Florida’s linebacker room already has a veteran backbone, but the name pushing hardest to join the mix is a sophomore who barely got on the field a year ago.
Ty Jackson, once a reserve and special teams piece, has turned heads throughout the offseason and into fall camp, enough to earn praise from head coach Jon Sumrall after the Gators’ first scrimmage. In Saturday’s work, Jackson forced a fumble inside the 5-yard-line, and the defense finished the play by recovering it in the end zone.
“We came in, and you could watch him in the winter conditioning. You’re like, 'This guy’s talented,'" Sumrall told Florida Gators on SI on Monday.
"Reminds me of Jamin Davis when I got to Kentucky. I’m like, 'Who’s that guy?'
Well, he hasn’t played at all, and I’m like, 'Well he looks pretty good.' That’s Ty Jackson."
Jackson arrived with a big reputation. ESPN ranked him the No. 1 interior linebacker and No. 54 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class after he piled up nearly 400 tackles in 32 high school games at Loxahatchee (Fla.)
Seminole Ridge. He averaged 12.2 tackles per game there and added 15 tackles for loss, six sacks and four interceptions.
That production hasn’t shown up in a college box score yet, but Florida believes the tools are starting to show up in camp. Sumrall described Jackson as “physically gifted” and said he is “getting way better.” The coach pointed to growth in Jackson’s football IQ, confidence, vision and overall adjustment to the speed of the game.
“He’s still, I mean by nature and who he is as a person, he’s not naturally a real loud, talkative guy" Sumrall said. "I’m in the team room the other day trying to see if he could yell to the team louder than me.
He still can’t because at linebacker, I think you have to have a voice. You can’t be quiet.
He’s seeing things cleaner and his vision lines have improved. He’s adjusting better.
His spatial awareness has improved. He’s always had great athletic training.
Now his football training is elevating.”
Brendan Bett sees the same thing from the defensive side of the ball. The lineman called Jackson “quiet as a mouse,” but also said the sophomore plays with plenty of force.
“He comes downhill like crazy. I think out of all of our linebackers, one of the best linebackers that comes downhill.
Like when you hear him thud, you hear him thud. You know it’s Ty Jackson.
Stuff like that we need from the defense.”
Florida’s linebacker group still runs through senior Jaden Robinson and rising third-years Myles Graham and Aaron Chiles. Graham is viewed as a surefire starter, while Chiles and Robinson are expected to be major pieces, too. But with the Gators moving deeper into fall camp, Jackson has made enough noise to put himself into the conversation for a regular role this season.
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