Florida No. 7 in The Athletic's way-too-early 2026 SEC vibes rankings
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Florida finished the 2025 regular season at No. 12 in The Athletic's SEC vibe rankings, but a strong transfer portal push from new head coach Jon Sumrall has the Gators up to No. 7 in the "way-too-early" update ahead of the 2026 campaign from Seth Emerson.
The offseason features several twists and turns, especially in the SEC. The transfer portal era allows teams to reinvent themselves almost overnight, and that's the hope in Gainesville. There was a mass exodus at Florida, but Sumrall retained several key players — even though DJ Lagway is now with Baylor — and filled many holes in the roster with some plug-and-play transfers.
Moving on from Billy Napier has many in Gainesville feeling optimistic, but an unproven coach also warrants some wariness.
"The vibes in Gainesville are conflicted," Emerson wrote. "On the one hand, another Group of 5 coach? This was not the assignment, Scott Stricklin. But on the other hand — say this in that reluctant but confident tone — former Tulane coach Jon Sumrall does seem kind of good."
Sumrall benefits from a strong "command-the-room aura," something Napier lacked and is considered crucial in the SEC. He's also assembled an all-star coaching staff, and at the top is offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech. Napier's reluctance to hire an OC ultimately cost him his job. Hiring Faulkner was an easy way for Sumrall to boost morale fast.
"Gator fans have been through enough the past four hires/fires to temper the optimism," Emerson continued. "Still, there’s optimism."
The Athletic's way-too-early SEC vibes rankings
- Kentucky Wildcats
- Texas A&M Aggies
- LSU Tigers
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Texas Longhorns
- Florida Gators
- Vanderbilt Commodores
- Oklahoma Sooners
- Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Missouri Tigers
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- South Carolina Gamecocks
- Auburn Tigers
- Arkansas Razorbacks
- Tennessee Volunteers
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football No. 7 in way-too-early 2026 SEC vibes rankings
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