Florida Gators' 2026 Schedule Preview: Vanderbilt Commodores
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The 2026 college football season officially begins this weekend, which means it's time to examine the Florida Gators' schedule for the upcoming season.
With the hiring of former Tulane Green Waves head coach Jon Sumrall this offseason, the newest additions to the coaching staff will look to revamp the program in 2026 and beyond.
However, in order for Sumrall to put Florida on the right track this year, the Gators must battle through a brutal SEC schedule, with the Vanderbilt Commodores and head coach Clark Lea being a threat in the later parts of the season.
Other previews
Game Information
- Week 12
- Nov 21 at Home
- Betting lines: TBD
Offense
Following the departure of star quarterback Diego Pavia this offseason, the Commodores will turn to senior Blaze Berlowitz to begin the 2026 season.
Berlowitz spent last season sitting behind Pavia after transferring to the program three years ago. Despite not seeing much playing time throughout his college career (265 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in seven games), the dual-threat playmaker perfectly fits into Vanderbilt's run-heavy offense. But will he be the program's starter by Week 12? Former five-star prospect Jared Curtis made a strong push for the QB1 role this offseason, and the freshman quarterback could easily take over the Commodores' offense in 2026 if Berlowitz begins to struggle during the season.
The quarterback position was a huge factor in the run game last year, but without Pavia at the helm, Lea must focus his attention on a pair of running backs in Sedrick Alexander and Makhilyn Young this year.
Outside of Pavia being the focal point of the run game in 2025, both Alexander and Young pulled their weight on offense, combining for 981 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. While the quarterback position will likely remain a key factor on the ground next year, the incredible one-two punch of Alexander and Young makes Vanderbilt's offense even more lethal in 2026.
Even with the Commodores' run-heavy offense, Lea and the coaching staff possess a terrific receiving threat in Junior Sherrill, who is poised for a breakout season this year. The senior wide receiver notched 784 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 54 receptions in 2025, but with tight end Eli Stowers off to the NFL, it's clear that Sherrill will be looked upon more often in the passing game. At 5-foot-11, 200 lbs., many NFL Draft analysts have compared him to former Indiana Hoosiers' wideout Omar Cooper Jr. for his elite yards-after-the-catch ability.
Defense
On defense, Vanderbilt's leader in sacks from last season, defensive end Miles Capers, is back for his senior season with the program.
In 2025, Capers ended the year with 40 tackles, five tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and two pass breakups. With Zaylin Wood and Khordae Sydnor out of the mix for the Commodores this year, Capers will be looked upon to lead the team's pass rush unit.
The main facilitators for success on defense this year, however, will be Vanderbilt's stout linebacker core of Bryan Longwell and Nick Rinaldi.
During the duo's junior campaign in 2025, both Longwell and Rinaldi combined for 118 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and three pass breakups. Now, with a full year of experience under their belt, the impressive linebacker core will once again be a force on defense this year and cause issues for the Gators' run game.
Looking at the secondary unit, the Commodores possess two key difference-makers in cornerback Martel Hight and safety CJ Heard.
In 2025, Hight was the lockdown cornerback for the program, finishing with 35 tackles, four interceptions, and two pass breakups. To make matters more difficult for opposing offenses, Heard was a lethal strong safety as an underclassman, ending the year with 71 tackles, three pass breakups, two sacks, and one interception. Together, Hight and Heard will play major roles on defense once again in 2026.
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