(Photo by Chris Spears) “Try never to be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, I suggest you invite smarter people … or find a different room.” – Michael Dell The head coach who is so comfortable in his own skin as he preps for his maiden voyage as the latest chosen one charged with restoring Florida football back to life among the elites of the college game, admits he wasn’t exactly a paragon of virtue and leadership skills back in 2022 when he was days away from leading Troy to its season opener against Ole Miss in Oxford. The totally hands on, thumb on everything that moved or breathed guy paints a self-portrait of himself that is like a reprint of Ron Zook, Florida’s head coach in 2022. Zooker was exhausting to watch on the practice field, his hands on style punctuated by sprints from one unit to the next. “My first year as head coach at Troy I thought I had to have my hand in everything all the time,” Sumrall said at his Monday press conference. “I was probably a miserable guy to work for.” Obviously, the miserable guy to work for did a few things right that season. Those same Troy Trojans, winners of five games in each of the three previous seasons, went 12-2, blew the doors off Coastal Carolina in the Sun Belt Conference championship game then eked out an 18-12 win over Texas-San Antonio in the Cure Bowl. In the three years since, the winning has continued despite Sumrall ditching that frenetic pace. Four seasons as a head coach – two at Troy, two at Tulane – have produced a 44-12 record that includes two Sun Belt and one American Conference championship, four conference championship game appearances and the America Conference’s historic first berth in the College Football Playoff last season at Tulane. Sumrall goes into Florida’s first game with Florida Atlantic Saturday (7:45 p.m., SEC Network) every bit as intense as he was in the Troy days, but maturity and trust have replaced that insatiable need to be in complete control of every single detail. “I'm more comfortable than year one,” Sumrall said. “In year one … probably, there were some things coming that I wasn't fully prepared for mentally. But like now, I think I see what's coming a lot further out.” Much of the growth has its origins in learning to trust his assistant coaches to do what they’ve been hired to do. As the head coach he is the CEO of Florida football, the guy responsible for final decisions, but he gives his coordinators and assistant coaches the latitude to coach without the head man’s involvement in every single practice rep. He’s learned how to listen and isn’t the least bit offended by a differing opinion. There is this old adage that without dissent there is no progress, that if there is 100 percent group think 100 percent of the time that flaws and weaknesses are overlooked. In other words, you can be the smartest guy in the room without thinking you’re the only one whose opinion counts. Billy Donovan, who led the Gators to two NCAA basketball championships in a Hall of Fame career, recently spoke to the head coaches of all 21 varsity sports at the University of Florida, offering a message that hit home with Sumrall. “I had a chance to hear from Billy Donovan and it was a really cool experience for me because I'm like, I idolize the guy,” Sumrall said. “I think he's an unbelievable coach and he said something that really resonated with me in that meeting a couple weeks ago. He said, you know, as a head coach, you have to make the final decision always, but you're never smarter than the room. So, like, take the feedback from the room and then make a really good, educated decision to move forward. “And so for me, if I'm If I'm smarter than the entire room, then we've got a really bad staff. Okay? And so I want to have great people in the room that challenge me and help me think outside the box a little bit.” At Florida, Sumrall relies heavily on coordinators Buster Faulkner (offense) and Brad White (defense). Faulkner came to Florida from Georgia Tech where his efficient offenses were balanced and explosive. Faulkner has taken over a Florida offense that ranked dead last or close to it in way too many vital SEC categories, such as scoring, third down conversions and yards per game. As the defensive coordinator at Kentucky, White’s undermanned units had a reputation for toughness and making opponents grind out every score. Kentucky consistently ranked among the best in both the SEC and nation in giving up the fewest number of explosive plays. “Well, you want people you trust and I trust both of those guys, because they've got great experience, they're both really qualified and in the way they carry themselves,” Sumrall said. “They're good men, and they're good at what they do. And, then I think … they're not ego guys or prideful either in regards to they want to trust the people in their rooms. And so they're going to take the feedback. We've got a solid staff, top to bottom, where if you're a Buster, you can look around the room, there's a lot of quality people to lean on and to know and trust that those guys that are coordinating will listen to the feedback that their groups give.” When it comes to coaching, the key element in trust is the ability to not only listen but acknowledge a better idea. It isn’t simply the coordinators who are involved in the decision-making process, but analysts as well. Not every idea is a good idea, but every suggestion is bounced around, considered and those ideas that survive the process are presented to the head coach who makes the final decision. Sumrall has a fall on the sword nature. He’s not the type to blame others for an idea that goes sideways. As the head coach, he is willing to take the responsibility when an idea fails and he’s quick to give praise to a suggestion that comes from someone else. “Whether it's Buster or Brad or an analyst, I don't care who it is,” Sumrall said. “They can give me ideas and then we … yeah, I have to make the decision exactly how we're going to do something moving forward. But I feel very, you know, as such, really spot on advice [from Donovan] in that timing because it was a couple of weeks ago. I'm like, what a great reminder as we get ready to enter the season, like take the feedback of the room and then yeah, you got to make the final decision, but listen to the room.” Listening to the room. Letting his coaches do what they’ve been hired to do. Taking personal responsibility for things that go wrong while giving credit where credit is due. It is all part of Jon Sumrall’s personal evolution from a first-year coach at Troy who didn’t necessarily trust the people with whom he had surrounded himself into the head coach at Florida four years later where he has no problems delegating authority. In “On the Origin of the Species,” Charles Darwin wrote, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change, that lives within the means available and works cooperatively against common threats.” Football had yet to be invented when Darwin wrote that 147 years ago but applied to football it is a clear definition of how a coach has to evolve if he’s going to have real lasting success. It explains a lot about Jon Sumrall.

Florida is now on its fourth head coach since 2010 and looking to return to the prominence that has long escaped the program albeit for a few fleeting seasons that reminded many of better days. Enter Jon Sumrall, a coach with more championship pedigree than any of his past four predecessors, and tough minded attitude to boot. Sumrall enters the season with what seems to be an appreciation for the job and a little easier schedule to manage. Could that lead to eight regular season wins for the first time in six years? The GatorBait staff has been huddled this offseason looking at all the options, here is my crack at it. By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com, Football Analyst, Host of The Gator Lowdown with Loren Meadows Sumrall looks to wake the beast up (Chris Spears photo) 8. Talent at linebacker-For those that know defense, linebacker play is not the sole beneficiary of athletic, and aggressive madmen. It is built on a defensive line that allows that athleticism to do what it does best. Put their best foot forward and play downhill. However when the planets align in the A, B, and C gaps the Gators will be equipped with three of the SEC’s best young backers. Myles Graham, Aaron Chiles, and Jaden Robinson are future pros that possess the strength, speed, and intelligence to play a pivotal role in Brad White’s retooled defense. Altogether this talented group has amassed 244 career tackles and in White’s linebacker friendly defense the trio looks poised to provide the Gators with some real “thump” at the second level. 7. Special teams are special again-For four years there were rumblings about the Gators lack of an on-field special teams coordinator that led to blunders of the same jersey number on the field, to too many men, to not enough men, to literally do they ever practice special teams? While one may say the individual talent has not improved, the fact that Sumrall and staff have made it very clear that special teams will be a major part of the weekly game plan. Those units will look to make an impact every time the Gators, kick, punt, return, and heaven forbid get a three and out to begin a game. Sumrall brought his All-AAC Kicker and Punter with him from Tulane to add to the special teams elixir. Punter Alec Clark comes to Florida with a career best 46.5 yards per kick, while kicker Patrick Durkin was the American Conference Special Teams Player of the Year going 25 of 28 on field goals last year including 4 of 6 from 50+ which ranked third in FBS. 6. Stars in the making at receiver-the Gators have one of the most talented receiver rooms in the entire country. Eric Singleton, Micah Mays Jr., Vernell Brown III, Dallas Wilson, Bailey Stockton, TJ Abrams are fast, athletic and as gifted a group of receivers as the Gators have had in five years. While Brown, Wilson, and Abrams are young with potential, Singleton, Mays, and Stockton have all had success in their careers and have done it against some of the nations best secondaries. Singleton led Georgia Tech in receptions in 2025 before transferring to Auburn and repeating that feat on the plains. Mays has a career 15.3 yards per catch average and returns to the state of Florida after playing for former Gator quarterback Eric Kresser in high school. Stockton brings familiarity with quarterback Aaron Philo and with offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner catching 38 passes over the past two seasons. This experience combined with the potential of Brown, Wilson, and Abrams could give Faulkner and whatever quarterback appears from the mist long-term a number of dynamic targets to throw to and scheme around. 5. Offensive Line Coach Phil Trautwein-There have been many combinations that the Gators have used during fall camp to protect Philo and provide green grass for one of the nation’s most dynamic rushers. The first group looks to at least be experienced with all playing some meaningful football the past two years. Regardless of the group, they will be managed by former Gator Phil Trautwein who returns to Florida where he was a member two national championship teams in 2006 and 2008. Trautwein is respected as one of the nations best offensive line coaches and recruiters and altogether he has coached 35 All-Conference linemen, 12 NFL draft picks, with four going in the first round. This is a case where the talent may not be where Florida would want it to be but to expect the unit to improve throughout the season would be an understatement given Trautwein’s track record. 4. Defensive Coordinator Brad White-Been there, done that, and with far less talent. Remember when Florida finally lost to Kentucky after 31 years? That was White’s first year on the staff. In 2019, his first year at defensive coordinator, Kentucky did not give up 30 points in any game for the first time since 1979. White’s brand of defense is physical, sound, and built to handle the diversity of offenses that you see in the SEC. At Kentucky, White led defenses that finished no lower than 45th in FBS for seven straight seasons (2018-2024) and finished in the Top 25 in total defense in four of those seven years. Sumrall calls Brad White one of the smartest people he has ever been around and one would be led to believe that with a talent pool much richer than that of Kentucky, the Gators will look to get back to getting teams off the field on third down, creating turnovers, and maximizing offensive possessions. 3. Offensive Coordinator Buster Faulkner-Possibly the best thing that Jon Sumrall has done since arriving at Florida was to lure offensive mastermind Buster Faulkner from Atlanta to Gainesville. There were certainly other coaches that would have liked to have Faulkner’s services but Sumrall was the one who got him. Faulkner did wonders with the Georgia Tech offense building around the versatility of Haynes King to lead the ACC in rushing during his tenure and finishing second in Total Offense. The Yellow Jackets were also third in passing efficiency and gave up the least sacks in the ACC over the past three seasons. Faulkner also packed up quarterback Aaron Philo, prospective starting center Harrison Moore, receiver Bailey Stockton, and tight Luke Harpring in his boxes as he left Atlanta to allow for a smoother transition with installation and execution of the offense. Faulkner’s best asset is the ability to fit his system to the strength of his personnel which should help an offensive line under construction, a group of pass catchers waiting to explode, and arguably one of the nation’s best toting the rock. 2. Jaden Baugh-Speaking of toting the rock. At the center of everything offensive is running back Jaden Baugh. Baugh flirted with leaving Florida after the coaching change but a Christmas Eve visit by Sumrall and staff let Baugh know that Gainesville was right where he needed to be. Baugh has gone from a talented prospect that needed to find his way, to team leader, future NFL draft pick, and if Faulkner’s track record is any indication, Doak Walker Award finalist. Baugh jumped on the scene with a five touchdown performance against Kentucky as a freshman, and followed that up with a sophomore campaign that saw him rush for 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns while pulling in 33 receptions for another two touchdowns. With the innovative Faulkner building his scheme around Baugh many believe that he should improve on both in 2026. Baugh is an every down back that can obviously run the ball, but his ability as a receiver, and blocker is vastly underrated and should be on display as the true focal point of the offense. “Run The Baugh” T-shirts will be all the rage early in the season. 1. Head Coach Jon Sumrall-Depending on who you ask, Sumrall arrived as the second choice on Florida’s coaching draft board. By the end of the Spring, that board didn’t matter anymore. As the initial press conference showed, with the attendance of Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer, real coaches know what it is. The embracing of the Florida community by Sumrall and his family has been just what you should do as the head football coach at The University of Florida. Sumrall has been seen at basketball, softball, baseball, Publix, and even the local nail spa. He has taken almost every interview long or short and is as approachable as any coach Florida has seen in quite some time. It is the football though that gives people encouragement that this is the man to as Sumrall put it this Spring, “wake this beast up”. Sumrall is blunt, precise, and no nonsense. If the offense is good, he will tell you, if the defense is bad, you will know that too. Not great on special teams? Check you heard it straight from Sumrall. Not to embarrass or belittle, but to let everyone know that he knows exactly where he is, and what is expected of the head dog at UF. Baugh will be more of a factor in the passing game this season (Chris Spears photo) The Gators should get out the gate 2-0 for the first time in 5 years, and then things can get sticky quick as the conference slate begins. Sumrall seems built for it as previous stops at Troy and Tulane have shown and it will be how he handles the ups and downs both publicly and privately that will ultimately show if he’s the answer the Gators have been searching for since Urban Meyer left the building. So there you have it. Eight reasons the Gators can win at least eight games this season. Florida Atlantic comes to town in six days and some of these reasons will be on display right away. What will this year hold, are the Gators headed in the right direction? By this time a week from now we will at least have a small peak into what could be.

Better days future meets with better days past “Better days, better ways Everybody's lookin' for better days Somewhere beneath the shinin' star, better days Take me, won't you take me to better days Sure could use a few better days Floridays” – From “Floridays” by Jimmy Buffett We are Gators, therefore there is this mysterious gene in our DNA that we inherited from our parents and grandparents before them. For those of us who grew up prior to 1990 when Ben Hill Griffin told Bill Arnsparger, “Steve Spurrier is going to be the football coach at the University of Florida next year. You do not have to be the athletic director,” it is called the “Wait ‘til next year” gene. This should be chiseled into the headstones of both my grandfather and father, who went to their graves longing to see the day when next year finally delivered a Southeastern Conference championship. The “Wait ‘til Next Year” gene went dormant from 1990-2010 when Spurrier (122-27-1 record, six SEC championships, 1996 national championship) and Urban Meyer (65-15, two SEC and two national championships) awoke what Bear Bryant labeled “the sleeping giant” back in the 1960s. In the years since Urban retired the “Wait ‘til Next Year” gene has come out of hibernation to the point that even diehards are believing that if something doesn’t change very soon, Florida will be doomed to joyous anticipation of a bid to play St. Somewhere Else in the Weedwacker Bowl in Shreveport even with the understanding that if you lose you are required to stay another week. So here we are, just days away from a brand new season. Four losing seasons in the last five and six in the last 15 have turned us into “Wait ‘til Next Year” Gators who wonder out loud if this cycle can be broken. Charged with changing minds and perceptions is Jon Sumrall, Florida’s fifth coach since 2011. He’s different. Close observation reveals some characteristics every Gator loved about Spurrier. He’s happy, loves the game, the interaction with the fans and he has this wicked sense of humor. There is also a tad of that Urban Meyer ruthlessness as well. Whereas Spurrier made us giggle out loud after a six touchdown win, Meyer made us wish he had tacked on a couple more touchdowns rather than take a knee to run out the clock. There is a bit of Spurrier and Meyer in Jon Sumrall that you don’t have to dig deep to find. Sumrall wears it on his sleeve and when he speaks, the whole world knows. Because of that, there is this growing sense of anticipation for the kickoff that will officially begin the Jon Sumrall Era at the University of Florida. Sumrall is 44 years old. Spurrier was 45 when he coached his first game at Florida. Meyer was 41. Sumrall goes into Saturday’s game with Florida Atlantic 44-12 with three conference championships and four conference championship games on his resume. Spurrier was 20-13-1 at Duke with an Atlantic Coast Conference title. Meyer was 39-8 with two Mountain West Conference titles. Similarities breed optimism since history does have a way of repeating itself. And, since optimism is today’s key word to hide in your heart of hearts, then here are seven reasons for optimism for the 2026 Florida football season. REASON 1: JON SUMRALL With all due respect to Curt Cignetti who first coined the phrase, he (Sumrall) wins. Google it. Unlike the four coaches who preceded him, Sumrall doesn’t have this fatal flaw that stands out like a giant wart on the end of his nose. Will Muschamp had never been a head coach before and he already had a foot out the door when he hired a competent offensive coordinator. Jim McElwain was a bad fit from day one, and unlike Sumrall, couldn’t give a straight answer if life depended on it. Dan Mullen never figured out that to sustain success at Florida you can’t have a staff of assistants who think you can win at UF with the same kind of players who made the Gator Bowl an ideal season-ending destination at Mississippi State. Billy Napier never understood that while you must have a number of Boy Scouts on your roster, the rest of the roster must be filled by borderline psychopaths who understand that if they take out their aggressions on the football field they most likely will avoid prison. Sumrall didn’t hire his buddies, isn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe on the recruiting trail with Georgia, Alabama, Miami and LSU, gives thoughtful, straight answers to even tough questions and has brought in a former Green Beret to bring out the inner beast particularly in his trench warriors. His coordinators – Buster Faulkner on offense; Brad White on defense – are highly regarded for gaining maximum use out of their personnel. He hired former Gator Phil Trautwein to coach the offensive line. He retained defensive line coach Gerald Chatman. Both have proven to be lights out recruiters. Sumrall says the right things, does the right things and has lifted the demeanor of the entire Gator Nation with his positive energy. After four years of the Napier monotones of saying lots of words that don’t say anything he is a breath of fresh air. REASON NO. 2: FAULKNER WILL CALL THE PLAYS What a concept. Napier insisted nobody knew the offense like he did, therefore he was the only one qualified to call the plays. Well, someone other than Napier knew the offense because nearly every defensive coordinator the Gators faced had a pretty keen idea what the next call was going to be. Faulkner showed while coaching Stetson Bennett IV when he was the QB coach at Georgia and then as the offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, that he knows the best offense is one that can grind out the yards while at the same time offering a dangerous downfield element in the passing game. The secret is keeping predictability to a minimum. This year he has Jadan Baugh to scheme around in the running game and a wide receiver corps headed by the three-headed monster of Eric Singleton Jr., Vernell Brown III and Dallas Wilson to keep opposing defensive coordinators up at night. REASON NO. 3: THE RUSTY WHITT FACTOR When he took the job as Troy’s head coach, firing Whitt as his strength and conditioning guy was on the agenda. Then they spent time together, Sumrall became convinced that Whitt indeed knows what he’s doing and a meeting of the minds was met and continues to this day. The S/C guy has more contact with players than any other coach including the head honcho. He has to be part task master, part Dr. Phil and part cheerleader all mixed into one. How important is an S/C guy who can do that? Just ask Urban Meyer how valuable it was to have Mickey Marotti with him all six years and Florida and then his entire tenure at Ohio State. Under Whitt’s tutelage, fat has been replaced by lean muscle and a seek and destroy attitude. REASON NO. 4: BRAD WHITE FOR THE DEFENSE At Kentucky, his defenses were known for making the most out of talent overlooked by the big guys on the recruiting trail. That 2022 whipping of the Gators at BHG comes to mind. The Wildcats held Florida to four third down conversions in 16 attempts and Anthony Richardson to 14-35 passing for 143 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. From a personnel standpoint, Florida had it all over Kentucky. From a toughness aspect, UK destroyed Florida. At UK, White never had access to the kind of athletes he has at Florida. He preaches toughness, assignment responsibility and avoiding giving up the big play. The 2022 and 2024 defenses were best in the SEC in big play avoidance. His 2024 team was third nationally. Brad White has better players to coach such as Myles Graham and Jayden Woods than he ever had at Kentucky. Florida should be quite improved. REASON NO. 5: PHIL TRAUTWEIN The return of the native. He started at left tackle for the 2006 and 2008 national championship teams at Florida. He spent the last five years recruiting big time linemen and coaching them up at Penn State. He is from the Steve Addazio school of O-line coaching which is to say play hard, play smart, be consistent and make the guy across from you wish the game would end soon. He spent August tinkering with his O-line and found five guys who fit together in LT Bryce Lovett, LG Knijeah Harris, C Harrison Moore, RG TJ Shanahan and RT Emeka Ugorgi. The three guys in the middle are going to be one of the top center-guard groups in the SEC. Moore (from Georgia Tech) might wind up as one of the top five transfers in the SEC. He’s that good. The tackles are a work in progress but they’re athletic and if nothing more, adequate. Faulkner can scheme around tackles. You can’t scheme around the three in the middle and they will be the bedrock of the O-line. Also, every bit as important, Trautwein is the best O-line recruiter the Gators have had since Addazio. REASON NO. 6: THE SCHEDULE AND THE HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE It is tough, no doubt about it. The Gators play four teams (Texas, Georgia, Ole Miss and Oklahoma) ranked in the top 10 in the nation preseason. They play Texas on the road and Georgia in Atlanta, but Ole Miss and Oklahoma have to come to The Swamp. Count on a Florida crowd to be at its hostile best for Ole Miss. That certainly was the case two years ago when the fourth quarter arrived and the crowd raised decibels to levels unheard of in years. The Gators play six home games. If they can go 5-1 at home then steal two roadies (at Auburn, at Missouri, at Kentucky, at Florida State) a 7-5 record is possible. A perfect record at home and two for four on the road and it’s 8-4. For that, Sumrall should be in contention for SEC Coach of the Year. For anything more than that stars and planets may have to align but stranger things have happened. REASON NO. 7: ATTITUDE We got a glimpse of a winning attitude earlier in the week when Sumrall named Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo as his starting quarterback. A day later, both Philo and Jones met the media. The second team QB who just lost out on. The No. 1 QB job meeting the media? Yep, and they both support and care for each other. There is no animosity between them. They’re both talented enough and both mature enough to understand that competition not only makes them better but lifts the entire team. When there are healthy rivalries for starting jobs being cultivated it only helps the entire team get better. We hear a lot of tales about unified teams but how many coaches would dare put his starter and backup QB out there to speak to the media? We’ve seen how QB controversies can divide teams, particularly those of us old enough to remember the 1968 Gators who went from championship contenders to a team that had to rally late for a winning season all because the team was split down the middle. Sumrall has a team with a team first attitude and that will go a long way toward a winning season.

A New Day Is Dawning In The Swamp. Why Florida Hiring Sumrall Feels “Right” — But LSU Employing Kiffin Does Not. By Buddy Martin GatorBaitMedia.com There’s a particular kind of morning coming that only Gator faithful know — the one where the humidity hangs sweet, the calendar finally says football, and the doldrums that lingered too long start burning off like fog over Lake Alice. Another dawning. Another chance. And for those of us who’ve bled orange and blue through the lean years, this one tastes different. Give the University of Florida its due for doing this the right way — no shortcuts, no back-alley bargains, just steady hands making steady choices. You won’t hear me thumping a pulpit about it, because plenty of good programs have stumbled and plenty of proud ones have paid the price. But when your school gets it right, you tip the cap, pour a second cup of coffee, and say thank you. Then along comes Jon Sumrall, still new to the neighborhood, sitting across from Paul Finebaum and sounding like a man who likes what he sees. He’s happy with his quarterbacks. Aaron Philo’s the starter — earned it — but don’t sleep on Tramell Jones, who Sumrall says has taken a huge leap. And here’s the kicker for a portal-crazed era: Sumrall doesn’t plan to add anybody else. He’ll dance with the ones who brung him. For a fan base that’s waited on mornings like this seemingly forever, that’s more than a depth chart. That’s a sunrise. Not to go all Charles Stanley on you — though I do love his sermons — but have you ever noticed how the most perfectly orchestrated plan, the one everybody swears is a lock, has a funny habit of blowing up in the architect’s face? The Bible has a name for it: Ill-gotten gain. Proverbs puts it plainly — “Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death.” Proverbs 10:2 goes further, warning that the paths of “all who go after ill-gotten gain” end up taking the life right out of the one who grabbed it. Jeremiah talks about houses “full of deceitful gain.” None of that is subtle. The stuff you get by cutting a shady corner has a way of costing you more than it ever paid. I bring this up because of what’s unfolding right now with Lane Kiffin and LSU — and because it drags me straight back to a story I lived through more than half a century ago, when Florida pulled off its own version of a “perfect” plan that came apart at the seams. A Football That Nobody Wanted Here’s the part most Gator fans don’t know. After the 1969 season — Ray Graves’ greatest, a 9-1-1 team anchored by the “Super Sophs” of John Reaves and Carlos Alvarez that capped it off by upsetting SEC champion Tennessee 14-13 in the Gator Bowl — Graves stepped “up” as head coach to become full-time athletic director. Tennessee’s Doug Dickey, a former Gator quarterback, was hired five days later to replace him. Most of us see now it was somewhat of a prearranged plan. It looked tidy on paper. It wasn’t. UF president Stephen C. O’Connell — a Florida alum, former state Supreme Court justice and undefeated boxing team captain who’d taken over the university in 1968 — had reportedly been talking on the sly to Dickey about the job since that summer, before Florida’s best season in school history was even finished. Confidentially, Graves had all but agreed to step aside, then watched his Gators go 9-1-1 and, understandably, wanted to keep coaching the team he’d built. Didn’t matter. The fix, such as it was, had already been arranged. Many of those Super Sophs — Alvarez among them — thought the job should have gone to beloved defensive coordinator Gene Ellenson instead, and some players felt betrayed. I was close to that story, in a strange, almost accidental way. My friend Mac Steen, a tackle and captain of that 1969 team, and I had co-written a six-part series that ran in papers around the state called “From the Fishbowl to the Gator Bowl.” A season after the coaching switch went through, when Dickey’s reign began to misfire, O’Connell showed up at Steen’s apartment in the wee hours of early morning — distraught, disheveled, carrying an autographed football from that 1969 team that had been gifted to him. He wanted to give it back. He told Steen he didn’t feel he’d earned it. He didn’t use the phrase “ill-gotten gain,” but clearly that’s exactly what he was feeling. Steen said it was one of the most pitiful scenes he’d ever witnessed — a university president standing in a doorway at 5 a.m., trying to hand off a football like it was contraband. The Man Who Never Talked to Reporters In the spring of 1970, I had found myself at a sportswriters’ seminar in Austin, Texas, one of maybe 20 writers in the room with Walter Byers, the NCAA’s first executive director — a man who ran the organization from 1951 to 1987 with an iron fist and almost never spoke to the press directly. For reasons I still can’t fully explain, he had taken an interest in me and we sat at the same lunch table almost daily for a week. When I asked him for a quote on the Graves-to-Dickey maneuver and whether it smelled like the kind of conduct the NCAA rulebook was supposed to police, he didn’t answer. He just handed me the rulebook, pointed me to a passage on ethical conduct, and asked what I thought. I told him honestly I didn’t know. He said he’d look into it. He did. And when I later reported, with a letter from Byers in hand, that Florida was under investigation, O’Connell stood in front of the media and called me a liar. He ate those words soon enough. I’m not dredging this up to settle an old score. I’m dredging it up because it’s the same lesson, every time: The moment a man convinces himself his plan is also God’s plan, he’s usually about to find out it was just his plan, dressed up. Doug Dickey was a good coach and a fine man who’d already won SEC titles at Tennessee. But his strict, hardass coaching style was in conflict with a team that had just experienced Camelot. Whatever joy that had been gifted to Gator Nation had been robbed from them. None of that saved the deal from being contrived in a way that poisoned it before it started, and it showed — Dickey never got Florida over the SEC championship hump in nine seasons, going 58-43-2 before he was let go. Kiffin’s Bayou Bargain Fast-forward to now. Brian Kelly arrived at LSU with a $100 million contract and a mandate to win big. Four seasons and a $54 million buyout later, LSU fired him the day after a 49-25 home humiliation to Texas A&M. That opened the door for Lane Kiffin, who abandoned an Ole Miss team ranked No. 6 in the country — two days after beating Mississippi State, on the eve of a playoff run he’d built — to fly to Baton Rouge and sign a seven-year, roughly $91 million deal. Florida wanted him too, and reportedly offered similar money, but Kiffin chose LSU. It looked to a lot of people like the smartest man in the room had once again out-maneuvered everybody. Then came this week. Kiffin and LSU allegedly went hunting for former NFL players — guys already on NFL rosters or fresh off them — to bring a lawsuit in a friendly Louisiana courtroom arguing they deserved a bonus year of college eligibility, a case that wasn’t filed in Baton Rouge by accident. A judge bought it. LSU signed three of those players. It looked, for about a week, like the loophole of the decade. Then it collapsed. SEC presidents — LSU’s own included — voted 16-0 in an emergency meeting to ban former pro athletes from league competition, wiping out Kiffin’s newly signed roster additions days before the season even kicked off. LSU’s administration didn’t vote that way to spite its own coach. It voted that way because it had to, to protect the school from the penalties Kiffin’s cleverness had exposed it. And it’s still unresolved as judges keep popping up like whackamoles. According to the AP, then this: Two days after the Southeastern Conference passed a rule barring players from returning to the league from the pros, a Texas judge put that rule on hold Thursday in a case involving more than 40 players. It was the latest piece of news in what has turned into a breakneck week of legal wrangling over the NCAA’s new five-year eligibility rule. The rule does not apply to college players who exhausted their fourth year of eligibility last spring; many are suing across the country for that fifth year. “As long as they would have been eligible to continue playing college sports in the following semester if they had a fifth year of eligibility, they are eligible today,” Dallas County Judge Martin Hoffman wrote in the temporary restraining order. Add in the Vanity Fair comments about recruiting in Oxford versus Baton Rouge that forced an apology, the Ole Miss lawsuit over transferring linemen and the reported FBI sweep for bugs at the Ole Miss facility after his exit, and you’ve got a program that looks less like it landed a coup and more like it’s still cleaning up after one. Sound familiar? A well-orchestrated plan, celebrated as genius the moment it worked, undone by the very cleverness that made it work in the first place. Sumrall’s Quiet Fit Compare that to how Florida landed its coach. The Gators chased Kiffin hard, lost him to LSU, and turned to their second choice — Tulane’s Jon Sumrall, a 43-year-old who’d gone 43-12 as a head coach and led the Green Wave to back-to-back conference title games. Sumrall himself said it plainly when he took the job: Florida didn’t just need to pick him — he and his wife sat down and chose Florida too. No secret handshake, no midnight football to hand back, no courtroom loophole. Just a program that didn’t get its first pick and still ended up, by most accounts so far, with a coach who fits. The New York Times went so far as to call Sumrall the best thing to happen to Florida football in two decades. That’s the difference between something earned and something engineered. Ray Graves earned his 1969 season and then had it taken from him by men who thought their scheme was righteousness. Doug Dickey inherited a program poisoned before his first practice. Lane Kiffin inherited a program that just got its cleverest maneuver of the year that may have been stripped away by a unanimous vote of its own bosses. We’ll wait and see how the wheels of justice grind. Jon Sumrall inherited a program that simply said: We want you, and it turns out he wanted it back. Proverbs had it right the first time. Ill-gotten gain has no lasting value. Turns out that’s as true in a courtroom in Baton Rouge as it was in a doorway in Gainesville, at five in the morning, with a football nobody wanted to hold.

UAA Photo The package exceeds the compensation of football coach Jon Sumrall and places Golden among the four or five highest-paid coaches in the country. By GatorBait News Sources Florida has locked in the architect of its basketball renaissance. The Gators signed basketball coach Todd Golden to a new six-year contract that will keep him in Gainesville through the 2031-32 season, making him the highest-paid coach ever in school history on Friday. The deal, first reported by On3’s Joe Tipton and confirmed across multiple outlets, is worth $49.5 million and averages $8.25 million per year. Golden will earn $7.5 million in 2026-27, a $1.5 million bump from last season, with $300,000 annual increases that climb to $9 million in the final year. The package exceeds the compensation of football coach Jon Sumrall and places Golden among the four or five highest-paid coaches in the country, behind Kansas’ Bill Self, UConn’s Dan Hurley and Arkansas’ John Calipari. It is Golden’s third contract adjustment in three years. Fifteen months after Florida rewarded him with a six-year, $40.5 million extension following the 2025 national title, the school added a year, raised the floor and signaled it intends to keep the 41-year-old in orange and blue for the long haul. The numbers match the results. Hired from San Francisco in 2022 after Mike White left for Georgia, Golden inherited a program that had drifted from the Billy Donovan standard. His first Gators team finished 16-17. The second went 24-12 and reached the NCAA Tournament. The third went 36-4, won the SEC Tournament, earned a No. 1 seed and captured the program’s first national championship since 2007. That title run remains a defining chapter in Florida basketball history, the championship earned by a thrilling 65-63 win over Houston at the Alamodome in San Antonio. It was Florida’s third consecutive comeback win in the tournament. The Gators came from 10 down in the final minutes to beat Texas Tech in the Elite Eight game, then rallied from a double-digit deficit in the second half to beat Auburn in the semifinals of the Final Four. In beating Houston, the Gators erased a 12-point second-half deficit in a game the Gators led for less than a full minute. In the final two minutes of the game, the Gators came up with four consecutive defensive stops to hold Houston scoreless until free throws by Alijah Martin and Denzel Aberdeen provided the margin of victory. At 39, Golden became the youngest coach to win a men’s title since Jim Valvano in 1983. Last season offered a reminder that sustaining that level is difficult. Florida won its first SEC regular-season title since 2014, finished 27-8 and again entered March as a No. 1 seed. Iowa ended the run in the second round. Golden, speaking with Tipton in June, did not pretend otherwise. “We won the Natty a couple of years ago. We were a one seed this past year and we’ll be preseason top two or three to start the year and it’s really hard to sustain,” he said. “Our goal is to keep it going.” The same conversation made his intentions clear after Michigan’s Dusty May left college basketball for the Dallas Mavericks. “For me and my staff, we’re in a really good spot at Florida,” Golden said. “We’re supported really well. Our administration has given us the opportunity to be successful. We’ve built the right culture. We’re able to keep guys in our program for an extended period of time. So we got a good thing going. And for me, I’m going to enjoy being at Florida for a while.” The roster supports that optimism. Florida returns 87 percent of its scoring, including Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Boogie Fland, Rueben Chinyelu and Urban Klavzar. Golden has argued the group could be the deepest in the country. Continuity has become a hallmark: players stay, staff stays, and the administration, led by athletic director Scott Stricklin, has backed the operation with resources. Contract language reflects both commitment and realism. Golden’s buyout to leave for another college program starts high and declines over time. An NBA departure carries a far smaller price. A notable clause reduces those college buyouts if Stricklin is no longer athletic director, tying the coach’s long-term security, in part, to the administrator who hired him. Florida would owe Golden 85 percent of the remaining value if it fired him without cause. Golden has risen from a walk-on who earned a scholarship playing for Randy Bennett at Saint Mary’s to assistant jobs at Auburn, Columbia and San Francisco before taking over as the head coach at San Francisco where he led the Dons to the NCAA Tournament prior to taking the job at Florida. In four seasons Golden has returned Florida to the elite status it maintained during the Billy Donovan era. He has won an SEC Tournament, an SEC championship and a national championship far quicker than anyone could have expected. The new contract is Florida’s bet that he can continue building Florida into the type of program that is always mentioned in discussions of the nation’s truly elite college basketball programs.

(Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning: When asked prior to the 2010-11 basketball season about expectations for the Gators, who returned all five starters, Billy Donovan asked rhetorically, “Does another year older make you another year better?” In this particular case, the Gators were better, making it all the way to the Elite Eight game where they lost by three points in overtime to Butler. A year ago, expectations for Florida football were through the roof after four straight wins that ended the 2024 season. Led by quarterback DJ Lagway, who some outlets projected as an early Heisman Trophy candidate, the Gators seemed to have a roster built for the rigors of the SEC. The Gators had experience and studs like All-America center Jake Slaughter and defensive tackle Caleb Banks anchoring what looked to be dominant units on the line of scrimmage. Some of the nation’s experts were saying 10-2 wasn’t out of the question. The Gators were indeed a year older. What they weren’t was a year better. They reverted back to the losing ways of 2022-23, a 4-8 record that earned a pink slip for HBC Billy Napier. So here we are on the verge of a brand new football season led for the fifth time since 2011 by a brand new coach. Expectations aren’t anywhere close to those of last year, but Jon Sumrall’s past history and upbeat demeanor have folks wondering if the 6-6 and 7-5 preseason projections are underselling the team that takes the field eight days from now against Florida Atlantic. A 7-5 record seems entirely do-able and quite frankly, a three-game improvement against a schedule that includes five teams ranked in the preseason top 25 would be a solid accomplishment. To go 8-4 against that schedule, the Gators would need to knock off one of those preseason ranked teams. Both No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 10 Oklahoma have to play the Gators in Gainesville and while No. 25 Missouri is on the road, that game is the first week of October. In five of the last six seasons, Mizzou has looked great against September cupcakes only to lose its first game in October. Mizzou should have little trouble going 4-0 in September before facing Florida. Does history repeat itself? The Gators are another year older than last year and no question about it they should be better. Most diehards believe 8-4 is realistic and while stars and planets might have to align for 9-3, for some reason that doesn’t seem an imaginary bridge too far. Are the returning players a year better? Are the transfers and freshmen capable of filling in gaps to elevate possibilities? This team looks the part, but we’ve all heard that expression “body by Tarzan, game like Jane.” On paper the Gators look good enough to win eight games, but are they four games better than last year’s 4-8? It is easy to say yes right now when no games have been played and we’re surviving on fumes until the oxygen of a football season begins to flow on September 5. Ask me again on October 4, the day after facing Missouri in CoMo. ELSEWHERE IN THE SEC No. 13 Alabama: Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jeremiah Beaman suffered a season-ending ACL tear in practice. Beaman played in three games as a true freshman in 2024, then missed all but game one of last season with an ACL tear. Arkansas: In limbo is three-time All-Ivy League defensive back transfer Sean Williams. A 10th District US Court of Appeals ruling has made him ineligible but like others seeking a fifth season he awaits a higher court to rule him eligible. Williams had 11 interceptions in four seasons at Dartmouth. Auburn: HBC Alex Golesh says the Tigers are “light years ahead” of where Tennessee and South Florida were upon his arrival, mostly due to having a quarterback fully immersed in the offense. Byrum Brown transferred to Auburn from South Florida, where he threw for 28 touchdowns and ran for 14 in his second year running Golesh’s offense. No. 3 Georgia: HBC Kirby Smart has ruled out adding any players who have been on NFL rosters, calling it unfair to players in the program. “You have to decide, each and every person, if that’s valuable enough to warrant replacing your players that have worked with your team with others that might be better,” Smart said. “So, our job is to upgrade and try to get better as much as we can and win games. So, some people feel that gives them an opportunity to be better and doesn’t change their culture and more power to them.” Kentucky: Linebacker Alex Afari has rejoined the team and is practicing while waiting an appeal of the US District Court of Appeals ruling that overturned a Colorado judge nationwide decree granting a fifth season of eligibility for all athletes who first enrolled in 2022. Afari had 61 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks for the Wildcats in 2025. Also EDGE Antonio Berry, a transfer from D1AA Gardner-Webb, is ineligible. O’Berry played three seasons in Division II and two more at Gardner-Webb. No. 11 LSU: Defensive end Jack Pyburn, currently on the Tampa Bay Bucs preseason roster, says if he is not on an NFL roster by September 1 he will return to LSU. Mississippi State: EDGE rusher Malick Sylla and safety Jahron Manning are currently ineligible while waiting for an overturn of the 10th District US Court of Appeals ruling that negates a Colorado court blanket eligibility for all athletes from the high school class of 2022 who are seeking a fifth year of eligibility. No. 25 Missouri: Running back Ahmad Hardy will miss Mizzou’s season opener with Arkansas-Pine Bluff while still recuperating from a gunshot wound suffered during a concert in May. HBC Eli Drinkwitz anticipates Hardy will be ready to play again mid-September, preferably in time for the SEC opener with Mississippi State. Hardy ran for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns last year. No. 10 Oklahoma: Reserve linemen Caleb Nitta, Ryan Fode and Noah Best have been taking the reps at center in the absence of center Jake Maikkula, who is recovering from an injury. HBC Brent Venables says Maikkula is expected to return “sooner rather than later.” No. 9 Ole Miss: Former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright, who was given the green light to return to college football by a Texas judge Thursday, says before he agreed to sign with LSU after being waived by the NFL Clevland Browns, he was approached by both South Carolina and Virginia Tech. South Carolina: Offensive tackle Jacarrius Peaks and defensive end Dylan Stewart are both doubtful for the season opener against Kent State on September 6. Tight end Brady Hunt’s status has been moved up to questionable for the season opener. No. 20 Tennessee: Arion Carter’s NCAA-mandated 3-game suspension has been reduced again, this time to simply missing the season opener with D1AA Furman. The 3-game suspension was reduced to two games back in July. Carter was suspended for taking an “impermissible benefit” which turned out to be a $427 flight to an NFL pre-draft activity. No. 5 Texas: Former Georgia All-American David Pollock, speaking on the “See Ball Get Ball” podcast, says there are “no excuses” for Texas this year. “If you’re asking me to find many rosters outside of Texas football [that are better] there ain’t many I can think of … one, maybe two but that’s how good this roster is. They’re not missing anything. No. 8 Texas A&M: Defensive lineman Chace Sims and running back Tiger Riden have suffered season-ending injuries. Offensive lineman Nelson McGuire and wide receiver Jerome Myles have left the team for personal reasons. Myles is a former 5-star recruit who missed all of last season with an injury. Sims, Riden and McGuire are all redshirt freshmen and former 4-star recruits … Basketball player Rylan Griffen is enrolled in classes while awaiting a September 11 hearing in which he hopes to get a preliminary injunction that will allow him to play for the Aggis this season. Vanderbilt: HBC Clark Lea has named New Mexico State transfer Blaze Berlowitz as the starting quarterback for game one against D1AA Austin Peay. In choosing Berlowitz over 5-star freshman Jared Curtis, Lea said the decision is “best for our offense.” Berlowitz has played in only seven games in his collegiate career, completing 19-36 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns while running for 117 and one TD. Lea said that Curtis will play in the game. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Have you ever sat through one of those seemingly endless clay court encounters at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris when two French Open baseliners are content to spend an eternity punching a tennis ball back and forth? If you have then you have keen insight into what is going on with college sports these days where a growing number of plaintiffs are suing the NCAA for injunctive relief that will grant them a fifth year of athletic eligibility. The NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, fights back in every courtroom no matter how big or how small. Most of the time, the NCAA loses. Yesterday, for instance, a Texas judge ruling on behalf of 41 athletes ruled the NCAA and SEC have no right to stop athletes who were on NFL or NBA rosters from returning to play another year of college football or basketball. This is a case the NCAA could actually win since there is precedent in which higher level courts have ruled pros like Alabama’s Charles Bediako cannot play collegiately once leaving campus to play professionally. Even if the NCAA wins there will be more lawsuits unless someone with common sense and reasonable ideas intervenes. If the NCAA wants the support of 95 percent or better of its member institutions, then it should offer a compromise: Grandfather in all 2022 athletes who were fourth-year seniors in exchange for agreement to disallow athletes who left the campus for the pros to return for a fifth year. That would end nearly all the lawsuits while presenting such a show of force to the courts that it might make judges use the Bediako case as their precedent to say no. It is a reasonably good idea. The only problem is it reeks of good sense and it has been decades since the NCAA was accused of good sense.

Buddy’s Gators Prediction, Take #1 (Of Probably Several) Every August, I do the same dance. I ignore the advanced metrics, I skip past the offensive line grades, and I go with the only instrument I actually trust: My gut. Which seems not to be shrinking these days. My gut has also been wrong more often than the local weatherman in hurricane season, but it has also been remarkably consistent — which is more than you can say for most preseason polls. So here’s the gut reading for Jon Sumrall’s first year in Gainesville: Seven wins, with an outside shot at eight. I know, I know — not exactly a bold prediction you’d see splashed across a highlight reel. But I’ve never been the guy chasing headlines with his predictions. I’m the guy who shows up seven months later and says “told you so” in a very quiet voice. Here’s my reasoning, such as it is. The offense is The Bomb — and I don’t mean the deep ball. Buster Faulkner’s offense is going to be must-watch television, and it’s not because Aaron Philo is going to be slinging it around like he’s got something to prove — although he might. It’s because this team can beat you two different ways, and that’s the part that should scare SEC defensive coordinators into an extra film session. Philo’s got more weapons around him than some small nations have in their militia, but the one that keeps me up at night — in a good way — is Jadan Baugh. The man is a beast. Maybe not King Kong, perhaps a Rhedosaurus. Analysts are throwing around 1,000-yard rushing seasons like beach balls, and for once, I’m inclined to agree with the analysts instead of just nodding politely and going back to my gut. I may have gotten over my skis a little when I predicted that Baugh would catch 66 passes this year — so I cut that back to to 50. Let’s go with that. The defense: Improved, probably. By how much? Ask me in October. Brad White’s defense should be better. I believe that the way I believe the sun’s coming up tomorrow — with total confidence and zero evidence I could show you right now. Until I actually watch this unit line up against SEC offenses for a few Saturdays, I’m not moving my number. That’s why I’m parked at 7.5’wins with an option to bump it to eight, but not before Week 7. Call it a “prove it to me first” clause. My gut has been burned by good defensive vibes in August that turned into fourth-quarter collapses in October, and I’m not falling for that again this year. Having said that, I could see a happy Gator Nation. Hear me now: If White’s defense does take the leap I’m hoping for and this team plays anywhere close to its talent level in a brutal SEC gauntlet, Sumrall is going to get some serious Coach of the Year buzz. He’s already shown he can walk into a new job and get buy-in fast — now he just needs to do it against Georgia-caliber competition instead of Group of Five schedules. I wouldn’t bet against him. I also wouldn’t bet my mortgage on it, but that’s a different column. So where’s win number eight? I’ve stared at this schedule more times than I care to admit, and I still can’t find it. Florida Atlantic, Campbell, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, FSU— fine, those look like checks in the win column. Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Kentucky — that’s your classic toss-up trio, the kind of games that make columnists like me age five years in sixty minutes. Kentucky maybe? And then there’s the road trip to Texas and a date with Georgia in Atlanta, which I’m filing under “likely losses” right next to my New Year’s resolutions. Split those toss-ups even close to down the middle, and seven wins is your number. Win two of the three, and now we’re having a real conversation about eight. Am I apologizing for a seven-win prediction? Absolutely not. The so-called experts are basically in the same neighborhood as me anyway, which either means my gut has gotten smarter or the neighborhood has gotten more crowded. Saturday Down South’s Crystal Ball has Florida at 7–5. Vegas has the over/under sitting right at 7.5. CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford says 6–6, and ESPN’s FPI — a computer, mind you, with no gut at all — lands at 6.74 wins, which sounds like a very specific way of saying “somewhere around six or seven, don’t quote us on the .74 part.” Then you’ve got Stewart Mandel over at The Athletic going full riverboat gambler with a 9–3 prediction and a Playoff conversation attached to it. I respect the confidence. I just don’t share it — yet. If Baugh stays healthy, the offensive line surprises people, and White’s defense turns the corner faster than expected, I’ll gladly eat my words with a side of Gator Ade plus brownies and espresso and organic coffee at Karma Cream. And in case you were wondering where the league thinks Florida lands — the SEC preseason media poll picked the Gators ninth out of sixteen teams. Ninth. In a 16-team league. That’s not “rebuilding,” that’s “we have genuinely no idea what this team is yet,” which, if I’m honest, is exactly where my gut lives most Augusts anyway. Seven wins. Maybe eight if the stars — and the offensive line — align. Check back with me after the Ole Miss game, when my gut and I will either be feeling very smart or extremely quiet. Where’s the eighth win? I’ve looked. It’s not under the couch. I’ve stared at this schedule so long I could recite it in my sleep. Florida Atlantic, Campbell, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, FSU — fine, pencil those in, though pencil is the operative word. Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Kentucky — that’s your classic gut-punch quartet, the games that age a columnist five years in sixty minutes. Then there’s a road trip to Texas and a rendezvous with Georgia in Atlanta, filed permanently under Things I’d Rather Not Discuss, right next to my 2019-25 predictions. Split the toss-ups down the middle and seven is your number. Win three of four and now we’re arguing about eight over cold beer instead of hot regret. Apologizing for seven wins? Not a chance. Saturday Down South’s Crystal Ball says 7–5. Vegas has the over/under sitting at 7.5, same as always, because Vegas never blinks. CBS Sports says 6–6. ESPN’s FPI — a machine with no gut, no nerves, and no capacity for hope — lands at 6.74, which is a very computer-y way of saying “somewhere around six or seven, don’t ask us to feel good about it.” Then you’ve got Stewart Mandel over at The Athletic riding in with a 9–3 prediction and a playoff conversation strapped to the saddle. Bless his optimism. I’m not there yet — but if Baugh stays upright, the offensive line surprises everybody, and White’s defense turns the corner faster than advertised, I’ll eat every word of this column with Karma Cream dessert. And in case anyone needed reminding where at the league actually thinks this team lands: ninth. Out of sixteen. In the SEC preseason media poll. Ninth, in a conference that treats “rebuilding year” like a personal insult. Seven wins. Maybe eight, if the stars, the O-line, and the football gods all decide to cooperate at once — which, historically, they don’t. Check back with me after Ole Miss. My gut and I will either be feeling smart, or we’ll be very, very quiet.

UAA Photo Have we all forgotten about Aidan Warner and Will Griffin? By EDDIE GILLEY GatorBaitMedia.com Two’s company and Three’s a crowd. Unless you are old enough to remember the TV show Three’s Company. Most experts and even the average fan assumed the quarterback battle for the Gators’ opening snap was a two-man race. We now know Aaron Philo got the nod just because of his experience with a Buster Faulkner offense, but that has Tramell Jones Jr. made up enough ground that the coaches think his arm talent is enough to earn some playing time. Have we all forgotten about Aidan Warner and Will Griffin? Ok, so maybe you can be forgiven for not thinking about Warner. I mean he did start against Texas and play against Georgia. However, there are people close to the program who told me that the only thing holding Will Griffin back from serious contention for the starting job was a lack of mastering the offense. The jump from high school to SEC is harder than most people think. Especially at the pivotal position of QB. His arm has looked strong in the limited viewing most of the media has been afforded to us. We just don’t get to see the operation piece during the 7 on 7 or 11 on 11 parts of practice. That’s kind of been the knock on Jones as well. His arm talent has never been in question. His athletic ability either. What has been mentioned is his ability to make reads at the line of scrimmage and manage the operation parts of the offense. The small details that are often overlooked. If you think that doesn’t matter just remember the play last year when the entire defense moved to the two “A” gaps or right over the center and DJ Lagway still ran the play to give it to Jadan Baugh between the guard and center on fourth down. Knowing how to audible or at least call time out is a valuable part of playing quarterback at any level. Philo has been the favorite to win the job and for most commentators said it appeared to be his job to lose. But it’s not over yet. It makes sense that Buster Faulkner would be comfortable with a guy who knows what the OC is trying to get done. He’s had more experience in this particular offense. He’s more comfortable with the verbiage and the jargon. He knows what the OC wants to do in certain situations if the defense gives a different look than was expected when the call came down. His arm strength isn’t that bad either. The good news is that the Gators have three solid quarterbacks and a fourth that has taken snaps in a SEC game. Will Griffin looked to be the odd man out as camp ended and game week preparations began. But remember just a couple of years ago when our #3 had to start? So if that happens, I’d feel better than I did when Warner had to do it. I know this was wrong, but my gut felt that Jones would be the starting QB. He’s been the guy throwing to Dallas Wilson more in drills. It’s obvious they want Jones to be a part of the offense, especially in the quarterback room and that’s why there have been reports, unconfirmed, that he got a big payday to stay – $1 million? Perhaps a raise but the amount sounds questionable. On Jones’s outlook, Sumrall was careful to frame the decision as anything but final. He told reporters: “This is not an anointing… This is not permanent. You’re not a starter forever because you got to keep playing good.” CBS Sports captured a similar message directed specifically at Jones: “For Tramell, it’s not like you’re being relegated or demoted and forgotten. This is not fatal.” 247Sports also quoted Sumrall stressing there’s “no timeline” — that the job stays under continuous evaluation regardless of who holds it. Sumrall added Jones will keep getting some first-team reps even as Philo gets “the lion’s share” heading into the Sept. 5 opener against Florida Atlantic. The Gators have three solid QBs, but what they need is for one of them to develop into a very good if not great college QB this season. Right now the coaches feel it’s Philo’s turn, with no long-term promises, and we don’t buy the theory by some that I was a done deal already – give Philo credit for earning the start. Time will tell which one has the greatest chance to fulfill that wish for all of Gator Nation. But there are very strong options.

Craddock And Newly Named Starter Philo (UAA Photo) Take a good look at Craddock because he’s likely to be around here for a while. Fifth paragraph, sixth sentence…”wearing Spurrier Senior’s trademark on a hat…”. Is this to imply the hat Coach Craddock was wearing had a visor logo on it? Sixth paragraph, third sentence…”currently drawing a paycheck at Ole Miss…”. Shouldn’t this be LSU? PS…would’ve been more appropriate to see Coach Craddock with Philo wearing a visor instead of a hat. There must be a good reason that the normally punctual John Sumrall kept his team on the field late Monday and wasn’t on time as usual for his presser. We are aware of the competitive battle at quarterback, although we now know the starter is Aaron Philo, but it seems to me there are many other issues. I’m hearing Sumrall wanted to be careful and deliberate with his team on how he announced to his squad and did not want Tramell to come off as a failure. There are some other things that need fixing before opening season opener in just a few days, like a struggling defense. But for now — at least this week — the QB issue is settled. So today, let’s focus on the guy tasked with the job of coaching Philo as his direct report and overseeing the QB Room. This is not to be critical of Jon Sumrall, who has inspired Gator Nation. Nobody in The Swamp is shocked and quite frankly I believe on faith from afar, that he made a good choice, even if somewhat obvious — without evidence for me to prove it. Philo got a jump on learning the playbook from Buster Faulkner, who already has him trained on how to get out of a bad play and into a good one. And won’t be confused by all that pre-snap motion. Meanwhile, this is how the sausage is going to be made: Somewhere in Chelsea, Ala., a kid in an all-blue Nike hat with an orange F stitched on the front is currently doing a victory lap in his own head, and he should. Chelsea is a small town in north-central Shelby County, part of the Birmingham metropolitan area, sitting about 10 miles southeast along the U.S. Highway 280. The area sits amid rolling hills near the southern end of Double Oak Mountain, a spur of the Appalachians, giving it a wooded, ridge-and-valley feel. Chelsea was tiny when it incorporated on March 1, 1996, with only about 901 to 906 residents, but has since grown. Craddock spent decades getting laughed at by every mullet-headed Auburn and Alabama fan in his zip code for loving a program three states away, and now he’s got an office that overlooks the Florida practice field. Turns out stubborn devotion pays off eventually — just ask anyone who’s ever kept faith in a Gators quarterback room. Craddock, Florida’s new quarterbacks coach, wants everyone to understand the gravity of the chair he’s sitting in, and he’s not being subtle about it. “Playing quarterback at the University of Florida is a big freaking deal,” Craddock told the Gainesville Sun recently. “I make sure our guys understand that every day, and don’t ever take this for granted. I always tell them that this is a privilege, not a right.” Big freaking deal, indeed. And here’s a detail that ought to keep Craddock humble every time he walks into his own meeting room: Sitting somewhere in that quarterback room, breaking down film alongside him, is Steve Spurrier Jr. — offensive analyst, son of the actual Head Ball Coach, and a man who’s been personally coaching Florida’s quarterbacks on the practice field as recently as this month’s fall camp. Take a good look at Craddock because he’s likely to be around here for a while. Some of the insiders told me that if OC Buster Faulkner gets hired away – which many feel he will eventually as a head coach — that his replacement is sitting right there at his right hand and will get the job. He is a longtime devotee to the style and panache of Steve Spurrier Sr., who was — and still remains — “a big freaking deal.” Craddock spent his teenage years wearing Spurrier Senior’s trademark on a hat and dreaming of playing for him someday. Now he’s the boss of his son. Somewhere, the football gods are laughing so hard they dropped their visor. And here’s the thing — Craddock isn’t just talking his own playbook. He’s got corroborating witnesses scattered across the entire SEC, and one of them wears a visor for a living. Lane Kiffin, currently drawing a paycheck at LSU and spending most of his professional life being compared to the man he’s about to discuss, has never been shy about who he actually wants to be when he grows up. “I wanted to be Steve Spurrier,” Kiffin admitted on a podcast, “in the visor… he was the man.” Kiffin has gone even further, crediting Spurrier’s habit of “throwing jabs at other coaches and teams” as the entire blueprint for his own trash-talking coaching persona. That’s a rival head coach, one who has coached against Florida and openly lusted after Florida’s job this past offseason, confessing on national radio that he’s spent his career cosplaying as the Head Ball Coach. Nothing quite says “big freaking deal” like your own conference rivals stealing your headwear. The delicious irony here is that Craddock never got to play the position he’s now paid to shape. He topped out at just under 5-foot-11, which in recruiting terms is basically a polite way of saying “no thanks” from every SEC staff that mattered, Florida’s included. So he went to Middle Tennessee, became a Blue Raider instead of a Gator, and had to satisfy his Florida fever by driving to Gainesville, circling Lake Alice, and staring wistfully at an open gate in the north end zone like a man pressing his nose against a bakery window. Now he’s the guy handing out the keys. There’s a joke in there about height and destiny, but Craddock’s already made it himself, so I’ll let him have that one. What makes this hire land with actual weight — beyond the Hallmark-movie backstory — is the standard he’s inheriting, and it’s not a low bar. Spurrier built the aesthetic Kiffin still steals from. Danny Wuerffel took it and proved you didn’t need a cannon arm or a Kevlar release to torch a defense — he just needed the system, and he rode it to 114 career touchdowns and a national title in 1996, numbers that still make opposing defensive coordinators from that era wince when they hear his name. Then Tim Tebow showed up and turned the whole quarterback position into a different sport, running and throwing his way to 9,285 passing yards, 88 passing touchdowns and 57 rushing scores, a stat line national media still uses as the ceiling every dual-threat recruit gets measured against. That’s the lineage Craddock now curates: A coach’s coach, a system quarterback who made “system” sound like a compliment, and a physical specimen who broke the sport’s imagination. No pressure. Except, again, all of it. Craddock knows the room he’s walking into and whose name is on the field — he’s said the tradition outside the Swamp is “astonishing,” which is coach-speak for “please don’t make me explain three Heisman statues to a freshman.” He never wore the uniform himself, despite begging for the chance as a teenager stuck in enemy territory watching Spurrier drive a golf cart around campus. He’s spent stops at SMU, Arkansas, Troy and Tulane earning his way back to the program that broke his teenage heart, including two years at Arkansas that ended in a firing Craddock’s been refreshingly honest about, admitting he “thought I had all the answers” back then. Growth is a beautiful thing, mostly because it’s cheaper than therapy. And then there’s the Ruffles. An entire bag of sour cream and onion, gone, the night before every season opener, because “we won a lot of games when I’ve had those at night.” He’s “a little ‘stitious,’ but not superstitious,” which is the sort of sentence that only makes sense to a man who has spent his whole adult life around football coaches and Waffle House parking lots. Fine. If a family-size bag of chip dust is what stands between Florida’s quarterback room and the next Wuerffel, somebody buy the man a Sam’s Club membership immediately. As for how the rest of the world sees it — the fanbase seems charmed, mostly because Craddock is selling the one thing Gator Nation has been starving for since Tebow left campus: Someone who actually gets what the job means, rather than treating Gainesville as a layover on the way to a bigger check. Jon Sumrall clearly bought in after a single 45-minute phone call in which Craddock apparently used about 30 seconds of airtime, which either speaks to remarkable chemistry or to Sumrall doing all the talking. Meanwhile, across the conference, a certain visor-wearing rival is out here doing unpaid promotional work for the very tradition Craddock now protects. Buster Faulkner gets to run the offense, but Craddock gets the quarterbacks, the statues and apparently Lane Kiffin’s undying envy. The kid who wore the wrong hat in the right locker rooms for twenty years finally gets his Swamp moment, inheriting a legacy so good that even the competition wants to be it. Somewhere, another teenage Craddock is doing a happy dance, and somewhere else, a bag of Ruffles just got very, very nervous.

(Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: There is a reason why Aaron Philo will be Florida’s starting quarterback when the Gators take the field against Florida Atlantic ten days from now in The Swamp. It has nothing to do with promises as some seeking a shooter on a grassy knoll might theorize. Aaron Philo didn’t leave a sure thing starting job at Georgia Tech to transfer to Florida because he was promised the No. 1 QB. Not at all. Florida was his transfer destination of choice because Buster Faulkner left Tech to become the offensive coordinator for the Gators. Period. End of story. Two years working with Faulkner was all the convincing Aaron Philo needed to become a Gator. No promises were extended, none were needed. The opportunity for another year developing under the watchful eye of Buster Faulkner made transferring to Florida the best option for continued and long term development. Faulkner is somewhat of a QB whisperer. In the two years he was the quarterback coach at Georgia, he turned former walk-on Stetson Bennett IV into a two-time national champion who threw for 56 touchdowns and nearly 7,000 yards while leading the Bulldogs to a 29-1 record. In three years as the offensive coordinator and QB coach at Georgia Tech, Faulkner transformed Haynes King from a run-first, interception prone quarterback into one of the nation’s top dual threats. King completed 16 passes to his opponents in year one under Faulkner, but threw only eight picks combined in 2024-25. The two years spent understanding the who, what, when and wheres of Faulkner’s offense in Atlanta have carried over to Gainesville where Philo has emerged as the starter over redshirt freshman Tramell Jones. Some who have been privy to practices admit Jones has the better arm and the speed to become a very dangerous runner, but what he doesn’t have is two years knowing how his offensive coordinator thinks and what he’s looking for in the seconds before the ball is snapped. At his Monday press conference, Florida head coach Jon Sumrall said his two quarterbacks are similar in so many ways, but the two years of working with Faulker at Georgia Tech gave Philo the edge, particularly in those critical seconds prior to the ball being snapped. "Yeah, I would say operate at the line of scrimmage at just a touch higher level and be more efficient,” Sumrall offered as one of the chief reasons Philo will be the starter. “You know, there's no surprise to that in spring because he had been in the system, and Tramell had not. Tramell has improved a ton, but I still think we're able to operate the full offense at a little bit higher level right now with Aaron, with the whole package. And so, that's probably the biggest separator. “Their arm talent is very similar … what's unique is both of ‘em's play style resembles each other more than it differentiates each other. They're kind of similar players. Arm talent-wise, running ability, they're similar-ish, like on the GPS numbers, they're about the same speed. So I would say it's probably the biggest differentiating factor has just been being able to maybe get us into the right call, out of the wrong call, check things, alert things, kill things off of defensive pictures, and then maybe see the middle of the field a little bit more in the throw game. But both guys have done a lot of great things, but that's probably been the biggest difference. It's just operational.” Now, just because Philo has been named the starter doesn’t mean another year of riding the pine and hoping for mop-up duty for Jones. He was injured as a high school senior and was limited to perhaps 50 or so snaps last season at Florida when he was the backup QB to DJ Lagway. Jones needs real game experience in the worst way to prep to be ready in the event Philo suffers a sprained ankle or concussion. Getting meaningful snaps early in the season is the only way to ensure Jones will be ready. Both Philo and Jones have earned the trust of Sumrall, who believes the Gators can win with either one at quarterback. “And for Tramell, it's not like you're being relegated or demoted and forgotten,” Sumrall said. “Like, this is not fatal. I believe in Tramell Jones. Like I'm a believer, I'll go to battle with that dude. So, I'm fired up about both of them. I just feel like right now, it's where we need to go with the decision, but the guys will rally around both." KEELON RUSSELL ANOINTED AS THE STARTING QB AT ALABAMA After going 10-3 in 2010, one year after winning the first of his six national championships at Alabama, Nick Saban never had a season in which he lost more than two games. Saban lost eight games in his final five seasons prior to retiring after the 2023 season. Kalen DeBoer suffered the indignity of a 9-4 record in 2024. Saban never had a 4-loss season and the only year he didn’t win at least 10 games was the 7-6 record he posted his first year on the job in Tuscaloosa. DeBoer improved the win total to a more respectable 11 games in 2025, but still suffered another 4-loss season. The pressure on DeBoer to win is nearly beyond comprehension and now he’s trusting his already shaky situation to a redshirt freshman quarterback. In Alabama terms, this is like giving the keys to the Cadillac to the cabana attendant. Even great quarterbacks have their struggles against SEC defenses. True freshman and redshirt freshman quarterbacks are like chum in the water for the sharks on SEC defenses. Adding to the pressure of being an unknown quantity now starting at QB for the most storied football program in the SEC, we have former Georgia All-America defensive end David Pollock calling Russell a “carbon copy” of former LSU Heisman Trophy QB Jayden Daniels. Former Bama quarterback turned ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy says Russell “will be an All-SEC player.” Russell might be every bit as talented as he is hyped, but talent and pressure sometimes mix like oil and water. There are no guarantees that Russell can handle expectations like no other place in the SEC. At Alabama every loss is treated like a death sentence. If Russell leads the Crimson Tide to yet another 4-loss season then the heat will ratchet up to levels unseen in Tuscaloosa since 2006, Mike Shula’s last year as the Bama head coach. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: A Baton Rouge judge issued a temporary restraining order Monday that will allow former Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis to play basketball for LSU this year. Luis has been out of college the last two years playing in the G-League on a two-way contract. Not to be outdone by the shenanigans of basketball coach Will Wade, LSU football coach Lane Kiffin is basically giving the NCAA and SEC a middle finger salute by pursuing tight end Dae’Quan Wright, most recently on the preseason roster of the Cleveland Browns. Wright played for Kiffin last season at Ole Miss. Wright is one of several players in NFL training camps who have sued the NCAA to get another year of college football. Former Gator and LSU defensive end Jack Pyburn, playing well in the preseason for the Tampa Bay Bucs, is also seeking to return to college football. The farce that is going on at LSU prompted Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated to write, “Of course, there was an active NFL player in the transfer portal with plans to play college football this season. Of course a local judge set it in motion. Of course the setting is Louisiana, where the state’s flagship university is running its athletic department like a shady cryptocurrency company.” LSU gets the headlines here because it is home to two of the most controversial coaches in all of collegiate athletics – basketball coach Will Wade and Kiffin. But, let’s face it. LSU is not alone here. There are lawsuits out the wazzoo and more on the way challenging the NCAA, which, in its infinite wisdom has turned collegiate athletics into a modern day version of the Titanic. The Titanic wore the unsinkable label until it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage. The “unsinkable” NCAA has also struck an iceberg, this one of its own making. Just like the Titanic, the NCAA is sinking while the dance band plays “Nearer My God to Thee.” Unlike the Titanic, there is a glimmer of hope that could at least rescue the NCAA temporarily. Faced with a mounting number of lawsuits in local courts where the NCAA always loses, the smart thing to do – yes, that’s asking a lot of the NCAA – is to offer a compromise: A fifth year of eligibility for last year’s fourth-year seniors in exchange for rejecting NFL and NBA players who figure they can make more money back in college than they can warming a bench in the pros. LSU might not agree with that, but you can bet the ranch a majority of conference commissioners, school presidents, athletic directors and coaches would ask for a dotted line on which they could sign. The NCAA has rarely shown any flexibility when it comes to challenges of its authority, choosing instead to fight at every juncture even when it makes no sense at all. There is no better time than the present to alter its course. It is either compromise or watch college sports join the Titanic on the bottom of the ocean.

Bryce Lovett (53) seems to have found a home at left tackle (Photo by Chris Spears) There was a moment Saturday night in The Swamp that Jon Sumrall had one of those lights just went on experiences that only coaches can have. An offensive line and in particular the tackle positions that had been the source of way too much stress put together an opening drive just like it had been scripted on the scrimmage playsheet. Jadan Baugh, the stud running back that seems to be a big play waiting to happen every time he steps on the field, was running over, under, around and through as the offense took it to the defense. Baugh tends to do that even when he doesn’t have great blocking, which has been the story of his Florida football career. But this was different. This was Baugh running behind a reshuffled offensive line that saw Bryce Lovett take over at left tackle, flopping Emeka Ugorji over to the right side. The guys in the middle – left guard Knijeah Harris, center Harrison Moore and right guard TJ Shanahan – were their usual steady selves but combined with the play at the tackles Sumrall began seeing what he had been envisioning. Best of all, it didn’t come to a halt with that first drive. By the time the final whistle was blown, Sumrall had seen the consistent play up and down his O-line for which he had been waiting. “I've had more concern up until this past week on the O-line,” Sumrall said at his Monday press conference. “The O-line played their best scrimmage, their best football Saturday night since I've been here. I was freaking jacked! I was excited!” The centerpiece of the excitement was Lovett, the 4th-year junior from Rockledge. An enormous talent, consistency has always been an issue. He played in all 13 games and got three starts at right guard as a redshirt freshman in 2024. Last season he played in all 12 games, earning two starts at right tackle. Athletic enough that he is capable of playing all five positions on the offensive line, Lovett spent the offseason replacing fat with lean muscle. He’s a svelte 305 now, both looking and playing like a man on a mission. A week ago Sumrall said, “You know, Bryce Lovett's unbelievably talented. Unbelievably talented. We just gotta get him to keep going all the time, but he's got giftedness.” That giftedness showed immediately in scrimmage number two Saturday night. “Bryce Lovett, man, y'all asked about him a week ago,” Sumrall said. “I've challenged him, our staff's challenged him, he’s responded. I think he has really elevated at tackle. He's played a lot of guard. He's played some tackle, but the first play of the scrimmage the other night, I'm not going to give every detail, but the first drive, the best player on the first drive of the scrimmage the other night was either Jadan Ball or Bryce Lovett, one of the two.” With Lovett at left tackle and Ugorji seemingly at home on the right side, Florida’s offensive line jelled and the running game produced in a big way. Duke Clark scored one rushing touchdown while Baugh had one and Evan Pryor had another. London Montgomery and Byron Louis also had productive nights although they didn’t get into the end zone. Lovett on the left side was somewhat of a surprise. That Ugorji played well at right tackle not so much. As a true freshman last year at Stanford, Ugorji started eight games at right tackle, so perhaps he’s back at his natural position. With a first five set of Lovett, Harris, Moore, Shanahan and Ugorji, the Gators still have to find quality depth. “You're seeing other guys,” Sumrall said. “I think (TJ) Dice at tackle, I think Eagan Boyer at tackle, and Caden Jones at tackle are all still very much alive, and I would probably predict in the first couple games you're still going to see us play a decent number of guys to work through it and see what gives us our best long-term group but that's where we are today. In the interior we've got several other guys … I think Rod Kearney's had a really good training camp. He’s kind of elevated interior as a guard that I think we can play with and win and so just kind of working through it but that's where we are right now. “You know, we worked most of the week with that first five together. So you're starting to create cohesion and them have confidence in each other and how they're working combination blocks.” We tend to associate brute force with play along the offensive line and while strength is a necessity, it is only one element in the success equation. It takes five guys with good footwork and quick hands plus the intelligence to adjust on the fly to ever-changing defensive fronts and blitzes. Getting five guys to understand individual assignments while playing in synch with each other is a monumental task. The quarterbacks and skill people get all the glory and recognition, but they can’t do their job if the offensive line isn’t functioning as a unit. “I feel like, you know, sometimes people don't understand how hard it is for that group to play as one, how challenging it is,” Sumrall said. “Targeting things in the run game or the pass pro, having things up the right way is harder than people realize, especially when you're playing our defense and we're doing 9,000 things up front, and you're like, there's a lot of moving parts. But I think they're gaining confidence. “Phil's [Trautwein] done a really great job coaching them. and they're starting to find their competitive edge and just how they have to play the game the right way. The O-line's got to play with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder, a little bit of a swagger, and a little bit of, like, bravado. Like, you've got to bring it. You started to feel that last week. So I'm like, okay, these guys are getting some pride in who they are. And so that's been a big part of it.” Sumrall on Cormani McClain and consistency “His best is unbelievably good. His consistency has to elevate. So, you look at, you know, he's had a couple of picks in our scrimmages. He's had a couple of missed picks, too. He hasn't – the first scrimmage I was disappointed with his tackling. Like, in full disclosure, like, the first scrimmage, I mean, you guys were, that one, I didn't like the way he tackled on a couple of perimeter plays. And I've seen him do it. I saw him do it well at other times. So, like, it's not can he? It's just do it all the time. He's got all the ability in the world. He's improved a ton I think, just how he's carried himself around the building and away from the building. I still think he's got to strain to be consistent all the time. And when he does, look out. Like, kind of like I talked about Bryce Lovett last week. I said, Bryce Lovett can be as good as he wants to be, and good as he chooses to be, Cormani McClain. How good does he choose to be? That's how good he'll be. It's up to him. That's a decision between him and him. I want it for him really, really bad. I want to see him be a great player. He's got to want it all the time for himself.” Sumrall on TJ Abrams saying 4-8 is no longer acceptable "I think they understand that. I mean, 4-8 is not ever acceptable. It's not just it's no longer. It's never acceptable. Anybody that's comfortably in 4-8, I would absolutely run them the hell out of this building. I mean, if I was comfortable with that, I'd want y'all to run me the hell out of here. So, 4-8's not, I don't worry about our record though right now. I worry about getting better. Like, I'm so worried about just us getting better every day, and then when we get to next week, we'll focus on trying to be 1-0 next week.” Sumrall on injuries “The only person that's really withheld from the scrimmage that was new Saturday was Dallas Wilson, but it was just because of a little bit of a head cold, fever-type thing. Nothing major. He was back at practice today. Jeramiah McCloud missed practice today with the same symptoms, so maybe a little bit of a return-to-school sinus infection going on, but we're fairly healthy right now as a football team.
 “[Evan] Chieca was back at practice today. He was no contact, but he was back. [Jason] Zandamela was back today. He's been kind of back and forth, but he's been around, but did not participate Saturday night. And then all of the soft tissue guys, pretty much all practiced today. So, really, the only two guys that had significant limitations from practice were DK Kalu, still coming off a little bit of an ankle boo-boo. Nothing major, he's gonna be fine, and then Jeramiah McCloud.”

So a transfer who already knew the offense beat out a redshirt freshman who didn’t. Stop the presses. But Sumrall handled with class. By Buddy Martin GatorBaitMedia.com Well, hallelujah and hide the confetti. Jon Sumrall finally told us something we all probably thought we already knew: Aaron Philo is Florida’s starting quarterback. He announced it Monday, a little tardy to his own press conference because he was busy fretting over a defense that, by his own admission, still has a “long way to go.” Priorities, Priorities. This is not to be critical of the coach, whose words and actions have lit candles in the windows of a hopeful Gator Nation. But let’s be honest about what actually happened here. Nobody in The Swamp needed a decoder ring for this one. Philo transferred in from Georgia Tech in January specifically because his new offensive coordinator, Buster Faulkner, already had him drilled in the offense from their two years together in Atlanta, where Philo authored a gaudy 57.8 percent completion rate as a backup. So a transfer who already knew the offense beat out a redshirt freshman who didn’t. Stop the presses. Somebody alert Nostradamus. But that’s not a terrible revelation and Sumrall couldn’t just say that. Coaches never can. “There will not be some crazy big hoopla around our building,” he assured everyone, which is coach-speak for “please do not make this a big story,” delivered, naturally, in the exact setting engineered to make it a story. He met with both quarterbacks Sunday afternoon at 4:45 — because apparently the time stamp matters, gentlemen, write that down — and came away moved to tears about how “awesome” they both are. Both of them. Everybody’s awesome. The tackling dummies are probably awesome too. Here’s the part that should actually keep Gator fans up at night, and it isn’t the quarterback. It’s that Sumrall felt compelled to hedge his own headline. Philo gets “the lion’s share” of reps with the ones, not all of them. Tramell Jones Jr. is “still going to get some.” This is not a decision. This is a rental agreement with an early-termination clause, and Sumrall told you as much himself: “This is not an anointing. This is not permanent. You’re not a starter forever because you got to keep playing good.” Translation: Aaron, enjoy the view from the top. Bring a parachute. And credit where it’s due — Sumrall did manage one unintentionally hilarious moment, comparing this competition favorably to Tim Tebow’s old job description by insisting neither quarterback “needs to be Tim Tebow.”No, they just need to not throw it to the other team, which after watching this defense in camp might be the more pressing job requirement on the entire roster. Speaking of that defense. While the room full of reporters was busy scribbling down synonyms for “lion’s share,” Sumrall was over in the corner quietly admitting the unit Brad White inherited from Kentucky is nowhere close to game-ready, tackling described charitably as “decent for a first scrimmage” against actual first-teamers, with defensive backs getting torched in the open field. That’s the story nobody wanted to lead with Friday, because a quarterback announcement is a headline and a leaky secondary twelve days before Florida Atlantic is a five-alarm fire nobody’s ready to discuss out loud yet. Sumrall’s own words from the spring game still apply word for word: The Gators have “a long way to go before they are the team he envisions.” So here’s where we actually are, stripped of the coach-speak: Florida has a quarterback who knows the playbook better than the alternative, a backup who’s closed the gap enough that his coach won’t stop bringing him up unprompted, and a defense that got exposed in a scrimmage twelve days before kickoff against a Group of Five team. Sumrall wants everyone calm, no hoopla, nothing to see here. Fine. But if Philo throws two picks against FAU and that secondary gets embarrassed again, don’t act surprised when the hoopla shows up anyway. It always does in Gainesville. It’s the one Gator tradition Sumrall — or any other Gator coach — hasn’t figured out how to coach-speak his way around yet. Not that Sumrall would stain his already deservedly earned rep as a straight shooter. (We would call him Billy the Kid, but that first name is already taken.) No, Coach Sumrall, just keep doing you. Buddy Martin has covered Florida football long enough to know that “not an anointing” is Latin for “check back in three weeks.”