Florida’s preseason No. 1 ranking comes with a familiar face at the center of it: Thomas Haugh.
The senior forward was named to the preseason AP All-America team on Wednesday, Oct. 21, placing him among the top five players in the country as the 2026-27 season approaches. That kind of recognition matches the trajectory Haugh has been building since he first carved out meaningful minutes for Florida in 2023-24.
Now entering his senior year, Haugh is coming off his best season yet. He started all 34 games last year and became one of the defining pieces for a Gators team carrying enormous expectations into the new season under head coach Todd Golden.
Haugh’s place on the AP list was backed by 56 votes, the second-most in the nation. Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. led the way, while Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner finished with 43 votes, Illinois’ David Mirkovic with 24, and Arizona’s Motiejus Krivas with 17. Florida teammates Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon also picked up votes, but neither cracked the top five.
The recognition also puts Haugh in rare company in Florida history. The school noted that the 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward is now in the same conversation as Walter Clayton Jr. as the only players in program history to earn All-America honors from all four major selectors.
That climb has been steady and, at times, surprising in how far it’s gone. Haugh averaged just 14.7 minutes per game when he first got on the floor for the Gators three seasons ago. He started only two games that season, then five in 2024-25, before taking a massive leap last year.
In 2025-26, Haugh posted career highs with 17.1 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 46.0% from the floor and attempting a career-high 400 field goals.
Florida opens the season on Monday, Nov. 2 against the Miami Hurricanes in Tampa, FL.
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