Rather than the typical offseason in which the entertainment is pointing fingers at their school, not ours, every time some 19-year-old with a hot car and more testosterone than brains gets arrested, we have the ongoing saga of college sports, complete with a cast of characters that could have been plucked from the 1970s sitcom “Taxi.” If we’re being totally honest here, then secretly, deep down, we are thinking this is every bit as entertaining as that “Taxi” episode when Reverend Jim plays the piano at a fancy party. He began with “Mary Had a Little Lamb" a bit off key then transitions into a flawless rendition of Chopin’s “Fantaisie Impromptu in C# Minor.” After a pause he declares, “I must have had music lessons.” Never have we had an offseason for college sports like the one going on right now. It’s Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates because we never know what we’re going to get. The story changes daily and typically makes about as much sense as Reverend Jim, who at least had the excuse of a mind clouded by years of experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs. While we wait to see if Congress is going to pass its save sports bill and wonder out loud if the NCAA’s new eligibility rules will be confirmed by the voting majority we have the Brendan Sorsby case to keep us entertained. Monday, the NCAA asked an appeals court to expedite a hearing intended to reverse the temporary injunction granted by Lubbock County judge Ken Curry that will allow Sorsby to play for Texas Tech after sitting out a pair of cupcake games to start the season. Curry’s injunction doesn’t expire until February, long after the 2026 season ends. The NCAA, showing its infinite wisdom, asked for a hearing prior to the August 28 start of the college football season. Not to be outdone by the NCAA, the Big 12 Conference filed a Federal lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas against Texas Tech, state of Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, school president Lawrence Schovanec, athletic director Kirby Hocutt and just about anyone else who breathes that has had anything to do with Brendan Sorsby. The Big 12 is asking for a declaratory judgment that will allow the league to enforce its own rules, rules, by the way, that Texas Tech voluntarily agrees to follow. Sorsby’s gambling has gotten all the headlines, but the real problem is the rules and the ability to enforce them. Texas Tech doesn’t like the rules, so it has chosen to go the route of the courts in order to sidestep both rules and judgment for breaking them. Despite all its propaganda that insinuates Texas Tech is only doing what is right by rescuing a wayward young man who succumbed to the lure of gambling. They want us to believe Sorsby is nothing more than a victim who should be viewed with sympathy and understanding. Not really. Sorsby is no victim and Texas Tech is using the courts to get him eligible to play in the fall because he can fling a football with the best of them. With Sorsby Tech figures to win the Big 12 and make a serious run at winning the College Football Playoff. With Sorsby, Texas Tech figures to rake in millions and set the foundation for more championships in the future. There is a ton of money involved, try $5 million shelled out to land Sorsby by former Texas Tech football player and oil bidness tycoon Cody Campbell. Campbell, who probably has more money ($30.8 billion but who’s counting?) than common sense or integrity, has been spending money like a drunken sailor on shore leave in Pattaya, all with the intention of bringing national championships to Texas Tech in any and every sport. What neither Campbell nor Texas Tech failed to do was homework, as in a thorough background check that might have revealed Sorsby’s gambling issues. Sorsby had already transferred from Cincinnati and enrolled at Texas Tech when law enforcement broke the news that the QB charged with lifting the Red Raiders to the greatest heights of college football had been gambling for four years to the tune of $90,000 and more than 2,000 bets including more than 40 placed on his own team. Serious no-no there, one for which there is a precedent of harsh punishment no matter the perp, no matter the sport. If Texas Tech had done its homework, perhaps it would have sought after and landed a talented quarterback without the baggage, but when faced with an untried redshirt freshman leading the way, the choice was made to defy the rules and win in the courts. If the ruling in the friendly local courtroom by a sympathetic judge stands, then Sorsby will indeed play but at what cost? Organizations such as the NCAA and the Big 12 Conference would love to operate under the honor system, but since integrity is in short supply these days, they require the power to enforce their own rules. This is not some ticky tacky rule that Texas Tech is choosing to fight. This isn’t like the University of Florida being charged with major NCAA violations for assistant coach Hoss Adams buying a Sprite and a pack of Juicy Fruit for Dale Dorminey at Gainesville Regional Airport (yes, that actually happened). This is gambling. Dating all the way back to 1919 and the Black Sox scandal that almost brought professional baseball to its knees, all sports have taken a stand against their own athletes gambling, particularly those that gamble on their own team, which Sorsby did. Maybe the example that most people relate to is Pete Rose, who gambled on the Cincinnati Reds while he was their manager. He got a lifetime ban that wasn’t lifted until he died. Pete’s stats as a player merit the Hall of Fame. His gambling will in all probability keep him out forever. Texas Tech wants us to believe that Brendan Sorsby’s month in a rehab facility has cured him of his gambling addiction. It’s a tough sell and so far, only diehard Texas Tech fans are buying it. What is to prevent Sorsby from gambling on Texas Tech? What’s to prevent him from losing so much money that the gamblers get their hooks in him and try to force him to throw a game? You live in an alternative universe if you can’t see that as a possibility. The gambling issue is serious but so is following rules that your membership in an organization is proof of your agreement. When you join you agree to follow the rules and you also agree to accept punishment when you get caught breaking the rules. Texas Tech has been caught and rather than deal with the consequences has taken to the courts for injunctive relief. Why Texas Tech believes it can get away with this brazen attempt to flaunt the rules is two-fold: (1) Cody Campbell’s ego and money; and (2) the NCAA’s precedent of selective enforcement. Cody Campbell doesn’t have a net worth in excess of $30.8 billion because he takes no for an answer. He is accustomed to having his way and both the cost of Sorsby and the other Texas Tech athletes whose bank accounts are filled with Campbell’s NIL money are mere drops in his proverbial cash bucket. By all accounts, Campbell has an ego large enough to apply for statehood. Secondly, there is the matter of the NCAA’s history of dealing harshly with newbloods while turning a convenient eye to the wrongdoings of the bluebloods. Georgia spent more money on Herschel Walker than Florida did on those 109 violations that sentenced the Gators to life in the NCAA jailhouse. Georgia lost two scholarships, was still eligible for bowls and championships, and its games were televised. Post Dean Smith, North Carolina basketball players benefitted from 18 years of academic impropriety but when the NCAA acted it claimed academics were out of its realm to enforce. Oh really? Then why does the NCAA set academic standards for recruits? Why does the NCAA rule that a player with failing grades is ineligible? Why do things like that happen? Because the NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, picks and chooses who it goes after. As Jerry Tarkanian once said, “The NCAA is so mad at Kentucky that they’re putting Cleveland State on two more years of probation.” It was funny, but Tark really wasn’t kidding. Is it any wonder that Texas Tech thinks it can challenge the NCAA on Sorsby’s eligibility? If there had been any consistency then there would be little room for a challenge. The NCAA could win this one, probably should win this one, but it’s going to be dicey thanks to precedent. The Big 12 actually has ground to stand on. Standing behind its lawsuit are the other 15 members of the conference. They know Texas Tech broke the rules and they are taking a stand that enough is enough. They are making a collective statement that should speak volumes in Federal Court. It would be helpful if the SEC, Big Ten and ACC would show support of the Big 12 by filing briefs in the Texas court stating their unanimous opposition to allowing a quarterback who gambled on his own team to play. Of course, in standing up to a rules breaker, the Big 12 and everyone else in opposition needs to take a long look in the mirror and repeat the words of Jesus who said, “If any one of you is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” (John 8:7) There is a reason we have rules. If we’re lucky, the Sorsby case might encourage a revival of integrity in which rules – even those that seem insignificant – are followed.

This was a real challenge. Renovating a cathedral of college football is a delicate business. I’ve been around long enough to know that big ideas in sports don’t arrive quietly. They come with skeptics. They come with second-guessers. And they almost always come with a little bit of history tagging along for the ride. Back in the 1960s, I found myself in a press box with some of the sharpest minds in the business — including the legendary columnist Red Smith — when a man named Judge Roy Hofheinz walked in carrying what looked like a piece of carpet. It wasn’t. It was the future. They couldn’t grow grass inside the Astrodome, so they decided to invent their own. That little patch would become Astroturf, and love it or hate it, it changed the game forever. That was innovation born out of necessity — bold, controversial, and, at the time, hard to fully comprehend. What the University of Florida is doing now to The Swamp isn’t quite on that scale of invention, but don’t kid yourself — it’s no small undertaking. Renovating a cathedral of college football is a delicate business. You’re not just dealing with concrete and steel. You’re dealing with memories, traditions, and emotions that run deep through generations of Gator fans. And here’s the truth: no matter how carefully it’s done, no matter how well-intentioned the plan, a sizable portion of folks aren’t going to like it. That’s the price of touching something sacred. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know exactly what the final version of The Swamp will look like. Truth is, I may not even be around to see it in its finished form. But I do believe this — the people in charge understand what they’re handling. From everything I’ve seen and heard, there’s been a conscious effort to preserve the soul of that place while bringing it into a new era. Because that’s the balance, isn’t it? Hold on to what makes The Swamp The Swamp — that noise, that intimidation, that unmistakable feeling on a Saturday night — while also giving fans a better way to experience it. Cleaner sightlines. Improved amenities. The kind of upgrades that today’s world seems to demand. Of course, there’s a flip side. Progress doesn’t come cheap. It rarely ever does. And like so many things in modern sports — college or otherwise — the cost of admission keeps climbing. For many longtime fans, the ones who helped build the very atmosphere being preserved, that price tag is going to sting. It may even push some of them out. That’s a hard reality, and not one to be brushed aside lightly. Still, this is where we are in the evolution of the game. “Amateur athletics” has long since become more of a phrase than a reality, and the business of sports continues to reshape the experience for everyone involved. So where does that leave us? Somewhere between nostalgia and necessity. Between what was and what must be. And maybe, just maybe, in a place where we can appreciate the effort, even if we don’t agree with every detail. Because projects like this take vision. They take courage. And yes, they take a willingness to absorb criticism. So let’s give them that. Let’s give them a fair shake. Let’s give them a little patience. And yes — let’s give them a round of applause. And that includes Scott Stricklin. Start Spreadin’ The News In The Knick Of Time Even if you don’t like them or their city, you have to admire what the Knicks did in breaking the 53-year drought to win the NBA. Many of you share the sentiment with my colleague Franz Beard. I don’t expect many Gator fans to understand what this remarkable achievement means to a New Yorker. And I’m not attempting to be sympatico because I once lived there and paid taxes. But I know those people, I lived among those people on several occasions. It might surprise you to know that Knick fans are not unlike Gator fans. They waited a long time and suffered many seasons. You don’t have to like New York. You don’t have to like the Knicks. You don’t have to like the city. But if you’ve ever bled orange and blue through a tough season — or ten — you might understand why this feels just a little bit right now. Truth be told, a lot of folks around here don’t. My old friend Franz Beard has long maintained that the best thing to come out of that city is I-95 southbound. Fair enough. But every now and then, even the most stubborn among us have to tip the cap. And what the New York Knicks just did — ending a 53-year drought to win an NBA title — deserves that kind of respect. Fifty-three years is a long time anywhere. It’s an eternity in a place that measures itself by championships and headlines. You think Gator fans know suffering? Try living in a city that hasn’t celebrated a basketball title since Richard Nixon was in the White House. I’m not saying you have to feel sorry for New Yorkers. That’s a tough sell in SEC country. But I will tell you, a lot like Gator fans, they show up. They hang on. They complain, sure — but they never really leave. They’ve endured bad ownership, worse basketball, and more false hope than most fan bases could stomach. Sound familiar? That’s why this one hits a little differently. Not because it’s New York, but because it’s about loyalty finally paying off. About fans who stuck it out through decades of disappointment getting their moment. And yes, I’ll admit it: Even for a Florida guy retransplanted here, just a little heartwarming. Quick Jump Starts —New York captain Jen Brunson was originally selected with the No. 33 pick in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Now, Brunson has become the fourth second-round pick in NBA history to be named NBA Finals MVP after averaging 32.6 points and 4.6 assists while leading New York to a 4-1 series victory. —Change is often needed, but somehow I have a tough time imagining Vince Lombardi saying to his Packers in the fourth quarter: “Ok boys, time for a Hydration Break!” — I love Tommy Haugh. There, I said it. —Maybe I could be a soccer fan, except for these one-score games. For the same reason I never bought into the “beauty” of a low-scoring 7-6 SEC football defensive struggle. —I must confess to being addicted to the deep passion of the soccer fans and attracted to much of their ceremonial splendor, class and respect paid. They don’t need no stinkin’ Bad Bunny.

A few thoughts to jump start your Sunday morning: Thanks to a second place finish by the Florida women at the NCAA Track and Field championships in Eugene, Oregon Saturday night, the Gators have a shot at keeping alive their 41-year streak of top ten finishes in the Learfield Director’s Cup, which is given to the overall best athletic program in the country. In addition to women’s track, the Gators, who ranked 16th with 576.76 points after the spring sports were tallied, picked up Director’s Cup top 20 points in men’s golf, women’s golf, softball, baseball, women’s lacrosse and men’s track and field. The Gators finished seventh a year ago. Seventh might be a pipe dream this year. Although the Texas baseball team is still playing in the College World Series in Omaha, the Longhorns are already assured they will win the cup this year. Texas has already won national championships in softball, men’s swimming and women’s rowing, plus the Longhorns had top three finishes in women’s basketball, women’s swimming and men’s tennis. Georgia, which won the women’s track championship and finished second in the men’s, could score another national title in baseball, so the Bulldogs should easily make the top ten. The same goes for Alabama, whose baseball team is in Omaha and whose softball team finished in a tie for third at the Women’s College World Series. Here is a sport-by-sport look at Florida’s athletic year. Men’s sports Baseball: The Gators finished fifth in the SEC regular season, then were eliminated by SEC champ Georgia in the semifinals of the conference tournament. The Gators earned the No. 8 national seed for the NCAA Tournament but didn’t get out of their own region, losing to Troy. The Gators finished 41-21 overall, 18-12 in SEC play. Basketball: The Gators won the SEC championship with a 16-2 record, but lost to Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament semifinals. The Gators were one of four No. 1 seeds for the NCAA Tournament. The Gators blasted Prairie View A&M in the first round of the NCAA Tournament but lost to Iowa in the final seconds of their second round game. The Gators finished 27-8 overall. Cross Country: The Gators finished 11th in the SEC and seventh in the NCAA South Regional. Football: The Gators finished 4-8 overall, 2-6 in the SEC. It was the Gators’ fourth losing season in the last five, which resulted in the firing of Billy Napier and the hiring or Jon Sumrall. Golf: The Gators finished second in the SEC and were a No. 1 seed at the Columbus Regional in the NCAA Tournament. The Gators made the final eight for match play but were eliminated by Oklahoma State in the first round, so they finished in a 4-way tie for fifth place. Swimming: The Gators finished second in the SEC and second at the NCAA championships, both times runners-up to Texas. Tennis: The Gators finished in a 3-way tie for seventh in the SEC regular season. At the SEC Tournament, the Gators were eliminated by Texas in the second round. The Gators lost to UCF in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Florida finished 17-14 overall, 6-8 in SEC play. Track (Indoor): The Gators finished fourth at the SEC championships with 58 points. At the NCAA championships, the Gators finished third with 26 points. Track (Outdoor): The Gators finished third at the SEC championships with 78 points. At the NCAA championships the Gators finished 15th with 18 points. Women’s sports Basketball: The Gators finished tied for 12th in the SEC. After beating Mississippi State in the first round of the SEC Tournament, Florida’s season ended with a loss to Oklahoma in the second round. Kelly Rae Finley was fired as the head coach, replaced by Tammi Reiss. The Gators finished 18-15 overall, 6-8 in SEC play. Cross Country: The Gators won the SEC championship, won the NCAA South Regional championship and finished fifth at the NCAA championships. Golf: The Gators lost to Auburn in the semifinals of the SEC championships. The Gators finished third in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional. At the NCAA championships, the Gators had a bad final round in stroke play to finish 11th, outside the top eight that qualified for match play. Gymnastics: The Gators finished second in the SEC regular season to Oklahoma, but came on strong at the SEC championship event to win the program’s 13th title. The Gators won the Tempe Regional but finished behind national champ Oklahoma and LSU at the NCAA championships in Fort Worth. The Gators finished the season with a 30-4 record. Lacrosse: The Gators went undefeated in Big 12 Conference play, but lost to Colorado in the championship game of the league tournament. Florida lost to Denver in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Gators finished the season 15-4. Soccer: The Gators finished 11th in the SEC with a 6-7-5 record overall, 2-3-5 in SEC play. Samantha Bohon resigned as head coach and Nick Zimmerman was hired. Softball: The Gators finished third in the SEC regular season, then lost to Alabama in the semifinals of the conference tournament. As the No. 6 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Gators hosted and won their regional, but lost to eventual NCAA runner-up Texas Tech in three games of the Gainesville Super Regional. Florida finished 52-12 overall, 17-7 in the SEC. Swimming: The Gators finished third in the SEC and 10th at the NCAA championships. Tennis: The Gators finished sixth in the SEC regular season, then lost to Auburn in the semifinals of the conference tournament. The Gators beat Toledo in the first round of the NCAA Tournament but lost to Michigan in the second round. Florida finished the season 17-8 overall, 10-5 in SEC play. Track (Indoor): The Gators won the SEC championship with 78 points then finished fifth at the NCAA championships with 27 points. Track (Outdoor): The Gators made it two-for-two by winning the SEC title with 107 points. At the NCAA championships, the Gators came on strong on the final day to finish with 43 points, good enough for second place to national champion Georgia. Volleyball: The Gators finished fifth in the SEC regular season, lost to Tennessee in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. Seeded No. 16 nationally, the Gators won their opening match of the NCAA Tournament, then upset No. 3 Pittsburgh in the second round. The Gators lost to No. 6 Stanford in the NCAA Tournament sweet 16 round. A FEW WEEKEND OBSERVATIONS Cinderella’s glass slipper lost a spike heel Friday when Troy dropped a 7-5 decision to West Virginia at the College World Series in Omaha. The Trojans came out of the loser’s bracket to win the Gainesville Regional so they know what it’s like to have their backs to the wall. They face Ole Miss today in an elimination game. Georgia blew past Texas Saturday night in Omaha, setting up a Monday night all-SEC encounter with Oklahoma, which destroyed Alabama. Georgia seems to have the most complete team in Omaha, but Oklahoma is the most dangerous with its hot hitters and incredible team speed. This might end up being the best game of the entire tournament. I love basketball and I tried – I really tried – to watch the Knicks beat the Spurs in the NBA championship series but I gave up every single game and didn’t watch it all the way through. I think purists like John Wooden, Dean Smith, Bob Knight and Al McGuire would roll over in their graves to see how the NBA has evolved. There are people doing hard time in Raiford for less than what goes on in an NBA game. And, it’s one pass then someone launches a three. I much prefer the college game where they still have something called post play. What a concept. I also tried to watch part of the Brazil-Morocco World Cup match. The announcer kept trying to tell me how exciting it was. The final score was 1-1. In the time it would take you to drive to your local Papa John’s, pick up a pizza and then drive home you wouldn’t have missed anything. North Carolina State is thinking of taking legal action against LSU for what it believes is unethical conduct in the way it poached basketball coach Will Wade. Rather than take legal action against LSU, North Carolina State needs to thank God Wade is gone. Wherever he goes there is a trail of trouble. A couple of years from now, North Carolina State will look back on the year Will Wade was its basketball coach and realize a bullet was dodged. Will Wade and Lane Kiffin at the same school … all the Clorox in the world can’t wipe away the slime. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Kennedee Jackson flipped his commitment from Florida to Georgia Saturday, a splash of water on the raging fire that is Florida recruiting the last couple of months. A 4-star offensive tackle from Lithonia, Georgia, Jackson was thought to be a rock solid commitment but Georgia got to him. Distance certainly factored into his decision, but it’s likely Kirby Smart’s bag men came up with what seemed to Jackson to be a more attractive NIL package. Because there are no guardrails and what NIL rules there are tend to be conveniently ignored, it’s open season when it comes to recruiting. Whoever has the biggest gun and the most bullets is going to win the majority of battles. Like it or not, that’s something we need to get used to. I’m reminded of my formative years spent in exile in Mississippi. Across from our home on Westview Circle in McComb lived bank VP Buddy Prestridge and his toothless dog. As a puppy the dog fell out of a moving car and lost all his teeth. The dog had attitude and if he didn’t like you would attack. How many times during our three years in McComb did I have to go inside the house to change pants because Buddy’s toothless dog attacked and tried to tear up my leg. A pants leg covered in dog slobber is neither a pretty site nor a pleasant smell. Anyway, this is today’s NCAA. They’re like Buddy’s dog, always on the attack, but toothless. Now Jon Sumrall will land another tackle. One as good as Jackson? Maybe. Maybe not, but it will be a very good football player who will benefit from the tutelage of offensive line coach Phil Trautwein. There are good offensive linemen who still haven’t committed but don’t think for a nanosecond that Sumrall doesn’t understand the way the game is played. Kirby Smart isn’t the only one out there capable of flipping a kid. Speaking of flipping, keep a close eye today for news regarding defensive tackle Jalen Brewster, a Texas Tech commit, and wide receiver Easton Royal, a Texas commit. These two 5-stars have been in Gainesville for official visits and one or both could flip to the good guys today. Also be on the lookout for news regarding 4-star linebacker Robert Geathers (6-2, 215, Charlotte, NC Providence Day School) and 4-star corner Raheem Floyd (6-2, 175, East St. Louis, IL). It’s entirely possible both of them will be Gators before too long.

A few thoughts to jump start your Saturday morning: To paraphrase Churchy la Femme, the turtle from the Pogo comic strip, who thought the 13th of every month was Friday the 13th, Friday the 13th comes on a Saturday this month. Instead of a bad luck day, Jon Sumrall could turn this into a good luck day for the Florida Gators. Back when he was Florida's head coach from 2011-14, Will Muschamp could have been nicknamed “Flipper” because he never gave up on a recruit, often flipping long time commitments to another school to the Gators, sometimes on signing day. Jon Sumrall might be worthy of the same nickname if he pulls off a double flip job this weekend. On campus are defensive tackle Jalen Brewster (6-3, 313, Cedar Hill, TX) and wide receiver Easton Royal (5-11, 189, New Orleans, LA Brother Martin), both 5-star recruits. Brewster is currently committed to Texas Tech and Royal to Texas. Texas and LSU are pushing hard for Brewster and Royal is being hotly pursued by LSU. Both Brewster and Royal are thought by many recruiting experts to be leaning Florida’s way. Nobody on the recruiting trail is hotter right now than Sumrall, who has taken Florida recruiting from the hinterlands to what ESPN recently ranked the No. 3 class in the country for 2027. The Gators are also very much in the running for 5-star wide receiver Eric McFarland (5-9, 175, Las Vegas, NV/Bradenton, FL IMG Academy). Add three 5-star recruits to Florida’s impressive haul and the Gators might vault ahead of Texas A&M for the No. 1 class in the country. The last time Florida had the No. 1 class was 2010 when Urban Meyer brought in the likes of Ronald Powell, Dominique Easley, Shariff Floyd, Matt Elam, Chaz Green and Jaylen Watkins. ESPN top 25 recruiting classes for 2027 as of June 12, 2026: 1. Texas A&M; 2. Oklahoma; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Miami; 5. Notre Dame; 6. Clemson; 7. UCLA; 8. Ohio State; 9. Michigan; 10. Auburn; 11. Texas Tech; 12. Southern Cal; 13. Oregon; 14. Virginia Tech; 15. Washington; 16. Penn State; 17. Kentucky; 18. Ole Miss; 19. California; 20. Nebraska; 21. Texas; 22. Wisconsin; 23. Minnesota; 24. Georgia; 25. Louisville DENZEL ABERDEEN STILL WAITS FOR AN NCAA RULING The NCAA has yet to act on Denzel Aberdeen’s request for a waiver that will allow him to play next season. That can be viewed as both strange and typical of the NCAA. Strange in that the NCAA has already granted Washington transfer Franck Kepnang a waiver to play a seventh season of college basketball at Kentucky. Typical of the NCAA for its inconsistency. Kepnang has played in 111 college basketball games dating back to his freshman year at Oregon in 2000. He played 147 minutes in 17 games that first year. In year three, his first at Washington, Kepnang played in eight games before he was injured, logging 183 minutes on the floor. All told, he has played 1,924 minutes in a college career that includes 46 starts. He will be 25 years old when the season begins in November. Denzel Aberdeen has played in 119 games over the past four years, three at Florida where he was a valuable contributor off the bench when the Gators won the 2025 national championship, and a year in purgatory at Kentucky. During his freshman season in 2022, Denzel played all of 41 minutes in 12 games. Denzel has played 2,226 minutes with 40 career starts. He will graduate with a degree from the University of Florida. When it comes to academics, a degree from Florida is meaningful. Kentucky isn’t an academic bottom feeder, but the Florida degree can open doors anywhere in the world. Now, if the NCAA is concerned about doing the right thing, then it should grant the waiver that will allow Denzel to play one more season. The problem is we don’t know which NCAA will show up when the waiver request is heard – the one that is concerned with doing the right thing or the one that is about as consistent with dog dating – one sniff and “that’s the girl for me!” Should the NCAA balk at another year, then Denzel does have options in the courts where the NCAA typically gets clobbered. See Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss), Brendan Sorsby (Texas Tech) and Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt). You can bet the farm that there is a friendly judge in Alachua County or the surrounding area more than willing to issue a temporary restraining order against the NCAA that will allow one more season for Denzel. The issue really isn’t if Denzel Aberdeen is going to play. It’s more a case of who makes the determination – the NCAA or the courts? RICH DORMAN EXPECTED TO BE NAMED UF PITCHING COACH Based on numerous reports from several different sources, Florida baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan is on the verge of landing Rich Dorman of Oregon State as his pitching coach. When it comes to pitching coaches, if Dorman isn’t the best in the business, then he is at least on a very short list. Florida pitching hasn’t lacked for talent in the past 10 years but the Gators have only posted three seasons in which the ERA was less than 4.00 (2.41 in 2020; 3.46 in 2018; 3.45 in 2017). In the last three seasons the team ERA was 6.05 in 2024; 4.89 in 2025 and last season 4.61. A 4.61 with a staff that included Liam Peterson, who figures to go in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft next month, All American Aidan King, the SEC Pitcher of the Year, All-American Cade McDonald and hard throwing relievers Jackson Barberi and Josh Whritenour. Enter Dorman, whose five years at Oregon State produced seven All-Americans and whose 2026 staff produced a 3.22 ERA. His staffs typically produced high volume strikeouts, very few walks and the ball rarely left the yard. With a core group of King, McDonald, Barberi and Whritenour returning along with the addition of Jacksonville State transfer Maddox McDougall (2.76 ERA), Dorman won’t lack for talent to coach up. This is 5-star hire by O’Sullivan. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: In the face of a firestorm of criticism over its support of Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech did itself no favors with this round table video propaganda piece that included school prez Lawrence Schovanec, athletic director Kirby Hocutt, head coach Joey McGuire and associate athletic director for student health Grant Stovall. The key word in the video is integrity, as in Texas Tech trying to convince us it showed plenty of integrity in support of Sorsby and its plan to play him this fall. Oh please. Try as it might, there is absolutely no way Texas Tech can gift wrap this. Brendan Sorsby would still be gambling if he hadn’t been caught by law enforcement monitors. Then and only then did he check himself into a rehab facility to deal with his gambling addiction. Now after 30 days in that facility Texas Tech is trying to convince people with functioning brains that Sorsby is cured, safe to play and is being adequately punished with a two-game suspension that will hold him out of games with Abilene Christian and Oregon State. Abilene Christian is a D1AA school from something called the United Athletic Conference. Oregon State of the newly revived Pac-12, is projected No. 96 by Lindy’s, No. 101 by Athlon. Two games that will be over by halftime no matter who’s playing quarterback for Texas Tech. This goes even beyond Kirby Smart’s idea of tough love, which is to require a couple of laps around the practice field and sitting out a scrimmage as adequate punishment for an overnight in the Clarke County jail for yet another moving vehicle violation. At least Kirby doesn’t do a video with the AD and school prez to boast about his integrity. Kirby Smart does whatever he feels is required to win football games. If Texas Tech had any integrity at all it would simply admit that with Sorsby the Red Raiders are the best team in the Big 12 and favored for a second straight year in the College Football Playoff. At least by telling the truth Texas Tech would come across as pragmatic rather than hypocritical. What they’re doing now is nothing more than posturing for their own people. Texas Tech alums and boosters are so starved for a bite of the national championship apple that they’ll believe anything, even if it is far-fetched. In its entire athletic history, Texas Tech has won three national championships – one in indoor track, one in outdoor track and a women’s basketball title that dates all the way back to 1993. They want to be relevant which is why multi-gozillionaire Cody Campbell is forking out millions from a fortune made in the west Texas oilfields to bring in however many mercenaries it takes to win a national championship in something. Anything. Campbell paid pitcher Nijaree Canady more than $1 million a year to bolt from Stanford to scenic Lubbock, home of countless scorpions, rattlesnakes and tumbleweeds. She got the Red Raiders to the national championship best-of-three series twice but lost both times to Texas. Although Canady got the million, Campbell spread the wealth in paying Mia Williams (Florida), Kaitlynn Terry (UCLA), Taylor Pennell (Tennessee) and Jackie Lis (Southern Illinois). Texas Tech is pretty average without them. The way Texas Tech went about it and the lack of class shown by the entire organization caused non-Big 12 opponents refused to play Texas Tech. The Big 12 opponents didn't have a choice. There is a reason why the Florida Gators refused to shake hands with the Red Raiders after they won the Gainesville Super Regional. Campbell has spent big bucks propping up Grant McCaslin’s basketball team and he’s spending even more on football. Try $5 million for Sorsby, who played two years at Indiana and two at Cincinnati before taking the bait and transferring to Texas Tech. This is where the Sorsby saga has bitten Campbell and Texas Tech in the butt. They spent all this money on Sorsby and didn’t do the diligence ahead of time to discover this guy is a compulsive gambler who made more than 2,000 bets totaling more than $90,000, some on his own team. They were caught flat-footed when Sorsby got caught but rather than seek another QB, Texas Tech has chosen to fight. So far they’ve won in the courts, but they’ve alienated the rest of the college football world. It’s one thing for Ole Miss to seek an injunction for QB Trinidad Chambliss who didn’t play two full seasons at Ferris State, one of which he missed due to injury. It’s something altogether different to put everything on the line for a gambler. Unless the NCAA can get emergency relief in the courts, Sorsby will play this fall. The Big 12 could intervene by declaring any game Sorsby plays will be scored as a forfeit, but the potential for endless lawsuits most likely eliminates that as a threat. All the other conference commissioners, school presidents and athletic directors speaking out aren’t going to make a dent in this case. And, don’t, for the life of you, expect the Congress to do anything. Basically, unless there is a miracle of feeding the 5,000 with five loaves and a couple of small fish proportions, we’re stuck with Sorsby and Texas Tech basking in the glow of its own self-importance.

The New Swamp: They’re keeping the bones. The Orange and Blue walls. The steep bowl. The suffocating proximity to the field. By Buddy Martin GatorBaitMedia.com There are moments in the life of a program when the pieces don’t just move — they align. This feels like one of those moments. For years, Gator Nation has talked about “what’s next.” Not just in wins and losses, but in identity. In leadership. In vision. And now, in a span of what feels like a Florida minute, the University of Florida has placed three major cards on the table: A new president, a sweeping plan to renovate The Swamp and renewed hope on the hardwood and the gridiron. Let’s start with the bricks and mortar. The University Athletic Association has now been given the green light to advance what could become the most ambitious transformation in the history of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. At a projected $1.45 billion, this isn’t a facelift — it’s a generational investment. And yet, the most important part of the plan might be what they’re not changing. They’re keeping the bones. The Orange and Blue walls. The steep bowl. The suffocating proximity to the field. The very things that make opponents wilt and Gator fans swell with pride. Too many schools have chased comfort and lost their soul. Florida, at least on paper, understands that intimidation is part of the architecture. Yes, there will be wider concourses, better concessions, modern technology and premium experiences for those willing to pay for them. That’s the price of staying relevant in today’s arms race. But if they get this right, The Swamp won’t become softer — it will become sharper. And here’s where timing becomes everything. Because looming over this entire vision is the arrival of a new president: Stuart Bell. Bell comes to Gainesville with a reputation as a builder. At Alabama, he oversaw an era where academics and athletics didn’t just coexist — they thrived together. That matters here. Because for all the talk of facilities, NIL, and conference realignment, leadership at the top still sets the tone. What kind of priority will athletics hold? What kind of partnerships will be fostered? What kind of bold decisions will be supported? Those answers will shape how quickly Florida can turn potential into production. And speaking of production — have you noticed? There’s a pulse again. The basketball program has climbed back to championship relevance, reminding everyone what it looks like when Florida plays with confidence and edge. Meanwhile, the football program under Jon Sumrall carries something that has been missing: Intrigue. Maybe even belief. It’s not proven yet. Not by a long shot. But it’s no longer stuck. That matters more than people think. Because fan bases don’t just respond to winning — they respond to direction. To energy. To the sense that something is building rather than unraveling. And that’s where all of this converges. A new president with a track record of elevating institutions. A massive, forward-thinking renovation that respects tradition. Coaches who have injected life back into flagship programs. Individually, each is important. Together, they have the chance to be transformative. Of course, Gator Nation has heard promises before. It has seen plans unveiled and momentum stall. Skepticism is part of the DNA now. And rightly so. But this moment feels different — not because of what’s being said, but because of what’s being aligned. If Bell proves to be the leader many believe he is… If the Swamp renovation delivers both innovation and identity… If Sumrall and the basketball resurgence continue their upward climb… Then this won’t just be a new chapter. It will be a reset. And for the first time in a while, Florida might not just be chasing the future. It might be shaping it.

Jadan Baugh (13) predicted second team All-SEC by Lindy's (Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: For all the optimism being generated by Jon Sumrall, who is having one of the best offseasons of any coach in the country, Lindy’s preseason college football magazine offers a rather sobering reality check. The fine folks at Lindy’s love Sumrall and believe he’s capable of halting the downward trend that is Florida football since 2011, which is why they rank the Gators No. 25 nationally. That is high praise for a coach who inherited a program that has posted four losing seasons in the last five years. When you look at Lindy’s preseason All-SEC teams, you understand why the Gators went 22-23 during Billy Napier’s four years at the helm and 6-7 in Dan Mullen’s final season (2021). There is talent on the roster Sumrall inherited from Napier but not enough to make a championship run. Good coaching can do a better job of developing the talent, but only through recruiting can Sumrall bridge the gap Napier left behind. Of the 75 players that make up the Lindy’s preseason first, second and third team All-SEC, Jadan Baugh is the only Gator listed and he’s second team. That’s it. By contrast, South Carolina, predicted to finish 14th in the 16-team Southeastern Conference, has six players – one first teamer, three seconds and two on the third team. Even Kentucky has three including a first teamer. Lindy’s doesn’t offer up its unit-by-unit rankings for the Southeastern Conference but Athlon’s magazine does where only Florida’s running backs and wide receivers rooms are given any respect. Here is where the Gators rank position-by-position: Quarterbacks: 12; Running backs: 5; Wide receivers: 3; Offensive line: 9; Defensive line: 9; Linebackers: 9; Secondary: 9. Those numbers suggest a middle of the pack finish for the Gators this season. Anything better than that will tell us that Jon Sumrall is capable of squeezing every last bit of potential out of his players. Lindy’s preseason SEC predictions: 1. Texas; 2. Georgia; 3. LSU; 4. Ole Miss; 5. Alabama; 6. Texas A&M; 7. Oklahoma; 8. FLORIDA; 9. Tennessee; 10. Missouri; 11. Vanderbilt; 12. Auburn; 13. Kentucky; 14. South Carolina; 15. Mississippi State; 16. Arkansas Lindy’s preseason top 25 nationally: 1. Oregon; 2. Texas; 3. Ohio State; 4. Notre Dame; 5. Indiana; 6. Georgia; 7. Miami; 8. LSU; 9. Ole Miss; 10. Southern Cal; 11. Alabama; 12. Texas A&M; 13. Oklahoma; 14. Texas Tech; 15. BYU; 16. Michigan; 17. Houston; 18. Louisville; 19. Washington; 20. SMU; 21. Iowa; 22. Utah; 23. Penn State; Clemson; 25. FLORIDA. Other schools of interest: 27. Tennessee; 32. Missouri; 34. Vanderbilt; 39. Auburn; 43. Kentucky; 44. South Carolina; 48. Florida State; 52. Mississippi State; 59. Arkansas; 63. UCF; 100. Florida Atlantic; 116. Florida International HAS THE BEAST AWAKENED? Wednesday night, Jac Caglianone had the first four-hit game of his brief Major League Baseball career against the Texas Rangers. The night before, Caglianone had the first multi-homer game of his career with two prodigious blasts to right center field of Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Caglianone has 10 hits in his last 15 at bats with two doubles, two homers and five RBI, raising his average to .275 with eight homers and 19 RBI this season. It is way too early to tell if this is the Caglianone we’ll see in the 94 games before the regular season ends, but the signs are encouraging. The power has always been there – it’s rare that one of his home runs takes a less than sub-orbital path to the right field bleachers – but now he seems to be more patient at the plate, willing to take a walk instead of a swing at a pitch that’s off the plate and out of his wheelhouse. If Cag’s inner beast has truly awakened, then there isn’t a ball park capable of holding him. He’s not a superstar just yet, but the power and the skills are there just waiting to be unleashed on the baseball world. SOCCER: WORLD CUP BEGINS Back in the day when I roamed the neighborhoods surrounding Shepherd’s Market on London’s West End, I had Arsenal tickets. By no means am I a soccer junkie. If anything, I find the game boring but the allure of soccer when I was in London had less to do with the game and more to do with the passion of Premier League soccer fans. They hit the pubs hours before a match, get totally wasted, then use the match as a chance to jump around, sing, shout and sober up so they can hit the pubs again after the match. During the brief time I lived in Schramberg, Germany, I was in Stuttgart on a Saturday when arch-rival Dortman came to town. In anticipation of violence among the competing fans, businesses shut down at noon and there was a heavy police presence. Such is the passion of soccer fans in Germany. With the World Cup set to begin today there is hope among American soccer fans that this will be the event that serves as a springboard for the game to elbow its way into the hearts and minds of the sporting public. The game is more popular than it has ever been in the United States, but will watching foreign teams dominate the action over the next month cause a significant increase in popularity? I have my doubts. Soccer is the world’s game and that’s part of the problem of why the game isn’t more popular in the US. Until the United States becomes a true world power, I can’t see the soccer season tickets a prize that gets passed down through generations or MLS matches becoming must-see whether in person or on television. For years we’ve been told that soccer is going to explode in popularity in the US but it hasn’t happened and won’t happen until the United States team becomes a regular threat to make the final four in the World Cup. When the US team plays consistently and wins at the highest levels, then and only then will great athletes start choosing soccer over football, basketball and baseball. When the US team with homegrown talent proves it’s capable of winning against the likes of Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Germany and France then soccer has a chance to become a truly relevant sport in America. Until then? Not a chance. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Since the favorable ruling by Lubbock County judge Ken Curry granted a temporary injunction that will allow quarterback Brendan Sorsby to play for Texas Tech this fall we are seeing the first real signs that college football’s conference commissioners, school presidents and athletic directors are willing to unite for a common cause. Other than Texas Tech which fully supports Sorsby playing despite the fact the only thing that stopped him from gambling was getting caught, there is near unanimous outrage in the rest of the college football world. That they have found common ground to stand on with this one situation lends hope that they can remain united to find practical solutions to the problems that threaten to derail all of college sports if something isn’t done soon. Outrage is a good place to begin but it has to be followed up by decisive action. A message must be sent not just to Texas Tech but everyone else thinking about finding an activist or buddy-buddy judge to issue favorable decisions that allow bypassing the rules that there are consequences. The Big 12 athletic directors met Wednesday and while no actions were taken a vote could be coming in the next day or two that will make Texas Tech ineligible for the Big 12 championship. If they make the decision to go scorched earth, then they could rule Tech can play but if Sorsby takes the field it will go down officially as a forfeit. The presidents at Nebraska and Georgia have taken a stand that prevents any of their athletic teams from scheduling Texas Tech. More schools will probably take a similar path, but for this to be effective it has to start with the 15 schools not named Texas Tech that make up the Big 12. That would be decisive and a real shot across the Texas Tech bow. Sorsby is just one problem that has to be addressed and solved. There are dozens of others that are going to require a united front to solve. Finding solutions should begin with Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petiti taking the lead by proving the two most powerful men in all of college sports are in lockstep when it comes to dealing with the issues that threaten to unravel the entirety of intercollegiate athletics and not just football. Because the SEC and Big Ten are so dominant Sankey and Petiti have the kind of clout that would send a much-needed signal to the rest of the college sports world that the answers can be found within and not in the halls of Congress. About the only thing that the men and women in Congress ever agree on is giving themselves a pay raise and the partisan divide is so great that it is difficult to imagine them coming up with a proposal that is anything more than a band-aid. Brendan Sorsby shouldn’t be allowed to play football but the NCAA’s inconsistency when it comes to enforcing its rules plays into the hands of Texas Tech, which has adapted an us against the world mentality. The NCAA is powerless to stop Texas Tech but what would happen if Sankey and Petiti rallied the Division I commissioners, presidents and athletic directors to do something consequential in opposition? Simply speaking out will have zero effect on the outcome, but if there was complete agreement that Texas Tech would be severely punished if it didn’t withdraw its support of Sorsby then something could be done swiftly. The dire consequences predicted for all of college sports if Sorsby is allowed to play are very real. Now we get to find out if the people at the top of the food chain are real leaders willing to take a stand or just talking heads who hide behind their words.

(Photo by Chris Spears) “The more things change, the more they are the same.” – French philosopher Jean-Baptiste Alfonse Karr When he arrived at the University of Florida, largely unknown but possessing the one thing that can’t be coached – tall – Tommy Haugh was largely viewed as a project and a bit of a reach for Todd Golden. Three years later, Haugh’s circumstances have changed dramatically. He has added some muscle and the fuzz that adorned his cheeks when he came to Gainesville from New Oxford, Pennsylvania is being replaced by long hairs that will stiffen with time to create the possibility of growing a full beard. He’s an All-American and a lock for the short list of preseason player of the year in both the Southeastern Conference and the nation. To keep him from succumbing to the lure of the NBA where he was a lock to go in the late stages of the draft lottery, Haugh has NIL deals that for a college basketball player are borderline stratospheric. His girlfriend can only be described as spectacular. To paraphrase Chris Rainey, it’s good to be Tommy Haugh these days. Circumstances have certainly thrust him into the limelight while giving him opportunities that were only dreams three short years ago, but the circumstances haven’t changed him. He has the college basketball world on a string, but he remains the same humble, likeable young man who excels at being a great teammate. He hasn’t gone off the deep end with the money although he and roomie/best bud Alex Condon do plan to trade in their fishing boat for one that’s a bit bigger. “A blessing” is how Haugh described all the good things that have happened to him when he spoke to members of the media Tuesday morning after a workout that left him with sore abs. Throughout the 16 minutes he spoke Tuesday, Haugh injected the words blessed and blessing into his answers on several occasions. That’s not false modesty. That’s the real Tommy Haugh. Haugh said, “Obviously, there's so much more that I want to be ahead for me, but I think looking back on how I got here or the position I'm in today is I need to do that a little bit, do a little reflecting because it's just all a blessing. It's kind of crazy when you like think about how it all went down. I still feel like it's like a dream and stuff like that, but, you know, it's – I don’t know – that’s just the luxury of being here at the University of Florida.” There is a rather simple explanation for how Haugh has transformed from project whose height was his best asset into a genuine star whose goal it is to help the Gators win another national championship. He is where he is because he has refused to be outworked. He is a poster child for what late nights in the gym and coachability will do for you. He is like a sponge when it comes to turning a concept into positive action on the court. How else can you explain how a freshman whose bricks at the foul line could have qualified him for a union card became a valued piece of a national championship rotation as a sophomore and an All-American who switched from the post to the wing as a junior? As a sophomore, the Gators couldn’t have won the national championship without Haugh’s contributions off the bench, particularly in the final three games in which double digit deficits were erased. He was the surprise three-point bomber (4-6) when the Gators came from 10 down to beat Texas Tech in the Elite Eight game. He was the tough rebounder and defender (7 rebounds, two blocked shots, a steal) when the Gators rallied from 12 down in the second half of the semifinals against Auburn. He was on the floor for his defense in the final minutes of the championship game when the Gators held Houston to only three points in the final 4:17. Last season was a breakout year. He led the Gators in scoring (17.1), grabbed 6.1 rebounds per game and was a box score stuffer whose contributions at both ends of the floor helped the Gators to the SEC championship and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That the Gators were upset by Iowa in the second round was part of the reason why Haugh made the decision to forego the NBA to return to Florida for his senior season. That’s not to say the decision to return was easy. “I took awhile to think about it,” Haugh admitted. “Probably like three weeks, four weeks. It was close.” Teammates who are also best friends such as Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu and Boogie Fland wanted Haugh to return. After one year in basketball purgatory at Kentucky, Denzel Aberdeen wanted to come back to Florida where he is seeking a waiver from the NCAA that will allow him to play a fifth season and graduate from UF where he spent his first three seasons. Haugh was in California doing workouts arranged by his agents at The Team when he got a surprise call from Aberdeen. “He was, like, sitting in, like, my couch in my house,” Haugh recalled. “I was like, bro, what are you doing here? And he was like, ‘I think I'm going to come back. Like, I'm trying to come back,’ and I was like, oh, dude, that's crazy!” Crazy enough that a starting five of Haugh, Condon, Chinyelu, Fland and Aberdeen backed up by the deepest and most talented bench in the country. The Gators are a virtual lock for the No. 1 ranking when the preseason polls come out prior to the start of the season on November 2 in Tampa against Miami. Eleven Gators return from last season’s team, joined by Aberdeen, Euros Arturas Butajevis and Domen Petrovic and freshman Jones Lay. The competition in pickup games has been fierce. “It is insane,” Haugh said. “It’s the pickup games and stuff this year. You got the new dudes and, like, (Alex) Lloyd's out there hitting, like, eight threes a game and stuff like that. It's crazy, and I think any... I don't know if any team ever had this much depth.” That kind of roster has Haugh and teammates in a “national championship or bust” mentality, one that is sure to grow in intensity and focus as the days, weeks and months melt away. There will be pressure for sure, but with so much veteran leadership it should prove to be manageable. A pair of phone calls factored prominently in Haugh’s decision to return for one more season with the Gators. First there was an approximately 45-minute phone call with longtime Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green that was arranged by Will Richard, a teammate of Green and Haugh’s Florida teammate on the national championship team. Green talked freely about the NBA and how it is as much about business as it is basketball for the players. If in the same circumstance as Haugh and trying to decide to go pro or stay in school, Green said he would choose school. A second phone call, this one between Haugh’s mom Jenn and Walter Clayton Jr.’s mom Cherie was eye-opening. Drafted by the Utah Jazz in the first round after the Gators won the 2025 national title, Clayton was traded midseason to the Memphis Grizzlies. “The NBA life is no joke,” Haugh said. “I think my mom didn’t really realize that until she talked to Walt’s mom a little bit. Like, you can get traded any day of the week. You’re not out there getting dinners with your guys every night or going on fun trips and stuff like that. It’s a job. For my mom, it kind of put it into perspective. She was on my back, ‘Hey, we might want to think about going back.’” So teammates, advice to stay from an NBA star and family left money as one of the final considerations. All the while Haugh was debating his decision, Todd Golden was working with agents Joe Smith and Aaron Klevan from The Team, Florida Victorious and other NIL sources to put together a monetary package that Mark Long of the Associated Press reports approaches $7 million. Because Haugh is so genuine with good looks to go with a refreshing personality, there could be more endorsement money on the horizon. Convinced that returning to Florida was in his best interests, Haugh called Todd Golden, who flew out to California with his entire coaching staff. Prior to lunch in Los Angeles, Haugh told the coaches he was returning. “It was awesome,” Haugh said. “He came up and, you know, he gave me a hug, and then I FaceTimed my parents, and my mom started crying, and my dad didn't really … my dad's just nice.” Since making the decision to return to Florida, Haugh still goes to the gym late night to hoist a few shots. He constantly works on aspects of his game that he wants to improve such as more use of his left hand, better shooting from the three-point line and better understanding of most of his playing time on the perimeter. The daily routine isn’t much different than it has been the last three years and, as always, it centers on the concept of hard work, being the best teammate possible and always putting the University of Florida in a good light no matter what he’s doing. “It’s crazy and a blessing that I can attribute that to the hard work I’ve put in the last couple of years,” he said. “My parents, the way they raised me – I just want to represent the University of Florida the best I can. They’re investing that much in me and I want to invest the same amount of time and practice and hard work back to the university.” Time marches on which means circumstances are constantly evolving and changing. The circumstances have changed during the past three years but the circumstances haven’t changed Tommy Haugh. Not one bit.

Florida AD Scott Stricklin reacted to the Sorsby ruling Monday “'Cause the players tried to take the field The marching band refused to yield Do you recall what was revealed The day the music died?” – From American Pie, by Don Mclean Monday afternoon Lubbock County judge Ken Curry did what everybody with a functioning brain knew he was going to do. Taking a cue from the Oxford judge who ruled that Trinidad Chambliss can get a sixth year of college football despite the NCAA ruling that his eligibility expired, Curry did one up on his Mississippi colleague by ruling that Brendan Sorsby can play football at Texas Tech this year. In ruling that Sorsby can play despite a gambling addiction that would still be going on if not for law enforcement intervention after he transferred to Texas Tech from Cincinnati, Judge Curry ruled the Sorsby would suffer “probable, imminent and irreparable damage” if he were not allowed to play football this fall. Curry went along with the Texas Tech argument that Sorsby is a victim here. Some victim. He’s been betting on college football since his freshman year at Indiana. It carried over to Cincinnati and then to Texas Tech to the tune of more than 2,000 bets for more than $90,000. When caught by law enforcement, Sorsby checked into rehab for gambling addiction. Texas Tech, faced with a season minus a stud quarterback, has been trying to sell us on the idea that Sorsby is a reformed former gambler. Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec a couple of weeks ago said, “Brendan himself has been open about his struggle with severe gambling addiction, and we believe his vulnerability deserves to be met with the full weight of this institution’s support. Our foremost priority in contemplating Brendan’s future with Texas Tech is his continued health and well-being.” Uh-huh. Anyone but a diehard Texas Tech fan sees right through that. The only well-being Schovanec is concerned with is the bottom line of his football program. A year ago Texas Tech won the Big 12 and made the College Football Playoff. With Sorsby the Red Raiders are favored to win the league title again and make the playoff a second straight year. Without him, the QB is someone named Lloyd Jones III, a redshirt freshman who threw all of five passes last year in mop-up duty. Would Schovanec be vociferous in his support of a walk-on long snapper for the meat squad that gets beaten up every day in practice? Amazing how a QB who threw for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns alters your moral compass. Now the NCAA has filed an appeal, but will it be expedited in time to prevent Sorsby from playing? Texas Tech imposed a two-game suspension on Sorsby, paycheck games against D1AA Abilene Christian and Oregon State. Two whole games. Whoopdedoo. Shoeless Joe Jackson got banned for life for betting on baseball back in 1919. Pete Rose was banned for life for gambling on baseball. Kentucky lost an entire basketball season (1952-53) because some of its players had taken money from gamblers who wanted them to fix games. Former Iowa State QB Hunter Dekkers got banned by the NCAA after it was discovered he had gambled on games when he was a backup quarterback. The NBA just banned several players for life for gambling. The list of offenders caught and banned by their sports seems endless. Everybody seems to understand the dangers of letting Sorsby off the hook. Everyone, of course, but Texas Tech, which, if it had an ounce of integrity, would have first off demanded the return of the $5 million in NIL money it took to lure Sorsby from Cincinnati. That’s a lot of money that can be wagered but we are to believe that Sorsby is cured of his gambling addiction. What are the odds that 30 days in a rehab will cure Sorsby’s addiction? What happens if some gambler(s) get their hooks into Sorsby and try to blackmail him into fixing a game? Texas Tech can’t guarantee something like that won’t happen. Neither can Sorsby. The ruling by Judge Curry has set off a firestorm of scathing reactions from conference commissioners, college presidents, athletic directors and coaches. Here are a few of the comments starting with Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin. Stricklin said: “As someone who grew up reading about the 'Black Sox Scandal,' and seeing what happened to Pete Rose and just understanding how bright that line seemed to be in all of American sports, I'm stunned that there would be a question at the court level that this is acceptable. That's not a judgment on the young man. It's just that was a pretty fundamental tenet of American sports, that if you're going to participate, you can't gamble, especially on your own team." Speaking to ESPN, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark reacted to the ruling: "The ramifications of today's ruling are significant and could have broad impacts across college athletics, creating great concern amongst our membership. I've been consulting with our key stakeholders and have scheduled meetings with our conference ADs and executive board this week. We are also in touch with [NCAA president] Charlie Baker and anticipate the NCAA to appeal the order in the next 24-48 hours. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation." Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks went scorched earth in a statement to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger: "I think there needs to be serious conversations about not playing Texas Tech in any sports. This is not about Texas Tech. It's about protecting our own locker room. We cannot in good conscience put our student-athletes on a field where the competitive integrity of the contest is compromised and overridden by the courts. If a state court wants to dictate eligibility rules, they can play themselves … All FBS schools should only take the field against programs operating under a uniform, trustworthy standard of fairness. We've officially reached the point of no return." Georgia president Jere Morehead said the judge’s ruling should cause the Southeastern Conference to consider breaking away from the NCAA: “For anyone who has dismissed my previous calls for SEC rules of enforcement and the SEC institutions only playing each other, today's ruling is clear evidence why that may be the only path left for us.” Morehead has an ally in Nebraska athletic director Tony Dannen, who said, “I have not personally advocated for conference self-governance, but today's decision makes it obvious that it is a necessary path forward. We can not align with institutions who advocate or support player participation in this circumstance." TCU coach Sonny Dykes, a Texas Tech graduate, said: "You would hope that there would be someone at some point that says, 'Hey look, this is not a good thing for the game and I care enough about the game to not happen. I think it's sad that these adults and people who are supposed to guide college football aren't guiding it. I think it's a shame. Everyone is looking out for their self-interests. No one is looking out for what's right in college football." All these opinions and none of them are favorable for Texas Tech. If these school presidents, conference commissioners, athletic directors and coaches are so outraged, then why don’t they agree to give Texas Tech an ultimatum? Talk is cheap. Action can be decisive. A good place to start would be to rule that every game Sorsby plays should go in the record books as a loss for Texas Tech. Ban Texas Tech from playing in the Big 12 Championship Game and the College Football Playoff. They could do that if they actually had the guts to take a real stand instead of offering up talking points. Additionally, they could use the Sorsby situation as a springboard to do something that could actually save college sports. Rather than go hat in hand, side by side with the NCAA to the halls of Congress begging for lawmakers who rarely agree on anything to come up with solutions, it’s time for bold, decisive action that starts with a decision to find a dumpster big enough to hold the NCAA and its bloated bureaucracy. If the NCAA had any integrity at all, it would have reformed itself years ago when it had the chance. A rulebook too thick to be followed combined with selective enforcement of the rules has led to this moment when the future of college sports is hanging in the balance, waiting for someone, anyone, to offer common sense, practical solutions to the problems that grow bigger by the moment. The common sense, practical solution to today’s problems should begin with a decision to secede from the NCAA. A new organization is needed, one with a streamlined set of rules that don’t require a dozen lawyers in a compliance department at every school just to interpret simple, everyday decisions. The new organization should have a commissioner who is strong enough to stand up to the cheaters and institutions who wish to circumvent the rules by turning to a local judge for a favorable injunction. Justice should be fair for everyone and rules cannot be selectively enforced. Let there be no sacred cows. The time is now for decisions that will bring some sanity back to college sports. If not, then we’ll look back on June 8, 2026 as the day the music died not just for college football but all college sports.

Bama has so much money coming in from out-of-state students that their dorms, their buildings, their facilities are superior to anything Florida currently has. Read that sentence again, Gator fans, and let it sting a little. We are not used to being told we’re behind. By Buddy Martin GatorBaitMedia.com I never really knew the genesis of “Gator Bait.” Not in the way historians know things, anyway. But it’s a good thing we are talking about it again in a quest for clarity, truth and honesty. I never sat down and traced the term back to its first breath, never pinned down the exact Saturday afternoon when somebody in the south end zone first cupped his hands and hollered it at an opposing quarterback who was scrambling for his life. To me, “Gator Bait” simply was. It was part of the air at Florida Field, the way the heat was part of it, and the smell of cut grass, and the bourbon somebody’s daddy had snuck in past the gate. It was around a long time before I was. My first recollection of it is as a teenager — a kid in the stands, eyes wide, leaning forward in my seat as the student section locked in on a visiting signal-caller. The chant rolled down out of the upper deck in that low, rhythmic bark. “Gator Bait. Gator Bait. Gator Bait!” It was intimidation, pure and simple — the same currency every great home crowd in America has always traded in. Tiger Bait in Baton Rouge. Roll Tide in Tuscaloosa. War Eagle on the Plains. Ours had teeth, because ours was an actual reptile that actually ate things. Never once — and I want to be careful here, because memory is a slippery animal — never once did I hear it remotely associated with anything racial. Not in my section. Not in the press box. Not at the postgame radio shows. Not in the conversations among players I came to know across decades of covering this program. Until it was. That’s the sentence that hangs there, isn’t it? Until it was. The world turned, the country turned, and a chant that lived inside one tribe’s understanding got hauled out into the daylight of another tribe’s understanding, and the two understandings did not match. In 2020, the university retired it. You can argue about that decision until the cows come home — and Gator people have argued about it, in barber chairs and on barstools and in my own inbox, for six years now. I’m not here today to relitigate it. I’m here to point out something else: The argument never really went away. It just went underground, where the deepest Florida arguments always live. Enter Stuart Bell And here we are, watching and listening as the next president of the University of Florida prepares to take the chair. His name is Stuart R. Bell. He spent a decade running the University of Alabama — ten years in one of the loudest, most demanding, most football-soaked jobs in American higher education — before stepping down in the summer of 2025 to return to the faculty. On May 18, 2026, he was unanimously recommended as the sole finalist to become the 14th president of the University of Florida. So what now? I’ve been making calls. That’s what we do. The verdict from people I trust over in Tuscaloosa, the ones who saw him up close: “Very nice guy. Truly gets athletics and the importance of them for the university.” That’s not nothing. That’s not a small thing for a place like Florida, where the line between the academic side of the house and the athletic side of the house has too often been drawn in chalk and washed away by the next rainstorm. One of my contacts put it bluntly: Bama has so much money coming in from out-of-state students that their dorms, their buildings, their facilities are superior to anything Florida currently has. Read that sentence again, Gator fans, and let it sting a little. We are not used to being told we’re behind. But on the bricks-and-mortar side of the modern university — on the part you can touch — we are. Bell didn’t just keep the lights on at Alabama. He grew the place. Record enrollment. The highest number of in-state first-year students in school history. National Merit Scholars up by nearly forty percent during his tenure. Expanded mental health resources for kids who are carrying more than any generation before them has carried. He elevated Alabama’s profile as a premier research institution and steered it through the wild, white-knuckle transition into the NIL era of college athletics — an era that, let’s be honest, nobody really knows how to drive yet. That last part matters at Florida more than it would at almost any other school in the country. Because Florida is an athletic brand sitting on top of an academic engine, and the two have to pull the same plow now, or neither of them gets fed. What This Has To Do With “Gator Bait” You might be wondering what any of this has to do with a chant that got retired six years ago. Everything. A university president — the right university president — is not just a fundraiser in a good suit. He is the custodian of how a place tells its own story. He decides which traditions get carried into the next room and which ones get left behind in the hallway. He decides what the brand means, who the brand is for, and how the brand answers when the world comes knocking with a hard question. The “Gator Bait” question is a hard question. So is the question of how Florida builds dorms that can compete with Tuscaloosa’s. So is the question of how an academic powerhouse competes for five-star quarterbacks in an NIL marketplace that didn’t exist when most of us were learning the words to “We Are The Boys.” So is the question of mental health for athletes who are now businesses before they’re sophomores. These things may seem pedantic to the outsider. A chant. A dorm. A scholarship number. A counseling office. Pick any one of them and somebody on a national panel show will tell you it’s small potatoes. They feel different to those of us who have lived it. They feel like the whole thing. What I’ll Be Listening For So I’ll be listening to Stuart Bell — carefully, the way an old Gator listens to a new voice in an old house. I’ll be listening for whether he understands that Florida is not Alabama, and that the things that worked in Tuscaloosa do not automatically translate to Gainesville. I’ll be listening for whether he gets that our traditions, even the complicated ones, even the ones we’ve put down, deserve to be talked about with the people who lived inside them, not just about them. I’ll be listening to make certain he knows the difference between a chant that was meant as intimidation and a chant that was heard as something else — and whether he has the patience to hold both truths in his hand at the same time without crushing either one. Which I am beginning to feel sure he does. That’s a lot to ask of a new president. But it’s Florida. We ask a lot. We always have. Gator Bait.

Aberdeen, Condon, Chinyelu and Haugh are reasons why the Gators will be preseason No. 1 (Photo by Chris Spears) Sometimes you get what you wish for. In the case of Todd Golden and Florida basketball, it’s the Duke Blue Devils, who will be coming to the O-Dome December 1 as part of the SEC-ACC Challenge. Last year the Gators traveled to Durham where they fell 67-66 to Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, a game that left a sour taste in the mouths of the Gators who came back from 12 points down at the half only to lose on an Isaiah Evans three-pointer with 21 seconds remaining. When questioned about his preference for the SEC-ACC Challenge on the Field of 68 podcast a couple of weeks ago, Golden replied, “I will admit it. Give us Duke. We want Duke!” At the Final Four back in 2025, Duke was favored to face Florida in the national championship game, but a funny thing happened on the way to the confetti cascading down at the Alamo Dome as “One Shining Moment” belted out. Duke blew a big lead and lost to Houston in the semifinals, then Florida came from 12 down to beat Houston for the championship. Duke was ranked fourth when the Gators faced the Blue Devils at Cameron last season, a game in which the Gators played one of their worst first halves of the season before dominating in the second half. This was a game Florida should have won, but missed threes and turnovers proved costly in the end. A chance to get back at Duke, this time in the O-Dome, has been on the minds of Golden and his entire team. Duke will come to Gainesville with its typically outstanding roster, but the Blue Devils will be facing a Florida team that has the tallest and most experienced roster in all of college basketball. And, just like Duke rarely loses at Cameron, the Gators are rather formidable in the O-Dome. Duke figures to be a top five team when the preseason polls come out, but thanks to the return of Tommy Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon, all of whom chose Florida over the NBA, Florida has unquestionably the best front court in the nation. With Boogie Fland returning at the point and Denzel Aberdeen’s return to Florida after one year in purgatory at Kentucky, the Gators are almost certain to be the preseason No. 1. Aberdeen’s status is still up in the air as he awaits a decision from the NCAA to grant a waiver that will allow him to play a fifth year. Aberdeen played only 36 minutes as a true freshman and that counts against him unless the NCAA approves the waiver. Golden has reason to be optimistic that Aberdeen will be approved, particularly in light of Kentucky getting a waiver for transfer Franck Kepnang, who will be playing his seventh season of college basketball. The addition of Aberdeen will give the Gators five experienced starters who all averaged double figures last year – Haugh (17.1), Chinyelu (10.9), Condon (15.1), Boogie Fland (11.6) and Aberdeen (13.5 at Kentucky). Golden has a 10-deep bench headed up by SEC Sixth Man of the Year Urban Klavzar (9.6 points, 40.3 percent threes) and athletic Isaiah Brown (5.5 points, highlight reel dunks). He added to the depth with impressive Euro additions Domen Petrovic (6-8, 220) from Slovenia and Arturas Butajevis (6-11, 220) from Lithuania. AJ Brown, an exceptional three-point shooter at Ohio U took a redshirt to rehab a shoulder injury last year, adds experienced depth along with Viktor Mikic, CJ Ingram, Alex Lloyd and Alex Kovatchev. Freshman Jones Lay is a 7-footer and you can’t teach tall. This might be one of the best top to bottom rosters assembled in recent memory. Golden doesn’t disagree with the rave reviews about the quality and depth he’s assembled. “I believe we have 15 players on our roster right now that are really, really good,” Golden said on the Stadium and Gale podcast. “We have the deepest … I would argue the deepest roster in America, but with that, there's going to be some guys that aren't playing as much as they want. And the, the great thing that my staff does, we're very honest with our guys and kind of what that's going to look like … Credit to our players. All they ask for is opportunity. They want the opportunity to compete for spots and they'll let the chips fall where they may. But to have guys like CJ, Isaiah, Alex Lloyd, even Urby, who was sixth man of the year last year, coming back off the bench, all being great team guys and all being there for the success of Florida. allows us the runway to have great seasons. And the way we want it to work is when Alex, Tommy, and Ruben move on, which they eventually will do, that these younger guys step into those roles of being the star players in our program.” While some schools like Tennessee (eight newbies) and Kentucky (seven) had to dip heavily in the portal just to fill out their rosters, Golden was free to pick and choose. Aberdeen, a key reserve on Florida’s 2025 national championship team, wanted to come home, suit up with buddies like Haugh, Condon and Chinyelu once again, and graduate from the University of Florida. He’s the only transfer Golden added to the roster. The two internationals – Petrovic and Butajevis – have the skills and size to fill critical needs. “Arturis [is] a really, really decorated prospect from Europe, one of the top Lithuanian young players and has been for a while,” Golden said. “When we evaluated him we saw some characteristics of a young Tommy and Condo coming up out of the high school ranks. I'm not trying to put that level of expectation on him coming in, but I think he's going to be a really, really good player that's strong, physical, rebounds really well, and also can step out and shoot the three a little bit. “Domen, I think, is really exciting for us. An older player, going to be 22 years old, or is 22 years old, had his best season of basketball this year, playing in the professional league in Slovenia … 6-8 can really, really shoot it has great feel for the game and a guy that I think we could play multiple positions. Whether we want to play him as a three or the four is possible because of his ability to stretch the floor. He’s a really smart player, similar to Urby that way and you know they're they're Slovenian brothers so to speak so uh we can see some similarities in their game as well.” Last season the Gators led the nation in rebounding, offensive rebounding and rebounding margin. Despite a poor three-point shooting year, the Gators still ranked ninth in the kenpom.com offensive analytics. Defensively, the Gators were No. 6. The rebounding and defense figure to be every bit as good this season. Improving three-point shooting will be an emphasis in the offseason, but Golden expects Haugh and Fland to be more consistent. Aberdeen has proven to be reliable, plus off the bench Golden has Klavzar, AJ Brown and Petrovic. Strengths are many, weaknesses few for a team that will head into the season with the highest ceiling of expectations in the country. “We've been playing high-level basketball within our program at Florida for a couple years now, whether it was the national championship year or last year when we received one seed in the NCAA tournament, even though we fell a little short,” Golden said. “We've played against the best programs in America. We've played in the best venues in America. And I think this team is ready for another season with a big target on their back.” FLORIDA ROSTER AS OF JUNE 5, 2026 Big guys (7): Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, SR); Alex Condon (6-11, 236, SR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 260, SR); Domen Petrovic (6-8, 220, SR); Viktor Mikic (6-11, 260, JR); Arturas Butajevis (6-10, 220, FR); Jones Lay (7-0, 230, FR) Perimeter (8): Denzel Aberdeen (6-5, 190, SR); Urban Klavzar (6-1, 190, SR); Alex Kovatchev (6-5, 195, RJR); AJ Brown (6-4, 210, RJR); Boogie Fland (6-3, 185, JR); Isaiah Brown (6-5, 210, JR); CJ Ingram (6-7, 210, SO); Alex Lloyd (6-3, 190, SO) Rosters for the rest of the SEC ALABAMA Returning (5): London Jemison (6-8, 205, FR); Keitenn Bristow (6-8, 190, SO); Preston Murphy (6-1, 175, JR); Collins Onyejiaka (6-11, 265, FR); Amari Allen (6-7, 205, FR) Incoming freshmen (3): Tarris Bouie (6-4, 175); Quayden Samuels (6-6, 200); Jaxson Richardson (6-6, 200) From the portal (4): Brandon Garrison (6-11, 245, JR, from Kentucky); Jamarion Davis-Fleming (6-10, 240, FR, from Mississippi State); Cole Cloer (6-7, 190, FR, from North Carolina State); Drew Fielder (6-10, 216, JR, from Boise State) ARKANSAS Returning (4): Billy Richmond (6-5, 205, SO); Jaden Karuletwa (6-5, 185, SO); Isaiah Sealy (6-7, 200, FR); Paulo Semedo (7-1, 225, FR) Incoming freshmen (4): Jordan Smith Jr. (6-2, 180); JaShawn Andrews (6-4, 195); Abdou Toure (6-6, 200); Maper Maker (7-0, 215) From the portal (2): Cooper Bowser (6-11, 210, JR, from Furman); Jeremiah Wilkinson (6-1, 185, SO, from Georgia) AUBURN Returning (3): Kevin Overton (6-5, 180, JR); Tahaad Pettiford (6-1, 175, SO); Simon Walker (6-4, 195, FR) Incoming freshmen (2): Caleb Williams (6-5, 195); Narcisse Ngoy (6-11, 220) From the portal (5): Bukky Oboye (7-1, 200, RSO, from Santa Clara); Owen Freeman (6-10, 230, JR, from Creighton); Thomas Dowd (6-8, 225, JR, from Troy); Adam Olsen (6-8, 225, FR, from South Alabama); George Kimble III (6-2, 184, SO, from Vanderbilt) International commitments (2): Narciss Ngoy (6-11, 225, from France); Matas Rubstavicius (6-6, 190, from Lithuania) GEORGIA Returning (4): Blue Cain (6-5, 190, JR); Marcus Millender (5-11, 180, JR); Kanon Catchings (6-9, 190, SO); Kareem Stagg (6-8, 230, FR) Incoming freshmen (3): Donovan Williams (6-3, 180); Hakeem Weems (6-9, 170); Kemauri Millender (6-0, 175) From the portal (4): Freddie Dilione (6-5, 195, JR, from Penn State); Brady Dunlap (6-7, 190, SO, from Saint Louis); Andrew Osasuyi (6-9, 205, FR, from St. Bonaventure); James Scott (6-11, 210, JR, from Ole Miss) International commitments (2): David Ugonna Ike (6-11, 230, from Nigeria); Mading Kuany (6-8, 175, from Australia) KENTUCKY Returning (5): Reece Potter (7-1, 210, JR); Kam Williams (6-8, 190, SO); Trent Noah (6-5, 220, SO); Brayden Hawthorne (6-8, 190, FR); Malachi Moreno (7-0, 250, FR) Incoming freshmen (2): Mason Williams (6-2, 185); Zyon Hawthorne (6-2, 180) From the portal (7): Zoom Diallo (6-3, 190, SO, from Washington); Alex Wilkins (6-5, 175, FR, from Furman); Justin McBride (6-8, 230, JR, from James Madison); Jerone Morton (6-4, 200, JR, from Washington State); Franck Kepnang (6-11, 225, SR, from Washington); Milan Momcilovic (6-8, 220, SR, from Iowa State) International commitment (1): Ousmane N’Diaye (6-11, 210, from Senegal) LSU Returning (0): Incoming freshman (0): From the portal (5): Mouhamed Dioubate (6-7, 215, JR, from Kentucky); Divine Ugochukwu (6-3, 190, SO, from Michigan State); Abdi Bashir Jr. (6-7, 170, from Kansas State); RJ Luis (6-7, 196, G-League, formerly St. John’s); Austin Nunez (6-2, 170, SR, from UT-San Antonio) International commitment (4): Marcio Santos (6-9, 250, from Brazil by way of Israel); Yam Madar (6-3, 200, from Israel); Saliou Niang (6-5, 190, from Senegal by way of Italy); Michael Ruzic (6-10, 220, from Croatia by way of Barcelona) MISSISSIPPI STATE Returning (4): Josh Hubbard (5-10, 185, JR); King Grace (6-5, 195, FR); Cameren Paul (6-7, 210, FR); Tee Bartlett (6-11, 290, FR) Incoming freshmen (3): Tristan Reed (6-9, 230); Jalyn Collingwood (6-5, 190); Willie Burnett III (6-4, 175) From the portal (6): RJ Johnson (6-4, 225, SO, from Kennesaw State); Kendyl Sanders (6-8, 230, FR, from Utah); TJ Simpkins (6-4, 185, JR, from Seton Hall); ND Okafor (6-9, 235, SR, from Washington State); Thomas Bassong (6-8, 203, FR, from Florida State); Ashton Magee (6-7, 205, FR, From Southern U) MISSOURI Returning (6): Trent Pierce (6-10, 210, JR); Luke Norweather (6-11, 232, JR); Trent Burns (7-5, 235, SO); Annor Boateng (6-6, 215, SO); Nicholas Randall (6-9, 240, FR); Aaron Rowe (6-2, 155, FR) Incoming freshmen (3): Jason Crowe Jr. (6-3, 170); Aidan Chronister (6-7, 180); Toni Bryant (6-9, 215) From the portal (6): Jaylen Carey (6-8, 245, JR, from Tennessee); Jamier Jones (6-6, 218, FR, from Providence); Bryson Tiller (6-10, 240, SO, from Kansas); Kennard Davis Jr. (6-6, 204, JR, from BYU); Jordan Crawford (6-2, 180, JR, from South Dakota), Cord Stansberry (6-3, 175, JR, from Western Carolina) OKLAHOMA Returning (5): Xzayvier Brown (6-2, 165, JR); Dayton Forsythe (6-2, 187, SO); Derrion Reed (6-8, 220, SO); Kai Rogers (6-10, 247, FR); Alec Blair (6-7, 192, FR) Incoming freshmen (2): Gage Mayfield (6-7, 200); Quincy Wadley (6-4, 185) From the portal (4): Khani Rooths (6-8, 205, SO, from Louisville); Tyler Hendricks (6-5, 175, RJR, from Utah Valley); Pop Isaacs (6-2, 170, SR, from Texas A&M); Yaak Yaak (6-11, 225, JR, from Oregon State) From the G-League (1): Akoldah Gak (6-11, 225, from Australia via G-League) OLE MISS Returning (2): Patton Pinkins (6-5, 200, FR); Ilias Kamardine (6-5, 185, JR) Incoming freshmen (3): Yohance Connor (6-2, 170); Jaron Saulsberry (6-6, 170); Daniel Patton (6-7, 205) From the portal (6): Roman Siulepa (6-6, 220, FR, from Pittsburgh); Adam Clark (5-10, 155, JR, from Seton Hall); Christian Brown (6-8, 236, FR, from James Madison); Stefan Cicic (7-0, 260, RFR, from Pepperdine); Desean Haskins (6-8, 200, RSO, from St. Joseph’s); Santiago Trouet (6-10, 218, JR, from Arizona State) SOUTH CAROLINA Returning (2): Grant Polk (6-6, 197, FR); Hayden Assemian (6-6, 230, FR) Incoming freshmen (1): Marcus Johnson (6-2, 180) From the portal (6): Kory Mincy (6-2, 185, JR, from George Mason); Aleksas Bieliauskas (6-10, 235, FR, from Wisconsin); Shane Blakeney (6-5, 175, JR, from Drexel); Camden Heide (6-7, 205, JR, from Texas); Jakub Necas (6-10, 240, JR, from Duquesne); Davion Hannah (6-6, 190, FR, from Alabama) International commitment (1): Juan Francisco Fernandez (6-9, 220, from Argentina) TENNESSEE Returning (2): Ethan Burg (6-3, 199, SO); DeWayne Brown II (6-8, 251, FR) Incoming freshman (4): Ralph Scott (6-8, 190); Manny Green (6-6, 205); Marquis Clark (6-1, 175); Christopher Washington Jr. (6-9, 195) From the portal (8): Tyler Lundblade (6-5, 195, SR, from Belmont); Dai Dai Ames (6-1, 185, JR, from California); Miles Rubin (6-10, 205, JR, from Loyola Chicago); Jalan Haralson (6-7, 220, FR, from Notre Dame); Terrence Hill Jr. (6-3, 180, SO, from VCU); Braden Lue (6-8, 223, SO, from Kennesaw State); Juke Harris (6-7, 200, SO, from Wake Forest); Christian Fermin (6-10, 215, SR, from VCU) TEXAS Returning (4): Matas Vokietaitis (7-0, 245, SO); Anthon McDermott (6-4, 200, FR); John Clark (6-8, 200, FR); Lewis Obiorah (7-0, 250, FR) Incoming freshmen (4): Austin Goosby (6-5, 186); Bo Ogden (6-5, 195); Joe Sterling (6-4, 180); Coleman Elkins (6-10, 240) From the portal (5): Isaiah Johnson (6-1, 170, FR, from Colorado); David Punch (6-7, 245, SO, from TCU); Amari Evans (6-5, 220, FR, from Tennessee); Elyjah Freeman (6-8, 185, SO, from Auburn); Mikey Lewis (6-3, 180, SO, from Saint Mary’s) Radford) TEXAS A&M Returning (4): McKenzie Mgbako (6-8, 217, JR); Jamie Vinson (6-11, 225, SO); Chris McDermott (6-7, 225, SO); Jeremiah Green (6-3, 189, FR) Incoming freshmen (3): Josh Irving (6-10, 200); Bryson Warren (6-3, 191); Neiko Mundey (6-2, 185) From the portal (6): PJ Hagerty (6-3, 192, JR, from Kansas State); Cade Phillips (6-9, 212, JR, from Tennessee); Jalen Reece (6-0, 185, FR, from LSU); Tyshawn Archie (6-1, 175, JR, from McNeese State); Jalen Shelley (6-8, 190, SO, from Loyola Marymount); Lukas Walls (6-5, 203, JR, from Radford) VANDERBILT Returning (4): Tyler Tanner (6-0, 170, SO); Chandler Bing (6-5, 211, FR); Jayden Leverett (6-11, 245, FR); Jaylon Dean-Vines (6-4, 181, FR) Incoming freshmen (3): Ethan Mgbako (6-6, 215); Anthony Brown (6-1, 160); Jackson Sheffield (6-9, 240) From the portal (5): Berke Buyutuncel (6-9, 245, JR, from Nebraska); Ace Glass (6-3, 185, FR, from Washington State); Bangot Dak (6-9, 180, JR, from Colorado); Sebastian Williams-Adams (6-8, 230, FR, from Auburn); T.O. Barrett (6-4, 200, SO, from Missouri)

Wake Forest transfer Micah Mays Jr. crosses the goal line at the Orange and Blue Game (Photo by Chris Spears) In a conversation with Urban Meyer back when he was stacking up top-ranked recruiting classes at Florida, the question of how you measure success came up. Urban was far less concerned with stars as he was finding the right fit and filling the depth chart with quality players who would be ready to step in when their number was called. The answer he gave me: “One great class is nice, but the way you really measure your success is put two years together. It is only when you put two together that you see if you have holes you didn’t fill.” Whether at Florida or later at Ohio State, Urban Meyer's recruiting was borderline legendary. Meyer didn’t have today’s advantage of dipping into the portal to find experienced players to fill immediate needs or else his recruiting might have taken on monstrous proportions. At Florida, Meyer went 65-15 with two national championships and two SEC titles. At Ohio State, he was 83-9 with one national championship and three Big Ten titles. Jon Sumrall has yet to coach his first game at Florida, but if on the field results mirror his success on the recruiting trail then the future is going to be very, very bright. Sumrall does have the portal and combining his transfers with the 2026 recruiting class and a 2027 class that becomes more impressive by the day, it’s not exactly a reach to say that the sleeping giant that is Florida football is arousing from an 11-year slumber. Sumrall added two more impressive commitments to his 2027 class Thursday when 4-star EDGE rusher Cahron Wheeler (6-5, 250, Baltimore, MD St. Paul’s) and 3-star corner Kamarion Johnson (6-0, 189, Homerville, GA Clinch County) joined a class that has moved up to No. 4 in the 247Sports recruiting rankings. They are the 20th and 21st commitments to the 2027 class that has a realistic chance of finishing in the top two when the final rankings come out, especially if the Gators are able to flip defensive lineman Jalen Brewster (6-3, 313, Cedar Hill, TX), the No. 1 player in the country and a Texas Tech commit, and 4-star wide receiver Easton Royal (6-0, 200, New Orleans, LA Brother Martin), currently committed to Texas. Since taking the Florida job November 30, 2025, Sumrall has brought in 47 players through the portal and high school signings, plus he now has 21 commitments for 2027. Here is the position-by-position breakdown of the Sumrall recruits: Quarterback (3) Will Griffin (6-3, 224, FR, enrolled) Aaron Philo (6-1, 208, RSO, transfer) Davin Davidson (6-6, 220, Sarasota, FL Cardinal Mooney, 4-star commit) Running back (3) London Montgomery (5-10, 194, RJR, transfer) Evan Pryor (5-10, 190, RSR, transfer) Andrew Beard (5-10, 198, Bogart, GA Prince Avenue Christian, 4-star commit) Wide receiver (11) Davion Groce (6-2, 197, FR, enrolled) Justin Williams (5-11, 195, FR, enrolled) Marquez Daniel (6-5, 205, FR, enrolled) Ace Ciongoli (5-10, 172, FR, transfer) Jaylen Lloyd (5-10, 190, RJR, transfer) Eric Singleton Jr. (5-10, 182, SR, transfer) Micah Mays Jr. (6-1, 195, RJR, transfer) Bailey Stockton (5-10, 182, RJR, transfer) Tramond Collins (6-2, 185, Cottondale, FL, 4-star commit) Anthony Jennings (6-0, 165, Fort Lauderdale, FL Dillard, 4-star commit) Elias Pearl (5-11, 185, Port Charlotte, FL, 4-star commit) Tight end (8) Heze Kent (6-6, 313, FR, enrolled) Trip Brown Jr. (6-5, 241, FR, enrolled) Jayden Jordan (6-6, 240, SR, transfer) Evan Chieca (6-4, 257, RSO, transfer) Luke Harpring (6-3, 236, RSO, transfer) Lacota Dippre (6-3, 255, RJR, transfer) Jackson Ballinger (6-4, 225, Centerburg, OH, 4-star commit) Tommy Douglas (6-4, 235, Princeton, NJ The Hun School, 3-star commit) Offensive Line (14) Tyler Chukuyem (6-6, 293, FR, enrolled) Javarii Lucas (6-6, 316, FR, enrolled) Corey Brown (6-1, 305, FR, enrolled) G’Nivre Carr (6-4, 315, FR, enrolled) Desmond Green (6-5, 351, FR, enrolled) Chancellor Campbell (6-8, 323, FR, enrolled) Harrison Moore (6-4, 300, JR, transfer) Umeka Ugori (6-4, 311, SO, transfer) Eagan Boyer (6-8, 300, RSO, transfer) TJ Shanahan (6-4, 311, RJR, transfer) Maxwell Hiller (6-5, 300, Coatesville, PA Coatesville Area, 5-star commit) Peyton Miller (6-5, 297, Anna, TX, 4-star commit) Elijah Hutcherson (6-5, 275, Roanoke, VA North Cross, 4-star commit) Kennedee Jackson (6-6, 300, Lithonia, GA, 4-star commit) Defensive Line (7) Kendall Guervil (6-5, 329, FR, enrolled) JaReylan McCoy (6-7, 271, FR, enrolled) Mason Clinton (6-5, 290, RJR, transfer) Emmanuel Oyebadejo (6-6, 303, RSR, transfer) De’Voun Kendrick (6-4, 278, Tampa, FL Carrollwood Day, 4-star commit) Stive-Bentley Keumajou Yondui (6-3, 290, Miami, FL Coral Gables, 4-star commit) Cain Van Norden (6-7, 275, District Heights, MD Bishop McNamara, 4-star commit) EDGE (3) KJ Ford (6-4, 250, FR, enrolled) Zahmar Tookes (6-4, 256, Rochester, NY Brighton, 4-star commit) Cahron Wheeler (6-5, 250, Baltimore, MD St. Paul’s, 4-star commit) Linebacker (3) Malik Morris (6-0, 261, FR, enrolled) TJ Bullard (6-1, 210, RSR, transfer) Ja’Bios Smith (6-3, 195, Swainsboro, GA, 4-star commit) Corner (6) CJ Bronaugh (6-0, 163, FR, enrolled) Javier Jones (6-1, 185, FR, summer) Jordy Lowery (5-11, 167, SR, transfer) Amare Nugent (6-1, 175, Plantation, FL American Heritage, 4-star commit) Aamaury Fountain (6-3, 189, Warner Robins, GA Northside, 5-star commit) Kamarion Johnson (6-0, 189, Homerville, GA Clinch County, 3-star commit) Safety (6) Dylan Purter (6-0, 181, FR, enrolled) Kaiden Hall (6-2, 198, FR, enrolled) Elijah Owens (6-3, 210, FR, summer) Eric Parks (6-0, 190, FR, summer) Cam Dooley (6-2, 205, JR, transfer) DJ Coleman (6-0, 209, SR, transfer) Punter (2) Miller Fealy (6-2, 210, transfer) Alec Clark (6-0, 181, RJR, transfer) Kicker (1) Patrick Durkin (5-11, 194, RSO, transfer) Long snapper (1) Carter Milliron (5-11, 240, RSR, transfer)

He’s From Alabama. And Stuart’s Name Should Ring A Bell By Buddy Martin gatorbaitmedia.com Let me ask you something that ought to keep every self-respecting Gator fan up at night staring at the ceiling. Who, exactly, is running the ship at the University of Florida right now? Because the way things have gone in Gainesville over the past couple of years, you’d be forgiven for thinking the answer is “nobody in particular, and they’re doing it on a rotating basis.” Ben Sasse blows into town, collects a million-dollar salary, then packs his bags after 17 months citing family health concerns — and God bless him for putting family first, nobody argues that. But that left UF scrambling for a president the way some schools scramble for a backup quarterback. They hauled Kent Fuchs back out of emeritus retirement, then plugged in Donald Landry as another interim, and meanwhile Scott Stricklin is running the athletic department with what appears to be an expiration date already stamped on his forehead — courtesy of that very tidy new contract that essentially maps out his glide path to semi-retirement by 2030. So here we are. Jon Sumrall is out there recruiting hard, building the football program one “No Days Off” at a time, and the question of who his ultimate boss’s boss will be is still being sorted out up on the administrative mountaintop. Enter one Dr. Stuart Bell. The Alabama Guy Walking Into the Swamp Now before the Gator faithful break out the torches and march on Emerson Alumni Hall, let me say this: the man’s résumé is real. A full decade running the University of Alabama — the University of Alabama, folks — and he didn’t just keep the seat warm. He drove up national rankings, grew enrollment, expanded research dollars, and did it all without burning the place down. That’s not nothing. And yes, he came from Tuscaloosa. I know. Breathe. The man led the SEC Presidents’ table for two years and sat on the executive committee for four. You want to talk about someone who knows where the bodies are buried in college athletics governance? Bell has been in those rooms. He knows every athletic director, every chancellor, every power broker from Lexington to Baton Rouge. When he says he’s a “well-known commodity,” he ain’t selling you a used car — that’s just the truth. Now, when the students pushed him at the forums on the DEI question, Bell didn’t hem and haw or check the political winds. He was crystal clear: “I am certainly not coming back to Florida to bring DEI or any form of Woke back, period.” In Florida in 2026, that answer was mandatory just to get out of the parking lot. But the delivery mattered — he said it flat and firm, not like a man running from something, but like a man who’d already made up his mind a long time ago. He also said the things a university president is supposed to say — talent, hard work, determination. Every student deserves a shot based on merit. Hard to argue with that in the abstract. What It Means for the Gators Here’s where it gets interesting for those of us who care more about what happens on the field and on the hardwood than in boardrooms. College athletics in 2026 is not the same creature it was ten years ago. Revenue sharing. NIL collectives. The transfer portal spinning like a roulette wheel. A school president who doesn’t understand the athletic ecosystem isn’t just a nuisance — they’re a liability. One bad decision, one tone-deaf policy move, one failure to greenlight the right resources at the right time, and you can watch a program slide into the mud faster than a lineman on a wet practice field. Bell understands this. He watched Alabama’s athletic department operate at the highest level of American sports for a decade. He knows what a fully resourced program looks like. He knows the difference between an athletic director who’s building something and one who’s just managing. He sat in SEC meetings and watched the sausage get made. That’s the upside. The question nobody’s asking quite loudly enough is this: What happens when the new president’s vision for Florida — and there will be one — bumps up against an athletic director who’s already got one eye on that special assistant chair in 2030? Stricklin has done solid work by most accounts. He made a gutsy call firing Billy Napier when it needed to be done, and he landed Sumrall. But the program is at an inflection point. It needs a university president who is a genuine partner in the enterprise, not just a rubber stamp. Bell could be that partner. His SEC connections alone are worth a great deal in a world where conference politics shape everything from scheduling to revenue distribution. A new president who can walk into the room and be respected — not just tolerated — by the Greg Byrnes and Greg Sankeys of the world? That matters. The Bottom Line UF has had two interim presidents and a presidential revolving door since 2024. The Board of Trustees interviews Bell on June 10. If they approve him, the Board of Governors still has to sign off. More meetings. More committees. More process. Meanwhile, Sumrall and his staff are in the middle of building something, and they need someone at the top of the org chart who shows up ready to compete — not just academically, but in the arena where Florida lives or dies in the eyes of its fans. Stuart Bell is not the enemy here. A former Alabama president walking into the Swamp ought to know better than anyone what it takes to run a flagship program at the highest level. The question is whether he’s willing to bring that same Alabama-level commitment of resources, vision, and institutional will to orange and blue. If he is, Gator Nation might just end up owing Tuscaloosa a thank-you note. And wouldn’t that be something. GatorBait Editor Buddy Martin has covered Florida Gators athletics for more than five decades.