Tracking Florida's 2026 transfer portal movement

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Transfer portal season is here, and the Florida Gators will be plenty active under new head coach Jon Sumrall.

While the portal doesn’t officially open until Jan. 2, several players have already announced their intentions to leave the program. Attrition is expected each offseason, but coaching changes often lead to more roster changes than normal. Jon Sumrall placed a high level of importance on player retention when discussing roster construction in his introductory press conference.

“Retention, in today’s college football world, is the most important thing to build a team,” Sumrall said. “We need those guys to stay, and that’s the first recruiting effort I have. “

The biggest domino has already fallen, with sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway announcing his departure from the program. Starting safety Jordan Castell is also leaving, as well as a handful of other announcements that came in on Monday, Dec. 15.

Gators Wire will update this list as each announcement is made.

Outgoing: QB DJ Lagway

Lagway thanked Gainesville and Gator Nation in an announcement on Dec. 15. A former five-star recruit and Florida’s starter for the past season and a half, it’s the most significant loss of the cycle for Sumrall and the Gators. The rising junior has two more years of eligibility and should be a plug-and-play starter for whichever Power Four program lands him.

With Florida, Lagway completed 328 of 529 passes for 4,179 yards and 28 touchdowns while rushing for 237 yards and a touchdown on 122 carries. He was named a Freshman All-American by several outlets in 2024, but an injury-plagued offseason led to struggles in 2025. Lagway led the SEC with 14 interceptions last season, upping his career total to 23 in 24 games played.

With Harrison Bailey and Clay Millen out of eligibility, Tramell Jones Jr., Aidan Warner and Aaron Williams remain in Florida’s quarterback room. Will Griffin, a four-star recruit, recently signed with the program as well. Expect Florida to pursue a quarterback in the portal to compete with Jones for the starting job.

Outgoing: S Jordan Castell

Castell was the second starter to depart from Florida, with the news breaking just hours after Lagway posted his announcement. A three-year starter for the Gators, Castell’s best season came in 2023 when he was named to the Freshman All-SEC Team and an ESPN Freshman All-American.

He made 34 consecutive starts for Florida, but Castell missed the final two games of his junior year after suffering an injury against Tennessee. Castell totaled 169 tackles (87 solo), 15 pass deflections, 3.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and one sack with Florida.

Losing a starter is never good for a team, but the Gators have depth at safety. Bryce Thornton has one more year of eligibility remaining, as does Sharif Denson, who has played the STAR position most of his collegiate career. Rising junior Aaron Gates is another option, as well as Drake Stubbs and Lagonza Hayward, both of whom came in as members of the 2025 signing class. Kaiden Hall and Dylan Purter signed during the early period, too.

Outgoing: RB KD Daniels

Despite not being a starter, running back KD Daniels is a significant loss for Florida. He spent time as a backup to Jadan Baugh this season, with Ja’Kobi Jackson and Treyaun Webb both injured. His departure makes sense, though. Daniels was never truly trusted as a backup, at least not the same way Jackson was. His 28 carries over 10 games are just one more than Jackson had in four games, and Duke Clark started to get more opportunities while preserving his redshirt.

A capable runner with a 4.3-yard average per carry this season, Daniels is likely looking for more playing time in the portal. He leaves Florida with 197 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries and 15 receiving yards on three catches.

With Clark and Webb likely to back up Baugh next season, Florida also has Chad Gasper Jr. and Byron Louis in its running backs room. Both Gasper and Louis redshirted this season. Florida did not add a running back in the 2026 early signing period. Sumrall and his staff could prioritize the position in the portal, especially if one of the above names leaves.

Outgoing: TE Amir Jackson

Rising sophomore tight end Amir Jackson also announced his intentions to transfer from Florida on a busy Dec. 15. A consensus four-star recruit who signed as part of the 2024 class, Jackson logged most of his snaps for the Gators on special teams.

Jackson redshirted after appearing in four games in 2024. Of his 24 snaps played that season, only 12 came on offense. He leaves Florida with three catches for 29 yards and a touchdown, all of which came in 2025. Jackson hasn’t lived up to his potential as a vertical threat tight end despite entering college at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds with solid receiving skills. However, teammates lauded his growth in practice and he could still find success with three years of eligibility remaining.

A primary reason for Jackson’s departure is the logjam ahead of him on the depth chart. Hayden Hansen and Tony Livingston played the majority of snaps at tight end for Florida, with both being better blockers than Jackson. Four-star signee Heze Kent figures to take his place as the No. 3 tight end on the roster. Micah Jones and Cameron Kossman both redshirted this year.

Outgoing: Walk-on WR Mike Peterson Jr.

Walk-on receiver Mike Peterson Jr. also announced his planned entry into the transfer portal on Monday. Non-scholarship losses rarely affect future plans, but Peterson is still a notable loss as a legacy player. His father, Mike Peterson, played for Florida from 1995-98 and served as an assistant coach under Billy Napier. The younger Peterson spent his first year of college ball at Arkansas State. He has three years of eligibility remaining.

Florida has tons of returning talent at receiver, including Vernell Brown III, Eugene Wilson III and Dallas Wilson. All three are considered starting-level talents. TJ Abrams, Tank Hawkins, Aidan Mizell and Naeshuan Montgomery are all strong players as well. Florida signed four-star receiver Davian Groce and athletes Marquez Daniel and Justin Williams during the early period.

Outgoing: Walk-on DL Tarvorise Brown

Florida’s second departure came from walk-on defensive lineman Tarvorise Brown, who joined the program in Fall 2024. He played three games each of his two seasons with Florida, logging 53 defensive snaps. Brown recorded five total tackles (two solo) at Florida. Billy Napier often referenced Brown as one of his staff’s evaluation success stories, but he never got the opportunity to play much for the Orange and Blue.

Florida has several scholarship defensive linemen eligible to return in 2025, including Brendan Bett, Michai Boireau, Jamari Lyons and Joseph Mbatchou. Florida added four-star lineman Kendall Guervil in the early signing period.

Outgoing: WR Muizz Tounkara

The first player to leave Florida for the transfer portal was freshman receiver Muizz Tounkara on Dec. 8. A former three-star recruit who signed as part of the 2025 class, Tounkara played in eight games as a true freshman this season. He recorded two catches for 12 yards as a member of a crowded receivers room. He has three years of eligibility remaining.

Florida has tons of returning talent at receiver, including Vernell Brown III, Eugene Wilson III and Dallas Wilson. All three are considered starting-level talents. TJ Abrams, Tank Hawkins, Aidan Mizell and Naeshuan Montgomery are all strong players as well. Florida signed four-star receiver Davian Groce and athletes Marquez Daniel and Justin Williams during the early period.

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators football 2026 transfer portal tracker

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