Five questions: Will Jon Sumrall turn around Gators in Year 1?

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As the revamped Gators begin their first season under coach Jon Sumrall, UF hopes to answer several questions heading into a pivotal season.

Do Jon Sumrall’s Gators play cleaner football?

Sumrall preaches discipline and accountability, two qualities sorely lacking as the tenures of Dan Mullen and Billy Napier unraveled.

The beginning of the end for Mullen was Marco Wilson’s shoe toss against LSU in 2020. A 15-penalty night at Kentucky, capped by the Wildcats’ touchdown return of a blocked field goal, accelerated Mullen’s demise and began a five-year stretch with just one winning season.

During his first spring in Florida, Napier said, “More games are lost than won,” referring to past mistakes costing UF victories. His Gators soon proved it with head-scratching penalties and poor decisions. Game mismanagement also doomed Napier’s Gators.

Two players wore the same number during a punt return at Utah in a one-sided loss to open the 2023 season. An llegal subsitution penalty before a missed field goal handed Arkansas its first SEC win that November. Napier’s fate was effectively sealed in 2025 when defensive tackle Brendan Bett was penalized and ejected for spitting on a USF player, igniting the Bulls’ game-winning drive.

Sumrall’s team doesn’t have to be perfect, just can’t look undiscplined and poorly coached.

Can Florida win in the trenches?

Sumrall’s teams built their reputation on tougheness during his two seasons apiece at Troy and Tulane, where he produced four conference champions and three 11-game winners. After spending 2002-04 battling in the SEC as a Kentucky linebacker, Florida’s new coach knows championships are won at the line of scrimmage.

Following the spring game, Sumrall put his offensive line on notice: “Those guys have to have a freaking great summer or we got no chance.”

The message landed. Several linemen shed 10, 20 or even 30 pounds while adding lean muscle. At SEC Media Days, Sumrall singled out Georgia Tech transfer Harrison Moore and Penn State transfer TJ Shanahan, who followed new offensive line coach Phil Trautwein to Gainesville. Trautwein, a two-time national champion at Florida, demands relentless work ethic and attention to detail.

Defensively, Bett and linebacker Myles Graham and promising sophomores Jayden Woods and LJ McCray give Florida the the pieces to field its best front seven in years.

Napier’s teams too often were pushed around on both sides of the ball. Last season’s experienced and highly touted offensive line wilted against the nation’s best. Sumrall will expect this group to set a different tone.

What will Brad White demand of his defense?

White coaches an attacking, physical style that gave Florida fits during his time as Kentucky’s defensive coordinator. The Wildcats won four of the school’s past five meetings, three by double digits. Florida, meanwhile, finiished 12th, 15th, 11th and 12th in SEC defense over the past four seasons.

White fielded Top-25 defenses nationally in 2019, 2021 and 2022. In 2023, Kentucky ranked second in the SEC against the run, allowing an average of 113.1 yards, and finished third with 18 takeaways. In 2022 and 2024, White’s defenses allowed the fewest plays of 10 yards or more — the statistic he values most. Florida ranked 13th and 15th in that category those same seasons.

“The most successful defenses are the ones that give up the least explosive plays,” he said.

White said it it all starts up front.

“When (you) can be physical, you don’t have to commit as many to whether it’s pressuring or loading the box,” he said. “When we own that part of the game, we got a chance to play really good defense.”

Will Sumrall’s energy and attitude translate to wins?

Teams take on the personality of their coach. Gator Nation checked out on Napier’s measured, detached style long before decision-makers did. By the end, Napier’s players had lost their edge.

“We just kind of fell apart,” Graham said.

During the offseason, the 44-year-old Sumrall captured the hearts of fans with his candor, wit and intensity. His players already were sold.

Florida’s new coach held everyone accountable, from stars to the scout-teamers. His “Break Bread Brothers” program paired unfamiliar teammates for lunch, ask questions, then had them share what they learned about each other with the team.

“I liked it, it was cool,” Graham said. “We had a lot of roster turnover, so it was a big deal to learn each other and get close with each other.”

Sumrall has pushed the right buttons, and his players appear fully bought in. Rebounding from a four-win season won’t be easy, but the Gators seem to have the right leadership and mentality.

Is there enough experience and depth?

The Gators are loaded at running back, with plenty of talent behind star Jadan Baugh. Vernell Brown III, Eric Singleton and Dallas Wilson highlight a deep receiving corps.

The biggest questions come elsewhere. Quarterbacks Aaron Philo and Tramell Jones Jr. have one college start between them. Along the offensive line, only two-year starting guard Knijeah Harris has more than 10 SEC starts.

Defensively, Bett anchors the interior line, while sophomores Joseph Mbatchou and Jeremiah McCloud look poised for second-year jumps after promising freshman seasons. Graham headlines an experienced, productive linebacker group with Aaron Chiles and Jaden Robinson, but proven depth is thin.

The secondary features veteran safeties Bryce Thornton and DJ Coleman, while Kentucky transfer Cam Dooley already knows White’s system. Cornerback Cormani McClain is still chasing his potential and Dijon Johnson is returning from an ACL tear, but redshirt freshmen Ben Hanks Jr. and Ja’Vari Flowers could emerge as the top options. UCLA transfer Kanye Clark has impressed in a hybrid defensive role despite just 14 career appearances, but true freshman Dylan Purter might be next in line.

There are still many unanswered questions. The SEC’s best teams separate themselves with quality depth, something the Gators are eager to prove they possess.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com.

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