Florida Gators are potential CFB Playoff crashers this season
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Florida football was left off the preseason AP Top 25 for the first time since 2022, receiving just 51 votes.
The Gators landed at a de facto No. 27 ranking following a disappointing 4-8 campaign in 2025, which prompted the firing of head coach Billy Napier. Despite the omission, CBS Sports believes that new head coach Jon Sumrall and the Gators are among eight unranked teams capable of reaching the College Football Playoff this season.
The primary reason for optimism surrounding UF is the arrival of Sumrall, a figure who has injected a renewed energy into the program. After leading Tulane to its first College Football Playoff berth, the 44-year-old thinks he can transform the identity in Gainesville and restore a winning mentality to the Orange and Blue.
College football writer Brad Crawford describes the Gators as fast, physical and disciplined under Sumrall.
"Jon Sumrall's blueprint travels. His teams play fast, hit hard and rarely beat themselves — three traits that can flip close games against a demanding schedule like the Gators face in the SEC this season. The Gators enter the final days of fall camp without an identifiable starting quarterback, but Sumrall is not bothered," Crawford wrote.
A quarterback competition continues to loom over the team as Sumrall has yet to declare a starter. Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo and Tramell Jones Jr. have been neck and neck since spring camp, and the battle appears to be going down to the wire. Philo brings experience in offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner's system, which is a perceived advantage for the redshirt sophomore.
Florida successfully retained key pieces of its roster this offseason, while supplementing departures through a lauded transfer portal class. The wide receiver and running back rooms have been identified as strengths for the Gators.
UF lured Eric Singleton Jr. from Auburn to be their No. 1 receiver — the senior has over 150 receptions and 2,000 yards to go along with 13 touchdowns over a three-year career. The running back unit added Cincinnati transfer Evan Pryor and convinced London Montgomery to leave East Carolina.
Sumrall has a history of instant success at both Troy and Tulane, but with considerably greater resources at Florida, the expectations remain high. UF's greatest hurdle will be its grueling SEC road schedule. The Gators visit Auburn, Missouri, Texas and Kentucky this fall. They also host three top-10 teams in No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 10 Oklahoma, playing No. 3 Georgia in a neutral-site game.
"If the Gators establish an identity early and survive September, they possess the roster, coaching edge and home-field juice to crash the playoff conversation," Crawford wrote.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators are potential CFB Playoff crashers this season
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