Who are these guys? Trautwein's troops in the trenches are difference makers

The guys up front helped Jadan Baugh score another TD against Ole Miss (Photo by Chris Spears)

“Who are these guys?” – Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy in the classic film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

We could be asking the same question of the Florida offensive line. In their preseason analysis, the fine folks at Athlon and Phil Steele ranked Florida’s O-line number nine in the SEC. Phil Steele had the Gators No. 42 in the nation. With only one starter returning from an offense that put up anemic numbers in 2025 and projections of transfers filling the other four slots, those projections probably seemed like a good idea at the moment.

Four games into the 2026 season, it’s pretty clear they got it wrong. Very, very wrong.

Florida’s 52-28 win over Ole Miss tells you everything you need to know about an O-line that has found its groove. In 76 offensive plays, the Gators ran the ball 53 times for 302 yards and threw 23 times for 196. The Gators didn’t give up a single sack and Ole Miss was credited with only one tackle for loss, that for a mere -2 yards.

This is not a fluke occurrence. The Gators are averaging 260 rushing yards per game and 5.88 yards per carry. They are tied with UCLA for the national lead in rushing touchdowns with 18. Jadan Baugh is second in the nation in rushing and with 11 touchdowns leads the country in scoring. The Gators are tied for fourth nationally in fewest sacks allowed, having given up just two for -7 yards in losses.

Not bad for a bunch of no names. For the record, the starters against Ole Miss were LT Bryce Lovett, LG Knijeah Harris (only returning starter from last year), C Harrison Moore, RG TJ Shanahan and RT Emeka Ugorji. Their backups who got into the game were TJ Dice Jr., Jason Zandamela, Caden Jones, Roderick Kearney and Daniel Pierre Louis.

So much attention is given – and rightfully so – to first year offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, whose transformation of the Florida offense from last year’s stuck in the mud bunch to this year’s big play looking for a place to happen is a big reason the Gators are now ranked No. 8 nationally, their highest ranking since they went to Kentucky No. 10 nationally in 2021. But, Faulkner’s offense doesn’t get it done without Phil Trautwein’s troops in the trenches. Like the hire of Faulkner, Jon Sumrall bringing in Trautwein reeks of pure genius.

Currently, the Gators are second in the nation in scoring (53.5 points per game) and fifth in total offense (532.8 yards per game). The Gators average 7.58 yards per play, which ranks eighth in the country. In 281 offensive snaps, the Gators have allowed only 14 plays for negative yardage.

THE REST OF THE FLORIDA SCHEDULE

When the season began, consensus nationally was anything more than six wins would be a rather stout achievement for first year Florida coach Jon Sumrall. Now that the Gators have emerged from September unbeaten at 4-0, we can throw the six wins projections out the window. With a road trip to Missouri this week and then South Carolina in The Swamp the following week, it is entirely possible the Gators will go to Texas with a 6-0 record. Based on the inconsistency in the Texas offense, that game has the look of a potential Florida victory.

Here are the eight remaining games:

At No. 25 Missouri (3-1, 0-1 SEC): The Gators are favored by 4.5 points. Mizzou’s defense is vulnerable to the pass and so far stud running back Ahmad Hardy hasn’t played.

South Carolina (2-2, 0-2 SEC): The Gamecocks are in disarray with disgruntled fans calling for Shane Beamer’s head on a platter.

At No. 1 Texas (4-0, 1-0 SEC): The defense is formidable but the offense is hit or miss. If the Gators can run on the Longhorns, this is winnable.

No. 2 Georgia (4-0, 2-0 SEC) in Atlanta: On paper Georgia looks good but it will be two weeks (at Alabama) before they are tested.  

Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1 SEC): That contract extension to Brent Venables is looking a tad silly right now. Great defense, no offense.

At No. 23 Kentucky (3-1, 0-1 SEC): The Wildcats are better than they were last year and November weather in Lexington can be funky. The UF running game should be the difference.

Vanderbilt (3-1, 0-1 SEC): There is an old saying that you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still just a pig. Well, it’s still just Vanderbilt.

At Florida State (2-2): Mike Norvell is walking the Green Mile. Will they rustle up the money to buy him out and then hire Jimbo perhaps even before the season comes to an end?

THE BAUGH FOR HEISMAN WATCH

With his 142-yard, 3-touchdown effort against Ole Miss, Jadan Baugh has run for 600 yards (7.23 per carry) and 11 touchdowns this season. He is second in the country in rushing yardage and leads the country scoring. Baugh has run for 100 or more yards all four games this season and has a streak of five straight 100+ games going dating back to last year against FSU. He is currently 11^th all time in rushing at UF with 2,443 yards. With 43 yards against Missouri Saturday he can move past Chris Rainey, Jeff Demps and Lamical Perine into eighth place all time at UF. Baugh’s 26 career rushing touchdowns rank seventh all time.

Associated Press top 25: 1. Texas 4-0; 2. Georgia 4-0; 3. Notre Dame 4-0; 4. Miami 4-0; 5. Ohio State 3-1; 6. Indiana 4-0; 7. Alabama 4-0; 8. FLORIDA 4-0; 9. Ole Miss 3-1; 10. BYU 3-0; 11. LSU 3-1; 12. Texas Tech 4-0; 13. Utah 4-0; 14, Iowa 4-0; 15. Oregon 3-1; 16. Mississippi State 4-0; 17. Tennessee 3-1; 18. Southern Cal 4-1; 19. Oklahoma State 3-1; 20. Houston 3-1; 21. SMU 3-1; 22. Boise State 3-1; 23. UCLA 4-0; 24. Kentucky 3-1; 25. Missouri 3-1

AFCA. Coaches top 25 (SEC teams bold face):  1. Texas 4-0; 2. Georgia 4-0; 3. Notre Dame 4-0; 4. Miami 4-0; 5. Indiana 4-0; 6. Ohio State 3-1; 7. Alabama 4-0; 8. FLORIDA 4-0; 9. BYU 3-0; 10. Texas Tech 4-0; 11. LSU 3-1; 12. Ole Miss 3-1; 13. Utah 4-0; 14. Iowa 4-0; 15. Oregon 3-1; 16. Mississippi State 4-0; 17. Tennessee 3-1; 18. Southern Cal 4-1; 19. SMU 3-1; 20. Houston 3-1; 21. Duke 4-0; 22. Penn State 3-1; 23. UCLA 4-0; 24. Michigan 3-1; 25. Missouri 3-1

ELSEWHERE IN THE SEC

No. 7 Alabama (4-0, 2-0 SEC): Alabama has opened as a 6-point favorite on the road for Saturday’s game with Mississippi State … Sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell goes into the game on the heels of a 21-27 passing performance that was good for 365 yards and four TDPs against South Carolina. Saturday: at No. 16 Mississippi State (4-0, 2-0 SEC)

Arkansas (2-2, 0-1 SEC): The Razorbacks can’t run the football. Through four games they are averaging only 89.5 yards per game and just 2.56 yards per carry. Saturday: at Texas A&M (2-2, 0-2 SEC)

Auburn (3-1, 1-1 SEC): In getting the first SEC win for first year head coach Alex Golesh, Tigers bounced back from the Florida debacle by holding Vanderbilt to 311 total yards, just 112 on the ground. Saturday: at No. 17 Tennessee (3-1, 0-1 SEC)

No. 2 Georgia (4-0, 2-0 SEC): Georgia managed only 306 yards of offense against the Oklahoma defense, but the Bulldogs turned the Sooners over four times and got an 85-yard scoop and score fumble return by Chris Cole while holding the Sooners to 2-14 on third down conversions. Saturday: vs. Vanderbilt (3-1, 0-1 SEC), 12:45 p.m., SEC Network

No. 24 Kentucky (3-1, 1-1 SEC): Through four games, Kentucky has scored 138 points. The Wildcats scored only 276 in 12 games a year ago. The Wildcats have a very good 1-2 punch at running back in Jason Patterson (326 yards, 3 touchdowns) and CJ Baxter (313 yards, 5 touchdowns). Saturday: at South Carolina (2-2, 0-2 SEC), 4:45 p.m., SEC Network

No. 11 LSU (3-1, 1-1 SEC): Linebacker Whit Weeks suffered a leg fracture that will require surgery in the win against Texas A&M. Tight end Tre’Dez Green may be out until week 10 when the Tigers play Alabama.

No. 16 Mississippi State (4-0, 2-0 SEC): The Bulldogs have their highest ranking since 2014 when Dan Mullen was the coach and Dak Prescott was the quarterback. Kamario Taylor is drawing Prescott comparisons after a September in which he has thrown for 1,192 yards and 14 TDPs. Saturday: vs. No. 7 Alabama (4-0, 2-0 SEC), 12 noon, ABC

No. 25 Missouri (3-1, 0-1 SEC): Missouri’s pass defense was torched for 360 yards and three touchdowns by Mississippi State. The Tigers are ninth in the SEC in total defense (318.5 yards per game), sixth in run defense (100.25 yards per game) and tenth against the pass (218.3 yards per game). Saturday: vs. No. 8 FLORIDA (4-0, 2-0 SEC), 3:30 p.m., ABC

Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1 SEC): Fans are putting the blame on quarterback John Mateer, who has thrown four interceptions and looks like he has lost his confidence, but it’s not his fault the Sooners can’t run the ball. They’ve managed just 126 yards combined in their last two games. For the season Oklahoma is averaging just 2.93 yards per carry.

No. 9 Ole Miss (3-1, 1-1 SEC): The 302 rushing yards the Ole Miss defense allowed against Florida marked the first time since Georgia in 2023 that the Rebels have allowed 300 or more rushing yards in a game.

South Carolina (2-2, 0-2 SEC): There is growing discontent with head coach Shane Beamer. The Gamecocks are off to an 0-2 start in the SEC, which is bad enough, but edge rusher Dylan Stewart got a roughing the passer penalty, later on threw a punch at Alabama’s Josh Ford and was caught in a video of a sideline confrontation with Beamer that has gone viral. Stewart has been suspended indefinitely. The boosters aren’t happy and there is talk of a midseason coaching change if the Gamecocks don’t right the listing ship. Saturday: vs. No. 24 Kentucky (3-1, 1-1 SEC)

No.  17 Tennessee (3-1, 0-1 SEC): The Vols allowed only three sacks in their first three games. Against Texas they gave up 10, which plummeted them to No. 129 nationally in sacks allowed. Saturday: vs. Auburn (3-1, 1-1 SEC)

No. 1 Texas (4-0, 2-0 SEC): The story for Texas is the emergence of Will Muschamp’s defense, which has given up only one touchdown in the last 10 quarters. In wins over UTSA and Tennessee, the Longhorns allowed a combined 363 yards and one offensive touchdown.

Texas A&M (2-2, 0-2 SEC): Quarterback Marcel Reed is slumping. He’s averaging only 5.7 yards per pass attempt and has thrown four interceptions. In losses to Kentucky and LSU, he averaged only 4.56 yards per pass attempt. Saturday: vs. Arkansas (2-2, 0-1 SEC)

Vanderbilt (3-1, 0-1 SEC): The Commodores struggled offensively against Auburn, but their defense played extremely well, limiting the Tigers to 279 total yards and two offensive touchdowns. Saturday: at No. 2 Georgia (4-0, 2-0 SEC), 12:45 p.m., SEC Network