Florida will open Jon Sumrall’s first season in a familiar spot in the SEC pecking order: the middle of the pack, at least in the eyes of the league’s media.
The Gators were slotted ninth in the Southeastern Conference’s predicted order of finish for 2026, the league announced Friday. Georgia, meanwhile, was picked to win the conference and landed No. 1 in the preseason projection.
Here’s how the full order shook out: Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida, Missouri, South Carolina, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Arkansas.
Georgia also drew the most votes to win the SEC title, finishing with 88. Texas followed with 57, then Ole Miss with six, Texas A&M with five, Alabama with three, Oklahoma with two, LSU with two and Kentucky with one.
Florida did manage to get some individual recognition in the league’s preseason honors. Three Gators earned spots across four positions on the Preseason All-SEC teams: running back Jadan Baugh, edge rusher Jayden Woods and wide receiver Vernell Brown III.
Baugh landed on the second team at running back and also made the third team as an all-purpose player. Woods was named a third-team defensive lineman, while Brown was selected as a third-team return specialist.
The rest of the All-SEC teams were loaded with familiar heavyweight names from around the league, but Florida’s presence was notable given how much has changed in Gainesville since Sumrall took over in December.
His arrival triggered a major overhaul. Sumrall replaced Billy Napier and immediately reshaped the staff, starting with the hire of Buster Faulkner as offensive play-caller. Faulkner comes off a three-season run at Georgia Tech that helped push the Yellow Jackets to No. 11 nationally in yards per game at 460 and No. 26 in points per game at 32.2 in 2025.
On the other side of the ball, Sumrall brought in Brad White, the former Kentucky defensive coordinator, to run the defense. Sumrall worked under White with the Wildcats, coaching inside linebackers and serving as co-defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021.
Florida’s roster also looks very different heading into 2026. The Gators added 52 new players this offseason, including 32 from the NCAA transfer portal and 20 high school signees. The transfer class was headlined by quarterback Aaron Philo; wide receivers Eric Singleton Jr. and Micah Mays Jr.; offensive linemen Eagan Boyer, Harrison Moore and TJ Shanahan Jr.; safeties DJ Coleman, Cam Dooley and Kanye Clark; defensive end Emmanuel Oyebadejo and tight end Luke Harpring.
The high school haul included nine four-star prospects from the 2026 recruiting class.
Those newcomers will mix with a group of holdovers Florida worked to keep in place, including Baugh, Brown, Woods, linebacker Myles Graham, wide receiver Dallas Wilson, left guard Knijeah Harris, safety Bryce Thornton, cornerbacks Cormani McClain and Ben Hanks III and others.
In Other News...
Jon Sumrall Just Sent A Clear Message About Florida's Identity
Jon Sumrall made plenty of noise at SEC Football Media Days, and not just because of the usual summer talking points. The Florida coach came across as energetic and firm, even drawing attention for the way he handled a phone disruption during his session. More broadly, he used the platform to project the kind of edge and accountability he wants attached to the program, the sort of tone that can matter as much as any depth-chart battle in July.
He also stood apart from some of the grumbling around the league about the SECs new nine-game conference schedule. While other coaches focused on the strain and the postseason implications, Sumrall signaled a different posture, one built around accepting the challenge rather than looking for an escape hatch. It fit the image he was trying to sell in Atlanta, and it left the clearest question hanging: whether that no-excuses identity will become Floridas actual calling card once the games start. [Read more 🡒]
Jon Sumrall Just Confronted Florida's Biggest Roadblock To Elite Status
Jon Sumrall has barely settled into Gainesville, but the new Florida coach is already leaning into one of the programs biggest realities: restoring the Gators to elite status will take more than a fresh voice on the sideline. He has sought guidance from Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer as he tries to map out the next phase of the rebuild, while also making it clear to fans that their backing matters as much as anything happening inside the football offices.
The challenge is bigger than wins and losses. Florida is trying to rebuild its recruiting strength and overall competitive footing after years of falling short of its old standard, and Sumrall has been direct about the need for stronger support around the program. The Gators still have a fan base with deep history and expectations, but turning that into the kind of sustained edge Florida once had is the roadblock he has stepped into first. [Read more 🡒]
Baugh Brown III And Woods Put Floridas Young Core On Notice
Floridas young core is already drawing SEC attention before the season even starts, with Jadan Baugh, Vernell Brown III and Jayden Woods all landing on preseason All-SEC teams as voted on by media members at SEC Media Days. Baugh was recognized on the second team at running back and also made the third team as an all-purpose player, while Brown earned third-team honors as a return specialist and Woods was tabbed for the third team on the defensive line.
For a program trying to build around rising talent, the trios inclusion says plenty about how quickly Floridas next wave has moved from promising to proven. Baughs breakout as a runner has given the Gators a centerpiece in the backfield, Brown has already shown he can matter in the passing game and on special teams, and Woods made an immediate impact as a freshman off the edge. The bigger question now is how much more each of them can take on when the spotlight gets brighter and the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]