Jon Sumrall Shares Excitement Level Ahead of Debut With Gators

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The Florida Gators are ushering in a new era of football heading into the 2026 season as it will be Jon Sumrall's first year as the head coach of the program. 

Sumrall comes to Florida after having great success over the past few years in his stints at Troy and Tulane. At Troy, Sumrall recorded a 23-4 record and was named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year in the 2022 season. 

He then spent two years at Tulane, where he posted a 20-8 record with a College Football Playoff Appearance in the 2025 season.

With his track record, the Gators have a lot of promise for the future and could reestablish themselves as one of the best programs in the country.

"The day is not about me. Coaches' days to me are Sunday through Friday…Saturday I want it to be about the players," Sumrall said about his excitement level heading into his first game as the Gators' head coach.

Sumrall has brought in a ton of talent to make Florida a competitive team right away despite going 4-8 in 2025. They utilized the transfer portal heavily, including at quarterback with Aaron Philo.

Philo comes over from Georgia Tech, where he played in eight career games, completing 59 of 102 passes (57.8 percent) for 938 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions while rushing for 95 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

While he doesn't have a ton of experience on the field, he earned the starting job, and the Gators have weapons around him to ease the pressure off him. 

One returning player who will have a major impact on offense is running back Jadan Baugh. Baugh had a solid freshman campaign in 2024, rushing for 673 yards and seven touchdowns, along with four receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown.

He had a breakout season in 2025, rushing for 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns while catching 33 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns.

The Gators will lean heavily on Baugh and the run game to help Philo transition into a starting quarterback.

Although they may not start the 2026 season as a ranked program, Florida has a talented roster and should be a competitive team in Sumrall's first season.

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