Tackles on both sides of the ball will be the Gators biggest concern for 2026

“It’s these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes, nothing remains quite the same” – Jimmy Buffett

Nothing remains quite the same for Florida football and it starts with the changes in attitudes starting at the top. Unlike Billy Napier, whose laid back demeanor never inspired enthusiasm, the way Jon Sumrall goes about the business of being the head Gator in charge has optimism free-flowing and expectations on the rise. He isn’t doing it through constant rah-rah, but he isn’t afraid to discuss expectations with just about anyone who will take the time to listen. If you were hoping Florida would hire a positive, let’s get it done now type of coach you got your wish. That he’s transparent enough to let the world in to see how he goes about the process of turning Florida from a team that has posted four losing seasons in the last five to one that could scare the bejabbers out of future opponents is a bonus.

To make it happen, Sumrall has to find answers on both lines of scrimmage. He has potentially electric talent at the skill positions led by running back Jadan Baugh and a room full of stretch the field fast receivers. The back seven on defense, led by linebacker Myles Graham and import safety DJ Coleman should thrive under new coordinator Brad White, who did much with less at Kentucky.

Only one starter (LG Knijeah Harris) returns on an offensive line that will be coached by Phil Trautwein, the starting left tackle on Florida’s 2006 and 2008 national championship teams. Harris and transfers Harrison Moore (center, from Georgia Tech) and TJ Shanahan Jr. (RG, from Penn State) should provide a strong interior, but questions remain at the tackles. Sometime starter and fourth-year Gator Caden Jones could nail down right tackle. Stanford transfer Emeka Ogorji started eight games last year so he has the inside position to start at left tackle, but he could give way to Fletcher Westphal, a huge and enormous talent who has had injury problems. There are enough players to provide good depth, but experience – or lack of – is an issue.

On the defensive line it’s all about depth at the tackles where Brendan Bett and Joseph Mbatchou figure to be the starters. There isn’t much in the way of size or experience backing them up so staying injury free is the chief concern and finding players capable of playing 20-25 snaps at an SEC level is next. On the outside, the Gators should be just fine with LJ McCray, Kamran James, Jayden Woods and Kofi Asare, all of them capable of providing a fierce pass rush.

If Sumrall and his staff can find answers at the tackles on both sides of the ball, Florida’s chances of being the surprise team in the SEC rise exponentially.

BIGGEST CONCERN FOR EVERY OTHER SEC TEAM

Alabama: Alabama’s inept offense was exposed last season when the Crimson Tide failed to generate at least 300 total yards in each of the last four games, hitting rock bottom in the College Football Playoff against Indiana (38-3 loss, 190 total yards. Alabama was credited with 48 rushing yards COMBINED in the last three games. Bama managed a single touchdown and 209 yards in the SEC Championship Game with Georgia. Kalen DeBoer stuck with Ryan Grubb as his offensive coordinator. With an inexperienced QB and five new O-line starters can Grubb resuscitate the offense?

Arkansas: The Hogs lost their last 10 games a year ago and most experts predict they will occupy the cellar in the SEC this year under new head coach Ryan Silverfield, who won 50 games in six years at Memphis. Turning Arkansas into a winning program isn’t an overnight task, but one that is going to take a long time to accomplish. Silverfield is a good coach. The question is whether those Arkansas gozillionaire boosters will give him the time to fill in all the gaps so he can win on a consistent basis?

Auburn: New head coach Alex Golesh turned South Florida around in a hurry, winning 23 games in three seasons including nine last year. His USF offense finished third nationally last year, led by quarterback Byrum Brown, who accounted for 45 touchdowns while throwing for 3,158 yards and running for 1,008. Brown did that against American Conference defenses. Now he’s in the SEC with Golesh. Can Brown put up big numbers to revive last year’s stagnant Auburn offense?

Georgia: There are new receivers and a couple of new starters on the O-line, but the Georgia offense will be just fine now that Gunner Stockton has a year of starting experience under his belt. The concerns are all on defense, which has been sliding backward since the back-to-back national championships (2021-22). The defense hasn’t cracked the top ten nationally the last two years and doesn’t have the depth it had during the national championship years. A year ago Georgia managed only 20 sacks, dead last in the SEC. If the Bulldogs can’t put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks the downward slide of the defense will continue.

Kentucky: They wanted change at Kentucky and they got it. Mark Stoops, the winningest coach in UK history is gone and the new coach is Will Stein, the offensive coordinator the previous three seasons at Oregon. He has one starter returning on offense and the new quarterback is Kenny Mincey, who has 29 pass attempts and no touchdowns to show for three years at Notre Dame. Three starters return on defense for new coordinator Jay Bateman. Help is needed everywhere. Alabama and Texas A&M are the games two and three opponents. There is only one gimme win (Youngstown State). Can Stein finagle a way to get the Wildcats to three or four wins?

LSU: Expectations are through the roof with Lane Kiffin taking over as head coach and Charlie Weis Jr. calling the plays for what could be a dynamic offense. The questions are all on the defensive side where LSU struggled when faced with good teams a year ago. DC Blake Baker has only three returning starters. The rest of the lineup will be filled by transfers. Can he build the kind of chemistry it takes to field a defense capable of getting stops?

Mississippi State: Kamario Taylor is an emerging talent at quarterback and Jeff Lebby has surrounded him with good skill people. The Bulldogs averaged more than 30 points per game last year, numbers that should improve now that Taylor is established as the starter. The question is can the Bulldogs stop anyone? They gave up 409 yards and more than 30 points per game, numbers that have to improve if MSU is to flirt with a winning season.

Missouri: Once again, expect Mizzou to be underrated. Eli Drinkwitz never gets enough credit for getting the most out of talent that on paper doesn’t measure up with the rest of the SEC. The offense, even with a new QB (Ole Miss transfer Austin Simmons) will be adequate since running back Ahmad Hardy returns, but there are no starters returning on defense. The schedule will be tougher with Ole Miss, Texas and Georgia added. Mizzou should be able to score, but will the defense be able to hold its own and keep opponents out of the end zone.

Oklahoma: With head coach Brent Venables coordinating his own defense, Oklahoma could be even better in 2026 than last year. The problem is on the other side of the ball. When he’s healthy, quarterback John Mateer can be scary good, but he has to have an O-line capable of keeping him upright while opening up enough holes that OU can run the ball successfully. Oklahoma averaged 118.5 rushing yards per game last year, 112^th nationally. Can the offensive line get the job done and keep the defense off the field?

Ole Miss: Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacey return, providing a dynamic foundation for the offense. The receivers are new but there is no lack of speed and talent. Three interior line starters return and the tackles are both highly regarded transfers. Ole Miss doesn’t lack personnel or talent but the play caller is brand new. Charlie Weis Jr. departed for LSU and John David Baker, who had very good offenses at East Carolina was brought in as the replacement. Can he keep the offense at the same level as last year when Ole Miss finished second nationally while averaging more than 36 points per game?

South Carolina: Based on his 2024 production, LaNorris Sellers was expected to be in the mix for the 2025 Heisman but the Gamecocks dipped from 9-4 to 4-8, falling off eight points and 70 yards per game. It wasn’t Sellers’ fault. Head coach Shane Beamer is the one who promoted Mike Shula to offensive coordinator for 2025. Shula was fired and Kendal Briles was hired from TCU where he ran explosive big play offenses. At TCU Briles ran a pro-style offense with a stay in the pocket passer. Can he adapt his scheme to Sellers, a dual threat type who can go for big chunks of yardage with his legs?

Tennessee: The Vols have an experienced offensive line, a thousand-yard rusher (Desean Bishop) and enough good receivers to deal with inexperience at quarterback. The questions are all on the defensive side, where Tennessee was an SEC bottom feeder a year ago, finishing 13^th or worse in the SEC in all four serious stat categories (scoring, rushing, passing, total). To resolve the issues on defense, Josh Heupel brought in Jim Knowles as his new coordinator. Knowles was brilliant leading the Ohio State defense in 2024 when the Buckeyes won the national title, but fairly average last year at Penn State. For the Vols to remain among the top half of the SEC, Knowles has to transform the Vols leaky sieve into a formidable unit. 

Texas: On paper, Texas had a pretty good defense a year ago, giving up 20.3 points and 338 yards per game, both middle of the pack numbers in the SEC. An embarrassing loss to Florida (Longhorns were torched by DJ Lagway and couldn’t stop Jadan Baugh running) and four straight games in which the defense gave up at least 30 points brought Steve Sarkisian to the conclusion change was necessary so he brought Will Muschamp out of semi-retirement. Muschamp was the actual play caller for Georgia’s two national championship defenses. He’s been in semi-retirement since but now that he’s emerged at Texas. Can he give the Longhorns that sharp edge they’ll need defensively to make a national championship run?

Texas A&M: In the Aggies final two games – a loss to Texas and a College Football Playoff loss to Miami – quarterback Marcel Reed threw no touchdown passes and four interceptions. Reed was a boom or bust QB last year. When he was on his game the Aggies had the look of a national championship contender, but he looked dazed and confused in the last two games. Were those last two games a fluke or a sign that the gig is up and Reed has been exposed?

Vanderbilt: With Diego Pavia at quarterback, Vanderbilt exuded confidence and believed every game was winnable. The result a remarkable 10-3 season in which Pavia threw for 29 touchdowns and ran for 10 more. Pavia is gone now and the keys to the Caddy have been given over to true freshman Jared Curtis, a 5-star recruit poached from Georgia. He certainly has the talent, but the SEC has a history of being unkind to freshman quarterbacks. Can he win enough to prevent Vanderbilt from sliding back to bottom feeder status?