depth chart, wherever they are, they know why.
There's no, like, surprises, so, we take things head on. I think the players deserve that.
They put in too much time and too much work to not have real conversations with them. You get what you earn in this game.
You want to play more, practice great. When you get your opportunities in games, if you want to play more after that, play good in the game.
You'll get to play more.”
For Florida, the depth chart’s return was a small thing on paper. Inside the program, Sumrall made clear it’s part of a much larger commitment to being plain with his players about where they stand.
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