Florida Football: Sumrall is Serious

Coach Sumrall finishes his first Spring pleased but with more work to do.

By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com Football Analyst, Host of the Lowdown with Loren Meadows

“It ain’t a matter of if we’re gonna win here it’s how fast were gonna win, it’s coming”

Jon Sumrall (GatorBait photo)

How was the Orange and Blue Game this afternoon? The pregame atmosphere was great, the crowd was exceptional. Both Aaron Philo and Trammell Jones flashed in different spots, and the defense was up and down as the offense and defense finished the game deadlocked at 45 points in what we will call the Sumrall Scoring System. Spring games rarely give anyone an idea of what is truly to come for the season to follow. Case in point, quarterback Harrison Bailey was the star of the show in last year’s game and proceeded to lose the backup job to Jones and was never heard from again. So with that I caution anyone that is trying to make an educated observation about the first edition of the Sumrall led Gators will look like and go forward with the fact that this coach knows what he wants and is no mood for anything less.

If asked what impressed me most on Saturday is that for the first time in four years it felt like Florida’s football coach was ready to talk football and talk about it all day. No philosophical slight of hand, no mention of content nor character, football is our business and we got a long way to go. Going forward everything is up for grabs and on a day where things can be fun and lively Sumrall chose to make some of his players a little uncomfortable. Prospective starter at right tackle Bryce Lovett played some at left tackle, cornerback Cormani McClain played with both the first and second defense, and both units quickly had to change gears after success and failure. 

Sumrall plans to be honest with every player on his team because everybody matters, and while questions first turned to the quarterback position he is equally concerned with who is at left tackle, tight end, and running back. Furthermore as spring comes to an end the discretionary period where the players are left to a couple weeks of self-development Sumrall has made it clear that this is yet another part of the process. “I told our team earlier this week I’m gonna learn a lot about this football team in the couple weeks they have.” Meaning guys better come back ready to work for organized activities.

Ultimately it all comes down to a coach that has used the spring to find out what he has to work with in a new landscape where your team is set as the spring transfer portal is now obsolete. While ever critical Sumrall did complement the defense stating “we are ahead of where I thought we would be”, particularly in the defensive front where Sumrall thought they had a solid day. Completely dialed in he turned to their counterparts on the offensive line stating that strength coach Rusty Whitt is a “lineman builder” and that unit needs to have a “great summer or we got no chance”. This is a coach that seems to know what this league is about and what is needed to succeed. 

Finally, Sumrall talked about waking up the beast that is Florida Football. Championships are the standard and the Gators are in Sumrall’s words are “a sleeping giant”. “It ain’t a matter of if we’re gonna win here it’s how fast were gonna win, it’s coming” Straight at you no filter, all football. Su