In the 38 days he’s been Florida’s head football coach, only 18 as the full-timer actually since he coached Tulane to the American Conference title and the first round College Football flameout at Ole Miss, Jon Sumrall has done a rather remarkable job of changing perceptions in a subtle but substantial way. Subtle, because he hasn’t made himself the center of attention. Substantial because he held onto most of the high school recruits on signing day, retained the most important players from the 2025 season, and he’s systematically filling holes in his roster.   Not bad for a consolation prize, which is what a rather large contingent of Gator fans thought when Scott Stricklin failed to woo Lane Kiffin to Gainesville. If November was a beauty contest, then Florida was Miss Congeniality, Ole Miss first runner-up and LSU the winner. But look what’s happened in the five-plus weeks since Kiffin jilted Ole Miss and Florida. Ole Miss, minus Kiffin and with Pete Golding in charge, is a win over Miami tonight from playing for the national championship. At LSU, Kiffin has done what Kiffin always has done, which is to give the impression it’s all about him.   Meanwhile, without all the fanfare, Jon Sumrall is selling a dream rather well. Just look what he’s done in the last 48 hours. Tuesday, running back Jadan Baugh elected to stay in Gainesville rather than transfer to Texas or Georgia. Wednesday, edge rusher Jayden Woods removed his name from the portal. Like Baugh, Texas was willing to back up a Brinks Truck to land Woods, but instead he will stay in Gainesville.   Now, money did play its part in keeping Baugh and Woods but keeping them Gators had every bit as much to do with Sumrall laying out a vision of future success. It’s the same vision he laid out for Myles Graham, Vernell Brown III, Dallas Wilson, Aaron Chiles, LJ McCray and Kamran James, all of whom have reaffirmed that they will remain Gators. If those guys had elected to go into the portal, they would have been in very high demand, but by staying with the Gators they have basically told the college football world that Florida has the resources – both money-wise and coaching – to stand up to the schools at the top of the SEC heap.   Woods was the highest profile win for Sumrall on Wednesday. He also brought in wide receiver Micah Mays from Wake Forest and safety Cam Dooley from Kentucky. Also, he signed juco safety Elijah Clark out of Mississippi Gulf Coast. Those three bring the current roster numbers to 72 – 53 veterans and 19 signed freshman/jucos.   Sumrall has as many as 33 scholarships still at his disposal so the next few days will be fast and furious, particularly since late registration for the spring semester is a week away. Here is a position by position rough estimate of what Sumrall needs to bring in through the portal or on the February signing date for high school kids.   Quarterback (3): Need one more. Running Back (4): Need two since Baugh will go NFL and Pryor is a senior. Wide Receiver (8): Need two more at a minimum, but four more would be nice. Tight end (5): Need one more since signee Kent might move to tackle. O-line (18): Need 2-4 more veterans since six of the 18 are freshmen. D-line/EDGE (12): Need at least three more tackles. Linebackers (6): Need four at a minimum, but six would be better. Secondary (13): Need at least three more corners. Special teams (2): Need a long snapper.   CURRENT ROSTER (53) QUARTERBACK (2): Tramell Jones Jr. (6-0, 203, FR); QB Aaron Philo (6-2, 220, RFR, from Georgia Tech)   RUNNING BACKS (4): Duke Clark (6-1, 211, FR); Byron Louis (6-0, 211, FR); Jadan Baugh (6-1, 231, SO); Evan Pryor (5-9, 195, RSR, from Cincinnati)   WIDE RECEIVERS (5): Vernell Brown III (5-11, 178, FR); Dallas Wilson (6-3, 213, FR); TJ Abrams (5-10, 196, RFR); Bailey Stockton (5-11, 185, SO, from Georgia Tech); Micah Mays Jr. (6-2, 196, SO, from Wake Forest)   TIGHT END: (4) Amir Jackson (6-5, 235, RFR); Micah Jones (6-4, 257, FR); Tony Livingston (6-5, 264, RSO); Lacote Dippre (6-4, 253, SO, from James Madison)   O-LINE (12): OT Fletcher Westphal (6-8, 342, RFR); OT Caden Jones (6-8, 333, RSO); OT/OG Bryce Lovett (6-5, 321, RSO); OG Knijeah Harris (6-3, 313, JR); OG/C Roderick Kearney (6-4, 310, RSO); OG Jason Zandamela (6-3, 308, RFR); OT Jahari Medlock (6-5, 321, FR); OG TJ Dice Jr. (6-4, 304, FR); OG Daniel Pierre Louis (6-4, 332, FR); C Harrison Moore (6-5, 300, SO, from Georgia Tech); OG TJ Shanahan (6-4, 315, RSO, from Penn State); OT Eagan Boyer (6-8, 302, RFR, from Penn State)   D-LINE/EDGE (9): EDGE LJ McCray (6-6, 268, SO); EDGE Kamran James (6-6, 270, JR); EDGE Jayden Woods (6-3, 248, FR); DL Joseph Mbatchou (6-5, 300, FR); EDGE Kofi Asare (6-5, 251, RJR); EDGE Jaylen Wiggins (6-5, 268, FR); Brendan Bett (6-5, 308, RSO); DT DK Kalu (6-4, 309, SO, from Baylor); DE Emmanuel Oyebadejo (6-7, 295, JR, from Jacksonville State)   LINEBACKERS (5): Jaden Robinson (6-1, 226, JR); Myles Graham (6-1, 228, SO); Aaron Chiles (6-3, 244, SO); Ty Jackson (6-2, 221, FR); Myles Johnson (6-1, 224, FR)   SECONDARY (10): S Drake Stubbs (6-1, 207, FR); CB Cormani McClain (6-2, 189, RSO); S Bryce Thornton (5-10, 211, JR); S Lagonza Hayward (6-1, 206, FR); CB J’Vari Flowers (5-10, 187, FR); CB Dijon Johnson (6-1, 204, JR); CB Onis Konanbanny (6-0, 184, FR);  CB Ben Hanks III (6-1, 192, FR); S DJ Coleman (6-1, 210, JR, from Baylor); S Cam Dooley (6-2, 208, SO, from Kentucky)   SPECIAL TEAMS (2): PK Patrick Durkin (5-10, 175, SO, from Tulane); P Alec Clark (6-1, 185, RSO, from Tulane)   SIGNED FRESHMEN/JUCOS (19) QUARTERBACK (1): Will Griffin (6-3, 230)   WIDE RECEIVERS (3): Davian Groce (6-2, 191); Justin Williams (5-11, 187); Marquez Daniel (6-5, 205)   TIGHT END (1): Heze Kent (6-6, 305)   O-LINE (6): Tyler Chukuyem (6-6, 285); Chancellor Campbell (6-8, 307); G’nivre Carr (6-4, 309); Desmond Green (6-5, 343); Javarii Luckas (6-6, 318); Corey Brown (6-1, 280)   D-LINE/EDGE (3): DL Kendall Guervil (6-2, 323); DL JaReylan McCoy (6-7, 260); EDGE KJ Ford (6-4, 246)   LINEBACKER (1): Malik Morris (6-0, 250)   SECONDARY (3): CJ Hester (6-0, 186); Kaiden Hall (6-2, 192); CJ Bronaugh (6-0, 172); Dylan Purter (6-0, 185); Elijah Owens (6-3, 210, FR, from Mississippi Gulf Coast)   GONERS (29) QB (1): DJ Lagway RB (4): KD Daniels (to Wake Forest) ; Treyaun Webb; Chad Gaspar Jr.; Ja’Kobi Jackson WR (5): Eugene Wilson III (to LSU); Tank Hawkins; Aidan Mizell (to UCLA); Muizz Tounkara; Naushaun Montgomery TE (2): Hayden Hansen (to Oklahoma); Cameron Kossman OL (4): OT Marcus Mascoll; OT Enoch Wangoy; OT Devon Manuel; OT Noel Portnjagin DL/EDGE (3): DL Tavorise Brown; DL Michai Boireau (to Ole Miss) ; DL Jeramiah McCloud LB (1): Grayson Howard (to South Florida) S/CB (6): S Jordan Castell (to Kentucky); S Josiah Davis; CB Jameer Grimsley (to Mississippi State); S Teddy Foster (to South Florida); CB Aaron Gates (to Kentucky); CB Shariff Denson (to Ole Miss) ST (3): P Hayden Craig (to LSU); PK Evan Noel; LS Mack Mulhern

Boogie Fland (0) sizes up Georgia's Jordan Ross (Photo by Chris Spears) Until an exorcist is hired to remove the demons that have turned the Florida Gators into the gang that can’t shoot straight, what we saw Tuesday night against Georgia is pretty much what we’re going to get. Todd Golden would love to have another bombs away team like the one he had last year, but that was then. This is now, and now the Gators are a team that will hit an occasional three, but will have to pound opponents into submission with defense, rebounding and dominating in the paint.   “It’s how we are built,” Golden said after the Gators (10-5, 1-1 SEC) took down 18 th -ranked Georgia (13-2, 1-1 SEC), 92-77, at the O-Dome. “It’s who we are and I think the more that we accept and take pride in the kind of being the ugly, gritty, physical team, I think we’ll see good results.”   Against Georgia Tuesday night, it appeared Florida’s identity crisis had been resolved. As usual, the Gators didn’t shoot very well from beyond the 3-point line – just 6-25, which isn’t far off from the norm – but they played with furious intensity on the defensive end taking away Georgia’s 3-point game while forcing one-and-done possessions. Georgia made only 4-19 of its 3-point attempts. Excellent defense, yes, but the key number is 19. Georgia came into the game the nation’s highest scoring team at a fraction less than 100 a game, but the Gators sliced 22 points off their norm in large part by forcing the Bulldogs off the 3-point line.   Georgia shooters Jeremiah Wilkinson (1-9 from the field overall, just 0-2 from three) and Blue Cain (3-9 overall, 0-4 from three) were taken out of the game. The two combined for 46 points in Georgia’s win over Auburn last Saturday. Without their scoring, Georgia struggled offensively and was held to fewer than 80 points for only the second time all season.   “I’d say with the exception of (Kanon) Catchings, we let him get a couple off at the beginning of the second half and (Smurf) Millender making a tough one in the first half but other than that I thought we had great urgency on the perimeter,” Golden said. “The way that we play, we’re going to live with tough twos overhand, but we’re not going to live with good threes. I thought they took some tough ones and I think that shows in their percentage. ”   The Gators weren’t bothered by Georgia’s full court press. The Gators put the ball in the hands of Boogie Fland and Xaivier Lee who either dribbled through the attempted traps or found Alex Condon or Tommy Haugh in the middle to break the pressure. Georgia forced one first half 10-second violation, but otherwise Florida had little trouble breaking the press.   The Gators were able to use Georgia’s helter-skelter pace and style to their advantage, because once past midcourt there were driving lanes available and space for Florida’s big guys to manipulate. The combination of defense, rebounding and breaking the press contributed mightily to Florida’s 35-10 advantage on fast breaks, not to mention a 58-38 advantage in the paint.   The Gators continued to try to shoot their way out of the slump that has them hitting only 27.7 percent from the 3-point line all season. Against Georgia, the Gators were 6-25 with Urban Klavzar (3-7) and Haugh (2-5) providing most of the firepower. The rest of the team combined to go 1-13.   When shots didn’t fall, there was no need for panic because second and sometimes third chances were available. The Gators, who lead the nation in offensive rebounding, grabbed 22 against Georgia.   “I mean their 22 offensive rebounds are loud, and they slow down your offensive tempo,” Georgia coach Mike White said. “They extend their possessions. ”   Any hope that Georgia could neutralize Florida’s bigs came to a crashing halt 10 minutes into the first half when Somto Cyril, one of the nation’s top shot blockers, was ejected for a flagrant foul. Florida would have had the advantage anyway but without Cyril, the Gators were unstoppable in the paint.   The Bulldogs were able to keep it close for a half (Florida led 41-40 at the intermission) and they took the lead on Catchings’ three just 23 seconds into the second half, but after that it was all Florida. The first six minutes of the half belonged to Boogie Fland, who broke the press and took it to the rack where he scored all eight of his points (4 free throws, 2 driving layups) while leading the Gators to a 59-47 advantage.   Fland went 0-3 from the 3-point line, but that was pretty much his only negative. He finished the game with eight points, eight rebounds, six assists and a steal, one of his more complete games of the season.   “In the second half we did a great job defending, and you know he [Fland] just gave us that complete point guard game with stuffing the stat sheet, and he’s done a great job facilitating all year,” Golden said. “He had seven assists and one turnover against Missouri, six and three tonight. A couple of them were against good pressure … We need him to start knocking down some threes, but the output in all those other areas was fantastic, and he played a very good game tonight.”    As much trouble as Georgia had handling Fland, the Bulldogs found it impossible to match the Gators on the inside at either end of the court. Haugh, Condon, Rueben Chinyelu and Micah Handlogten combined for 57 points, 35 rebounds and 10 blocked shots.   Haugh played 36 energetic minutes, scoring 21 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. He also passed for five assists and had three steals and four blocked shots on the defensive end.   “Yeah he’s turned himself into one of the better players in America, and has gone from, a hard playing role player as a freshman to a really, really good complementary piece as a sophomore to now just taking off, I mean to a guy who’s going to hear his name called in probably five or six months,” Golden said. “And it’s a testament to his work, his belief, his coachability … you know, he’s incredibly coachable. Too coachable sometimes. I want him to yell at his teammates sometimes and be more of a vocal leader, but he’s an incredible leader by example, and he is what a Gator is, man, he’s great for our program.”   Condon matched Haugh with 21 points and had eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Chinyelu had 10 points and four rebounds, while Handlogten had six points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots. Six of Handlogten’s rebounds came on the offensive end of the floor.   This game was quite a bounce back from the disappointing loss at Missouri. The Gators needed this win desperately and they delivered with a quality win against a ranked team. The Gators proved capable of hanging with some of the best teams in America in the non-conference schedule, but they wound up with close call losses away from Gainesville to No. 1 Arizona, No. 4 UConn and No. 6 Duke.   Getting a win over a ranked team was important. Getting it at home was a confidence builder.     I felt like this was the first game where we played a really good team this year where, like, we have a little bit of an advantage going up against, you know, playing at home,” Golden said. “When we played Arizona, we played out in Vegas, they had a huge crowd. When we played Duke, obviously it was at Cameron Indoor. UConn, we were playing in New York, like we played this tough, really tight game and we couldn’t get over the hump. And I just felt like, you know, I know we have a really good team, and we just couldn’t find a way to get one of those games done.   “Missouri, same deal, they get two guys back, they’re hitting tough shots. Credit to them, they played well, but sometimes you want luck to go your way, and we hadn’t really felt that. And I thought tonight was an opportunity where we knew we’re gonna have the crowd behind us, we’re gonna be sleeping in our own beds the night before against a really good team … we had to go out and do it … this was an opportunity for us to go get a big win, and our guys delivered.”   SEC BASKETBALL No. 21 Tennessee (11-4, 1-1 SEC) 85, Texas (9-6, 0-2 SEC) 71: Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 34 points for the Vols, hitting 5-8 of his 3-pointers. He also had four rebounds, five assists and three steals. Texas got 20 from Tramon Mark.   South Carolina (10-5, 1-1 SEC) 78, LSU (12-3, 0-2 SEC) 68: South Carolina hit its first nine shots and at one point led 35-10 in the first half, then hung on in the second half when LSU rallied to within nine. Elijah Strong scored 30 points for South Carolina, which made 12-21 of its 3-pointers. Max Mackinnon scored 15 for LSU.   Texas A&M (12-3, 2-0 SEC) 90, Auburn (9-6, 0-2 SEC) 88: A miracle finish for Auburn was denied when KeShawn Murphy’s 3-pointer at the buzzer was ruled no good. The red lights on the backboard went on but the clock above showed time when the ball left Murphy’s hands. Still, it was ruled no good and the Aggies got the win. Pop Isaacs came off the bench to score 21 to lead the Aggies. Keyshawn Hall led Auburn with 32 points and 12 rebounds.   Today’s games No. 13 Alabama (11-3) at No. 11 Vanderbilt (14-0) No. 15 Arkansas (11-3) at Ole Miss (8-6) Missouri (11-3) at Kentucky (9-5) Oklahoma (11-3) at Mississippi State (9-5)

Jadan Baugh cuts upfield against Texas (Photo by Chris Spears) On a big day in which he welcomed six new Gators from the transfer portal, Jon Sumrall got the news he’s been waiting for when Jadan Baugh announced on X that he’s coming back to Florida for his junior year. Baugh made second team All-SEC in 2025 by rushing for 1,170 yards (8 TDs) while catching 33 passes for 210 yards (2 TDs). The 6-1, 233-pounder has career numbers of 1,843 rushing yards (15 TDs) and 37 receptions for 243 yards (3 TDs).   Baugh never entered the portal, but his support group entertained offers from Texas, Georgia and many other top programs in the country. His decision to return to Florida is a major coup for Sumrall who is rebuilding his roster. Currently, the Gators have 49 veterans returning and 18 incoming freshman signees. With the expansion of scholarship limits from 85 to 105, Sumrall has as many as 38 more scholarships at his disposal.   Prior to the Baugh announcement, the big news Tuesday morning was the commitment of former Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo, a dual threat who completed 21-28 passes for 373 yards and a touchdown in his only start, a 59-12 win over Gardner-Webb. As a true freshman in 2024, Philo was 38-74 passing for 565 yards and a TD while running for 76. In his only start as a freshman, Philo threw for 265 yards (1 TD) and ran for 57 yards (1 TD) in a 30-29 win over North Carolina State.   Philo spent two years working with new UF offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner. Philo will compete in the spring for the starting job with Tramell Jones Jr. and early enrollee freshman Will McBride.   Also committing to the Gators Tuesday were former Cincinnati running back Evan Pryor, two former Penn State linemen in guard TJ Shanahan Jr. and tackle Eagan Boyer, and Tulane’s kickers – punter Alec Clark and placekicker Patrick Durkin. Pryor ran for 522 yards (6.8 per carry, 3 TDs) and caught 10 passes for 107 yards (1 TD). Shanahan played in all 13 Penn State games with five starts. Boyer played in eight games as a true freshman, then four in 2025 when he took a redshirt. Clark, an Australian, averaged 46.52 yards per punt that included a 70-yarder. Durkin hit 25-28 field goals, 41-42 of his extra points and scored 116 points. He was 4-6 beyond 50 yards with a long field goal of 52 yards.   CURRENT ROSTER (49) QUARTERBACK (2): Tramell Jones Jr. (6-0, 203, FR); QB Aaron Philo (6-2, 220, RFR, from Georgia Tech)   RUNNING BACKS (4): Duke Clark (6-1, 211, FR); Byron Louis (6-0, 211, FR); Jadan Baugh (6-1, 231, SO); Evan Pryor (5-9, 195, RSR, from Cincinnati)   WIDE RECEIVERS (4): Vernell Brown III (5-11, 178, FR); Dallas Wilson (6-3, 213, FR); TJ Abrams (5-10, 196, RFR); Bailey Stockton (5-11, 185, SO, from Georgia Tech)   TIGHT END: (4) Amir Jackson (6-5, 235, RFR); Micah Jones (6-4, 257, FR); Tony Livingston (6-5, 264, RSO); Lacote Dippre (6-4, 253, SO, from James Madison)   O-LINE (12): OT Fletcher Westphal (6-8, 342, RFR); OT Caden Jones (6-8, 333, RSO); OT/OG Bryce Lovett (6-5, 321, RSO); OG Knijeah Harris (6-3, 313, JR); OG/C Roderick Kearney (6-4, 310, RSO); OG Jason Zandamela (6-3, 308, RFR); OT Jahari Medlock (6-5, 321, FR); OG TJ Dice Jr. (6-4, 304, FR); OG Daniel Pierre Louis (6-4, 332, FR); C Harrison Moore (6-5, 300, SO, from Georgia Tech); OG TJ Shanahan (6-4, 315, RSO, from Penn State); OT Eagan Boyer (6-8, 302, RFR, from Penn State)   D-LINE/EDGE (7): EDGE LJ McCray (6-6, 268, SO); EDGE Kamran James (6-6, 270, JR); DL Joseph Mbatchou (6-5, 300, FR); EDGE Kofi Asare (6-5, 251, RJR); EDGE Jaylen Wiggins (6-5, 268, FR); Brendan Bett (6-5, 308, RSO); DT DK Kalu (6-4, 309, SO, from Baylor); DT Emanuel Oyebadejo (from Louisiana)   LINEBACKERS (5): Jaden Robinson (6-1, 226, JR); Myles Graham (6-1, 228, SO); Aaron Chiles (6-3, 244, SO); Ty Jackson (6-2, 221, FR); Myles Johnson (6-1, 224, FR)   SECONDARY (9): S Drake Stubbs (6-1, 207, FR); CB Cormani McClain (6-2, 189, RSO); S Bryce Thornton (5-10, 211, JR); S Lagonza Hayward (6-1, 206, FR); CB J’Vari Flowers (5-10, 187, FR); Dijon Johnson (6-1, 204, JR); CB Onis Konanbanny (6-0, 184, FR);  Ben Hanks III (6-1, 192, FR); S DJ Coleman (6-1, 210, JR, from Baylor)   SPECIAL TEAMS (2): PK Patrick Durkin (5-10, 175, SO, from Tulane); P Alec Clark (6-1, 185, RSO, from Tulane)   SIGNED FRESHMEN (18) QUARTERBACK (1): Will Griffin (6-3, 230)   WIDE RECEIVERS (3): Davian Groce (6-2, 191); Justin Williams (5-11, 187); Marquez Daniel (6-5, 205)   TIGHT END (1): Heze Kent (6-6, 305)   O-LINE (6): Tyler Chukuyem (6-6, 285); Chancellor Campbell (6-8, 307); G’nivre Carr (6-4, 309); Desmond Green (6-5, 343); Javarii Luckas (6-6, 318); Corey Brown (6-1, 280)   D-LINE/EDGE (3): DL Kendall Guervil (6-2, 323); DL JaReylan McCoy (6-7, 260); EDGE KJ Ford (6-4, 246)   LINEBACKER (1): Malik Morris (6-0, 250)   SECONDARY (3): CJ Hester (6-0, 186); Kaiden Hall (6-2, 192); CJ Bronaugh (6-0, 172); Dylan Purter (6-0, 185)   GONERS (30) QB (1): DJ Lagway RB (4): KD Daniels (to Wake Forest) ; Treyaun Webb; Chad Gaspar Jr.; Ja’Kobi Jackson WR (5): Eugene Wilson III; Tank Hawkins; Aidan Mizell; Muizz Tounkara; Naushaun Montgomery TE (2): Hayden Hansen (to Oklahoma); Cameron Kossman OL (4): OT Marcus Mascoll; OT Enoch Wangoy; OT Devon Manuel; OT Noel Portnjagin DL/EDGE (4): DL Tavorise Brown; EDGE Jayden Woods; DL Michai Boireau (to Ole Miss) ; DL Jeramiah McCloud LB (1): Grayson Howard (to South Florida) S/CB (6): S Jordan Castell; S Josiah Davis; CB Jameer Grimsley; S Teddy Foster (to South Florida); CB Aaron Gates (to Kentucky); CB Shariff Denson (to Ole Miss) ST (3): P Hayden Craig; PK Evan Noel; LS Mack Mulhern   THE REST OF THE SEC Alabama: WR Aeryn Hampton; TE Josh Ford (from Oklahoma State); S Kameron Howard; OG Roq Montgomery; RB Richard Young; WR Jalen Hale; WR Jaylen Mbakwe (to Georgia Tech); OT Olaus Alinen; EDGE Noah Carter; PK Peter Notaro; OG Micah DeBose; WR Cole Adams; WR Rico Scott; EDGE Keon Keeley; CB Cameron Calhoun; OL Wilkin Formby; RB Hollywood Smothers (from North Carolina State); LS David Bird; LB Qua Russaw; DL James Smith (6-3, 297, JR); LB Caleb Woodson (from Virginia Tech)   Arkansas: OT Shaq McRoy; CB Keshawn Davila (to Kansas State) ; LB Tavion Wallace (to Kentucky);DL Ian Geffrard (to Texas) ; S Miguel Mitchell; DL Kaleb James; RB AJ Green; QB Trever Jackson; LB Justin Logan; EDGE Justus Boone (to Wisconsin) ; S Anton Pierce; WR Andy Jean; QB Grayson Wilson; DL Kavion Henderson; EDGE Charlie Collins; OG LJ Prudhomme; WR Jace Petty; CB Selman Bridges; WR Zachary Taylor; RB Rodney Hill; DL Danny Saili; WR Krosse Johnson; S Christian Harrison (from Cincinnati); PK Braeden McAlister (from Georgia State); OT Malachi Breland (from Memphis); PK Max Gilbert (from Tennessee); WR Jamari Hawkins (from Memphis); RB Sutton Smith (from Memphis); CB Nigel Pringle; DL Kevin Oatis; QB AJ Hill (from Memphis); OT E’Marion Harris (to Oklahoma); OG Blake Cherry (to Wisconsin); RB Jasper Parker (6-0, 205, FR, from Michigan); CB Jaheim Johnson (from Tulane); DL Hunter Osborne (from Virginia)   Auburn: CB A’mon Lane-Ganus (to South Florida) ; WR Horatio Fields; WR Perry Thompson (to Minnesota) ; CB Raion Strader; EDGE Antonio Coleman; RB Damari Alston; LB Caleb Wheatland (to Michigan State) ; TE Hollis Davidson; WR Malcolm Simmons; OG DeAndre Carter (to Iowa State) ; OT Favour Edwin; WR Cam’Ron King; OT Seth Wilfred; CB Jay Crawford (to Ole Miss) ; DL Amaris Williams; LB Jamonta Walker; DL Malik Blocton; PK Towns McGough; QB Ashton Daniels (to Florida State); CB Kayin Lee; CB Donovan Staff; OT Xavier Chaplin; LB Robert Woodyard Jr. ( to Missouri) ; S Kensley Faustin; WR Cam Coleman; OG Dylan Senda; QB Deuce Knight; WR Sam Turner; S Taye Seymore; QB Jackson Arnold; TE Preston Howard; DL James Ash; OT Seth Wilfred; OG Malachi Harris; QB Locklan Hewlett (from South Florida); RB Durell Robinson; WR Korey Pettigrew (from South Florida); LS Hudson Powell (from Maryland); WR Christian Neptune (from South Florida); TE Xavier Newsom(from Howard); S Fred Gaskin III (from South Florida); WR Jeremiah Koger (from South Florida); QB Byrum Brown (from South Florida); OT Broderick Schull   Georgia: TE Pearce Spurlin III; CB Daniel Harris; RB Roderick Robinson II; DL Jordan Thomas (to South Carolina); S Jaden Thomas; LB Kris Jones; S Khalil Barnes (from Clemson); S Jaden Harris (to Kansas)   Kentucky: EDGE Landyn Watson (to Kansas) ; EDGE Steven Soles; WR David Washington Jr.; WR Preston Bowman; QB Stone Saunders; OG Austin Ramsey (to Kansas State); WR Tony Stellato; CB Nasir Addison; DL Javeon Campbell; S DJ Waller Jr . (to Louisville) ; EDGE Jacob Smith; DL Jerod Smith II; QB Cutter Boley(to Arizona State) ; RB Dante Dowdell; LB Tavion Wallace (from Arkansas); RB Jamarion Wilcox; EDGE Antonio Berry (from Gardner-Webb); S Cam Dooley; CB Hasaan Sykes (from Western Carolina); DL Ahmad Breaux (from LSU); WR Quintin Simmons; OG Coleton Price (from Baylor); CB Quaysheed Scott; QB Kenny Minchey (from Notre Dame); OG Max Anderson (from Tennessee)   LSU: RB Ju’Juan Johnson (to Syracuse); DL Ahmad Breaux (to Kentucky) ; CB Ashton Stamps; WR Jelani Watkins; WR Khylan Billiot; DL Sydir Mitchell; RB Kaleb Jackson; OG Carius Curne (to Ole Miss); QB Colin Hurley; OG Coen Echols (to Texas A&M) ; OG DJ Chester; OT Tyree Adams; S Javian Toviano; OT Paul Mubenga; S Austin Ausberry; LB Princeton Malbrue; S Dashawn Spears; S Joel Rogers; WR Kyle Parker; OT Ethan Calloway; RB Caden Durham; QB Michael Van Buren; RB JT Lindsey; WR Jackson Harris (from Hawaii); WR TaRon Francis; DL Zion Williams; WR Tre Brown (from Old Dominion); TE Malachi Thomas (from Pittsburgh); RB Raycine Guillory (from Utah); S Ty Benefield (from Boise State); OT Ory Williams (to Tennessee); DL Stephiylan Green (from Clemson); RB Rob Gainey Jr. (from Charlotte)   Mississippi State: S Tony Mitchell; DL Terrance Hibblier Jr.; S Stonka Burnside (to Memphis); OG Brennan Smith; OT Jimothy Lewis Jr.; TE Emeka Lloh; QB Luke Kromenhoek; TE Cam Ball; CB Dwight Lewis III; S Tyler Woodard; DL Ashun Shepphard; WR Ferzell Shepard; S Lo’Kavion Jackson; WR Jaron Glover; OT Jaekwon Bouldin; OG Alex Lopez; EDGE Joseph Head Jr.; DL Corey Clark; WR Jordan Mosley; WR Markus Allen; WR Davian Jackson; RB Johnnie Daniels; WR Cam Thompson (to Northern Illinois); OT Luke Work; WR Marquis Johnson (from Missouri); RB Seth Davis; QB AJ Swann (from Appalachian State); DL Jayson Jenkins (from Florida State); CB Quentin Taylor (from Iowa State)   Missouri: RB Marquise Davis (to Louisville) ; RB Brendon Haygood; WR James Madison II; S Caleb Flagg; WR Josh Manning; EDGE Javion Hilson (to Virginia Tech) ; WR Marquis Johnson (to Mississippi State) ; OG Henry Fenuku; QB Beau Pribula; PK Robert Meyer; OT Johnny Williams IV; OT Brandon Solis; OT Jayven Richardson; S CJ Bass III; RB Tavorous Jones; CB Mark Manfred III; OT Jaylen Early; EDGE Nate Johnson; CB Shamar McNeil; OG Keiton Jones (to Kansas State) ; DL Justin Bodford; WR Daniel Blood; S Marvin Burks Jr.; CB Jahlil Florence (from Oregon) ; WR Caleb Goodie (from Cincinnati); LB Robert Woodyard Jr. (from Auburn); QB Austin Simmons (from Ole Miss); EDGE Damon Wilson II   Oklahoma: WR Jayden Gibson (to South Carolina) ; CB Kendel Colby; TE Kaden Helms; LB Kobie McKenzie (to Northwestern); OG Jacob Sexton; RB Jovonate Barnes; S Marcus Wimberly (to Utah); OG Troy Everett; OT Luke Baklenko; CB Devon Jordan (to Baylor) ; WR KJ Daniels; OL Logan Howland; S Gentry Williams; CB Maliek Hawkins (to West Virginia) ; QB Michael Hawkins (to West Virginia) ; TE Carson Kent; DL Marcus Strong; OL Jake Taylor (to Iowa State) ; RB Taylor Tatum; TE Hayden Hansen (from Florida); OG Caleb Nitta; CB Dakoda Fields (from Oregon); TE Rocky Beers (from Colorado State); OT E’Marion Harris (from Arkansas); WR Trell Harris (from Virginia); WR Zion Kearney; WR Parker Livingstone (from Texas); EDGE Kenny Ozowalu (from UT-San Antonio); WR Javonnie Gibson   Ole Miss: QB Austin Simmons (to Missouri); RB Domonique Thomas; CB Sharif Denson (from Florida) ; EDGE Jonathan Maldonado (from Nevada); LB Keaton Thomas (from Baylor); CB Jay Crawford (from Auburn); OG PJ Wilkins; DT Jehiem Oatis (from Colorado); LB Chris Jones (from Southern Miss)   South Carolina: PK Peyton Argent; LB Jaron Willis (to Kansas) ; WR Emazon Littlejohn; DL Zavion Hardy (to South Florida); OT Mac Walters; OG Trovon Baugh (to Texas A&M) ; OT Cason Henry; WR Brian Rowe Jr.; QB Air Noland; OT Tree Babalade (to Nebraska); EDGE Taeshawn Alston; DL Chase Kibble; OG Nick Sharpe (to Michigan State); TE Michael Smith (to Syracuse) ; CB Myles Norwood; OG Rodney Newsom; OG Boaz Stanley; WR Vandrevious Jacobs; OT Josiah Thompson; EDGE Taeshon Alston; OT Campbell Vandiver; WR Jayden Gibson (from Oklahoma); EDGE Jaylen Brown; OT Hank Purvis (from Purdue); OG Carter Miller (from UCF)   Tennessee: EDGE Kellen Lindstrom; DL Jamal Wallace; S Boo Carter; LB Brenden Anes; S Macus Goree Jr.; QB Jake Merklinger; RB Peyton Lewis; OT Trevor Duncan; DL Herb Gray; OG Max Anderson (to Kentucky) ; WR Tommy Winton; OT Lance Heard; OT Bennett Warren (to Minnesota) ; CB Rickey Gibson; EDGE Amari Jefferson; EDGE Caleb Herring; PK Max Gilbert (to Arkansas) ; EDGE Emmanuel Okoye; EDGE Jayden Loften; S Qua Moss (from Kansas State); OG William Satterwhite; TE Richie Anderson(from Fresno State); OT Ory Williams (from LSU)   Texas: OG Connor Stroh (to Kansas) ; CB Santana Wilson; WR Aaron Butler; RB CJ Baxter; QB Trey Owens; PK Will Stone; RB Jerrick Gibson (to Purdue) ; S Derek Williams Jr.; CB Wardell Mack; DL Melvin Hills; LB Liona Lefau; RB Rickey Stewart Jr.; WR DeAndre Moore Jr.; RB Quintrevion Wisner (to Florida State) ; WR Parker Livingstone (to Oklahoma); DL Lavon Johnson; OG Neto Umeozulu; PK Will Stone; OG Nate Kibble; DL Ian Geffrard (from Arkansas); CB Caleb Chester (to Arizona State); OT Wes King (from Wyoming); P Mac Chiumento (from Florida State); PK Gianni Spetic (from Memphis); TE Michael Masunas (from Michigan State); DL Josh Schell   Texas A&M: LS Shea Freibaum; LB Tristan Jernigan; CB Jayvon Thomas; S Jordan Pride; EDGE Solomon Williams (to California) ; EDGE Rylan Kennedy (to Florida State); TE Theo Melin Ohrstrom; S Bryce Anderson; QB Miles O’Neill (to North Carolina); CB Cobey Sellers; TE Houston Thomas (from UT-San Antonio); OG Coen Echols (from LSU); S Tawfiq Byard (from Colorado); LB Ray Coney (from Tulsa); P Truette Tumey; PK David Olano (from Illinois); WR Izaiah Williams (to Kansas State); OG Trovon Baugh (from South Carolina); DL Brandon Davis-Swain (from Colorado); EDGE Ryan Henderson (from San Diego State)   Vanderbilt: QB Drew Dickey (to Arkansas State) ; TE Maurice Veney; OT Misael Sandoval; QB Jeremy St. Hilaire; OG Cooper Starks; TE Witt Edwards; WR Boski Barrett; EDGE Jailen Ruth; WR Jeremiah Dillon; WR Chance Fitzgerald; DL Linus Zunk; WR Tre Richardson; TE Jayvontay Conner (from East Carolina); DL Talan Carter (from Louisiana); RB AJ Newberry; OT Beau Johnson (from North Dakota State); CB Cobey Sellers (from Texas A&M)

Stanton will join pitchers that includes returning juniors Keagan Rothrock, Olivia Miller, and Ava Brown Pitcher Caroline Stanton is reclassifying and will join Florida for the 2026 season, a year earlier than planned. The highly-touted recruit plans to redshirt the year. When signing with the Gators, she said: "I chose the University of Florida to both win championships and earn my degree. I want to have a great college experience and meet new people while becoming the best version of myself." With the current environment in college athletics, having the number one overall recruit come to school early is nothing but positiv Coach Tim Walton was ecstatic. Assistant coaches: Francesca Enea, Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro, (Player Caroline Stanton), Aric Thomas, Coach Walton. (Photo UAA) "What an opportunity for the Gators, when Caroline painted the picture of graduating early after winning the Georgia High School Softball State Championship, her family and I agreed upon her enrolling early," said Walton. "We're looking forward to training Caroline all spring while she redshirts. "Having her in the dugout, supporting her teammates, providing feedback and learning a semester early will be a great start to what we're looking forward to in her career as a Gator.” Stanton will join pitchers that includes returning juniors Keagan Rothrock, Olivia Miller and Ava Brown; junior transfer Allison Sparkman; sophomore Katelynn Oxley, and freshman Leah Stevens. The Gator Softball season cranks up February 6-7-8 at the USF-Rawlings Invitational. Illinois State, Michigan, Bethune-Cookman and Kansas join the Gators in Tampa.

Getting Boogie Fland untracked is a priority against Georgia (Photo by Chris Spears) Seventeen points. That is the difference between life at the top in both the Associated Press and Coaches top 25 polls and everybody in the country asking what’s wrong with the Florida Gators.   At 9-5 which includes an 0-1 start to the Southeastern Conference portion of the schedule has the Gators outside the top 25 in both polls for the first time since the 2023-24 season. Not exactly what was expected of last season’s NCAA champions. Sure, it’s a brand new year and the combination of the NBA and the transfer portal stripped Florida of a backcourt for the ages, but the way the Gators have played the likes of No. 1 Arizona, No. 4 UConn and No. 6 Duke – all away from the O-Dome – tells you this isn’t a bad basketball team.   When Todd Golden makes an accounting of the Gators as they near the midpoint of the season, he sees a team could certainly be unbeaten at this point. Instead, he’s got a team that is still trying to find its ability to close out big games and turn close call defeats into wins.   “I think we're close,” Golden said Monday after before the Gators took to the practice court to prep for tonight’s game with No. 18 Georgia (13-1, 1-0 SEC) at the O-Dome (7 p.m., SEC Network). “We've won all of our games by a lot. We've lost all of our games by a little, and we're kind of right on that breaking point. I think all the advanced metrics say we're still a pretty good team. We just haven't gotten over the hump that way.”   Fans see the missed shots in the final minutes of those five losses, but overlook what happens in the middle of the games. It’s what goes on in the middle that most concerns Golden. In the Gators 76-74 loss to Missouri this past Saturday, the last five minutes of the first half and the first five of the second half had plenty to do with turning a most winnable game into loss number five.   Florida shot the ball well to start the game, then went into a shooting funk in the final five of the first half when Missouri rallied to tie the game at 39-39. When the second half began, the Gators couldn’t make shots and had some serious lapses on the defensive end. Tommy Haugh, who finished the game with 24 points, caught fire in the second half but it was a case of too little, too late.   Those stretches when the Gators couldn’t buy a basket combined with inconsistencies defending and rebounding proved to be difference-makers. Golden looks back on Missouri and sees far too many avoidable mistakes. The Gators opened the game by making their first three 3-point shots, but they went 4-24 the rest of the way.   One more made three and the Gators would have walked away with a road win in a year where any win on the road in the SEC is to be savored.   “I think it's obvious our shooting has been the biggest issue for us, continues to be,” Golden said. “I think we played well in a lot of other areas. I didn't think we played defensively as well as we need to, you know, in a game like that to win. And, you know, I didn't think we were on the glass as well as we need to in a game like that to win, so those were the biggest factors on Saturday night for me.”   Shooting has been a problem all season. When the backcourt was occupied by Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin with Denzel Aberdeen filling in off the bench, Golden knew the Gators had dudes who could put the ball in the basket. Now, the three guys who make up the backcourt rotation sometimes have problems finding the ocean from the end of the pier. Xaivian Lee has started finding the range, but he’s hitting just 26.7 percent of his threes. Boogie Fland, who went 0-6 on threes at Mizzou, is 12-60. Klavzar hits a team-best 35.7 percent of his threes, but the moment he comes into a ball game opponents immediately tighten up the defense. When Klavzar gets into a rhythm he’s capable of taking a game over.   “I do think we’re dealing with some confidence issues shooting the ball,” Golden said.   The shooter that concerns him most is Fland. He was a very capable 3-point shooter a year ago when he suited up for Arkansas, but his shot has deserted him.   Is it a matter of confidence for his sophomore point guard?   “If he can lift that up and shoot the ball at a 33 percent clip from deep, we're gonna be pretty dang good,” Golden said. “So I'm so confident in him. I know our staff is. I think the team is, but as we’ve just said, ‘You gotta go do it, and you gotta step up and knock down your open shots.’  And I think once he does, hopefully it'll take some of the pressure off, and you can just kinda take off from there.”   Until that happens, the Gators are probably going to see a lot of zone defense. Missouri packed the paint to keep Florida’s front line of Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, Haugh and Micah Handlogten from completely dominating the game. Missouri gambled that the Gators wouldn’t catch fire from behind the 3-point line and it paid off.   Expect something similar from Georgia tonight.   Game notes: This is the tallest and best team Mike White has had in four years at Georgia. White was 142-88 at Florida prior to taking the Georgia job just a couple of days after the Gators lost to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament in Tampa in 2022 … Georgia leads the nation in scoring at 99.36 points per game …The Gators lead the country in rebounding at 46.71 per game, offensive rebounds per game (17) and rebounding margin (15 more than opponents) … As a team the Gators are hitting just 28 percent of their threes … The Gators are 9 th -ranked in defensive efficiency per the kenpom.com analytics. ANTICIPATED STARTING LINEUPS FLORIDA (9-5, 0-1 SEC): Alex Condon (6-11, 236, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-11, 265, JR); Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, JR); Xaivian Lee (6-4, 185, SR); Boogie Fland (6-3, 185, JR)   No. 18 Georgia (13-1, 1-0 SEC): Kanon Catchings (6-9, 220, SO); Somtochukwu Cyril (6-11, 260, SO); Jeremiah Wilkinson (6-1, 185, SO); Blue Cain (6-5, 195, JR); Jordan Ross (6-3, 195, JR)   Associated Press top 25: 1. Arizona 14-0; 2. Michigan 13-0; 3. Iowa State 14-0; 4. UConn 14-1; 5. Purdue 13-1; 6. Duke 13-1; 7. Houston 13-1; 8. Gonzaga 16-1; 9. BYU 13-1; 10. Nebraska 14-0; 11. Vanderbilt 14-0; 12. Michigan State 12-2; 13. Alabama 11-3; 14. Texas Tech 11-3; 15. Arkansas 11-3; 16. Illinois 11-3; 17. North Carolina 13-2; 18. Georgia 13-1; 19. Iowa 12-2; 20. Louisville 11-3; 21. Tennessee 10-4; 22. Kansas 10-4; 23. Virginia 12-2; 24. SMU 12-2; 25. UCF 12-1   Coaches top 25: 1. Michigan 13-0; 2. Arizona 14-0; 3. Iowa State 14-0; 4. UConn 14-1; 5. Purdue 13-1; 6. Duke 13-1; 7. Houston 13-1; 8. Gonzaga 16-1; 9. BYU 13-1; 10. Vanderbilt 14-0; 11. Nebraska 14-0; 12. Alabama 11-3; 13. Michigan State 12-2; 14. Texas Tech 11-3; 15. Arkansas 11-3; 16. Illinois 11-3; 17. North Carolina 13-2; 18. Louisville 11-3; 19. Iowa 12-2; 20. Georgia 13-1; 21. Kansas 10-4; 22. Tennessee 10-4; 23. Virginia 12-2; 24. Villanova 12-2; 25. SMU 12-2   SEC BASKETBALL Today’s games No. 18 Georgia (13-1) at FLORIDA (9-5) Texas (9-5) at No. 21 Tennessee (10-4) South Carolina (9-5) at LSU (12-2) Texas A&M (11-3) at Auburn (9-5)   Wednesday’s games No. 13 Alabama (11-3) at No. 11 Vanderbilt (14-0) No. 15 Arkansas (11-3) at Ole Miss (8-6) Missouri (11-3) at Kentucky (9-5) Oklahoma (11-3) at Mississippi State (9-5)

(Photo by Chris Spears) Part I of a 3-part series   Centuries ago, the great Chinese philosopher Lao Tze observed, “Do the difficult things while they are easy and the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”   Writing a book. If it were easy everyone would do it. For years I thought about writing a book but always found a reason to put it off. When the final tenth of a second ticked off the clock at the Alamodome in San Antonio the first Monday night in April, a unique opportunity presented itself. The Florida Gators were national champions and for the very first time all season long, they were the No. 1 team in the nation. The situation called for taking the first step on the next leg of the journey. Time to write a book about this version of the Gator Boyz and their brilliant young coach, Todd Golden.   After the Gators won their first national championship by beating UCLA in Indianapolis back in 2006, Billy Donovan remarked that he wasn’t sure the Gators were the best team in the country, but they were the only team that was still standing after the 6-game grind that is the NCAA Tournament. Quite often, the best team isn’t the one that survives what we call March Madness but that is what makes this one of the more compelling sporting events anywhere in the world.   Four days earlier when Houston, Duke, Auburn and Florida arrived in San Antonio, a very large contingent of the national media believed this to be the Duke Invitational. When the teams were holding their public practice sessions on Friday, a prominent writer who makes covering Duke basketball his life mission, told me in the hallway, “Looks like it will be a Duke-Florida championship game.”   He got the Florida part right. Duke, with all its 5-stars including Cooper Flagg, went belly up in the final minutes of its semifinal showdown with Houston. The Gators, without a single 5-star on its roster, came from behind to beat Auburn to punch their championship game ticket. I was surprised that Duke choked. That’s the only way to describe what happened. I wasn’t surprised the Gators beat Auburn, although there were plenty of hold your breath moments until Todd Golden kept his mentor – Auburn coach Bruce Pearl – from the one jewel missing on a Hall of Fame crown.   Two nights later against Kelvin Sampson-coached Houston, whose no holds barred defense needs only Gordon Solie on play-by-play, the Gators came back from the dead. Down 12 in the second half to Houston is akin to a Ric Flair figure four leglock, but somehow the Gators came up off the mat, took their first lead since the score was 8-6 on a pair of Alijah Martin free throws with 46 seconds to go. A Denzel Aberdeen free throw with 19.7 seconds left gave the Gators a 65-63 lead.   Still enough time for Houston to either tie the game and send it to overtime or drain a three to win it. Two nights earlier against Duke, the Cougars were most comfortable in a similar situation, so it was up to Florida’s defense to come through with yet another stop. In retrospect, this is the aspect of the 2025 Florida national championship team that is overlooked. When people think of the Gators last season, they remember a dynamic offense led by the one of the best backcourts the college game has seen in recent memory – Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin. Need a bucket? Those guys could get you one.   But the defense was every bit as spectacular. Houston’s last four possessions wound up without the Cougars squeezing off a shot. In the last 18 seconds, Milos Uzan was completely handcuffed by Martin. Richard smothered LJ Cryer. Emanuel Sharp ran through a double pick at the top of the key, taking the ball from Cryer some 28 feet from the basket. As he elevated to try a game-winner, Clayton came flying by at an angle to ensure no foul. Had Sharp launched Clayton probably would have blocked it. If he held the ball when he came back down it would be a traveling call.   So Sharp put the ball on the deck where it rolled toward midcourt. Alex Condon sprinted past two Cougars, diving headfirst to beat Ja’Vier Francis to the ball. Game over. Defense saved the day. The only game all season the Gators failed to score 70 points they won by showing what was billed as the nation’s top defensive team how it’s done.     Florida 65, Houston 63.   Confetti would fly. Nets would be cut down. “One Shining Moment” belonged to the Florida Gators for the third time in school history.   Thirty minutes later in the Florida locker room, as Rueben Chinyelu waved a cigar while recalling how his emotions overflowed when the final horn sounded, Micah Handlogten sat quietly across from the mob of reporters crowded in that tight space. Back in February when the injury bug hit the Gators, Micah elected to forego a redshirt season, a contribution that cannot be overlooked.   For two months he played, still not quite 100 percent recovered from a devastating broken leg that could have cost him his life in the SEC Tournament championship game against Auburn in 2024. It was a sacrifice that he was more than willing to make. His teammates were more important than a redshirt season. Without the depth he provided the Gators couldn’t have won the NCAA championship.   As I approached him, his face glowed. The smile said everything. This one said, “Mission accomplished.”   He stood, at 7-1 a full foot taller than I. The grin grew wider, but his voice was soft as he greeted me.   “Was it worth it?” I asked him. “You gave up a lot to come back. Worth it?”   “Absolutely,” he replied, his voice full of pride, yet remarkably humble.   “You know, they couldn’t have won this without you,” I told him. “You were the missing link they needed to win the national championship.”   He knew. I didn’t have to remind him, but the smile widened that someone would recognize his contributions.   The response was typical Micah Handlogten.   “Thanks,” he said. If you know Micah, then anything else would have been overkill. (Order The Golden Season book by Franz Beard) https://shop.spurriers.com/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage&q=The+Golden+Season We ship next day.

In the aftermath of the stunning finish that propelled Ole Miss past Georgia and into the College Football Playoff semifinals, are you overwhelmed by a feeling that the University of Florida might have very well dodged a 30.06 bullet with the name Lane Kiffin engraved on it?   As Ole Miss sent shockwaves by putting an end to Georgia’s season, Kiffin was enjoying himself at the Pete Maravich Center where Kentucky was springing an upset on 5 th -ranked LSU. In the aftermath of Ole Miss 39, Georgia 34, Lane sent out weak congratulations to his former team. The lack of enthusiasm lent a strong measure of insincerity to the gesture.   Since then, Kiffin has been bombarded with thousands of tweets, texts and message board offerings that the kindest center around the words low class, no class and total buffoon. All of them seem to fit.   Even if Ole Miss doesn’t survive Miami in Thursday night’s CFP semis, the Rebels led by Pete Golding come off a winner while Kiffin comes off as an opportunist who will always have one eye open for the next hillside where the grass seems greener. For five-plus years Lane had us fooled into thinking he had grown up, but this latest fiasco scraps that idea completely. It’s not so much that Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss for another job. It’s the way he went about it, stringing along Ole Miss, Florida and LSU until he had backed everyone into a corner while making it all about himself.   Florida, meanwhile, tired of Kiffin’s antics and moved on to Jon Sumrall. Tulane knew that Sumrall would be leaving for more money and more of everything than they could possibly provide, but everything was handled with such class and dignity that there was little, if any, hard feelings between coach, players and school. At Ole Miss, meanwhile, it is scorched earth.   Now, Lane Kiffin is an outstanding football coach. There will be no shortage of high expectations in Baton Rouge and throughout the state of Louisiana, but patience is rather thin among the LSU faithful. Brian Kelly arrived from Notre Dame in 2020 with equally high expectations and he didn’t survive despite winning 34 games in three-plus seasons. He got a 10-year, $100 million deal and they were willing to pay him $54 million to go away. Kiffin has a 7-year deal worth $91 million plus incentives. Who’s to say they will give him more leeway than they gave Brian Kelly if he doesn’t deliver a national championship in a hurry?   And who’s to say that if Alabama comes open and dangles an opportunity under Lane’s nose that he won’t abandon LSU the same way he left Tennessee for Southern Cal after the 2009 season or Ole Miss DURING the 2025 season?   There are no guarantees that Jon Sumrall is the answer at Florida, but at least he arrives with his integrity and reputation intact. He's won championships three of the four years he's been a head coach and at both Troy and Tulane he leaves with folks raving about him as both a coach and a person. The same can't be said about Lane Kiffin, who has a trail of burned bridges in his wake. And for that, we can be thankful.   GATORS ADD TRANSFER SAFETY, TIGHT END, CENTER Jon Sumrall scored his first three commitments from the transfer portal, landing Baylor safety DJ Coleman, James Madison tight end Lacote Dippre and Georgia Tech starting center Harrison Moore. Coleman is considered one of the five best safeties in the portal after a year in which he was in on 46 tackles and picked off a couple of passes. Dippre caught 17 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns, plus ran four times for 49 yards and another TD. Moore, who missed two full games and part of two others due to injury, started nine games for Georgia Tech as a sophomore in 2025. He played in 10 games in 2024 as a tight end before making the transition to center.   Today, all eyes of the Gator Nation remain on running back Jadan Baugh, who still hasn’t declared he’s staying or entering the portal. Over the weekend, the Gators lost defensive tackle Jeramiah McCloud, placekicker Evan Noel, punter Hayden Craig and long snapper Max Mulhern to the portal. Corner Shariff Denson committed to Ole Miss and tight end Hayden Hansen committed to Oklahoma.   The unofficial scholarship roster counts as of Monday morning:   CURRENT ROSTER (40) QUARTERBACK (1): Tramell Jones Jr. (6-0, 203, FR)   RUNNING BACKS (3): Duke Clark (6-1, 211, FR); Byron Louis (6-0, 211, FR); Jadan Baugh (6-1, 231, SO)   WIDE RECEIVERS (3): Vernell Brown III (5-11, 178, FR); Dallas Wilson (6-3, 213, FR); TJ Abrams (5-10, 196, RFR)   TIGHT END: (4) Amir Jackson (6-5, 235, RFR); Micah Jones (6-4, 257, FR); Tony Livingston (6-5, 264, RSO); Lacote Dippre (6-4, 253, SO, from James Madison)   O-LINE (9): OT Fletcher Westphal (6-8, 342, RFR); OT Caden Jones (6-8, 333, RSO); OT/OG Bryce Lovett (6-5, 321, RSO); OG Knijeah Harris (6-3, 313, JR); OG/C Roderick Kearney (6-4, 310, RSO); OG Jason Zandamela (6-3, 308, RFR); OT Jahari Medlock (6-5, 321, FR); OG TJ Dice Jr. (6-4, 304, FR); OG Daniel Pierre Louis (6-4, 332, FR); C Harrison Moore (6-5, 300, SO, from Georgia Tech)   D-LINE/EDGE (6): EDGE LJ McCray (6-6, 268, SO); EDGE Kamran James (6-6, 270, JR); DL Joseph Mbatchou (6-5, 300, FR); EDGE Kofi Asare (6-5, 251, RJR); EDGE Jaylen Wiggins (6-5, 268, FR); Brendan Bett (6-5, 308, RSO)   LINEBACKERS (5): Jaden Robinson (6-1, 226, JR); Myles Graham (6-1, 228, SO); Aaron Chiles (6-3, 244, SO); Ty Jackson (6-2, 221, FR); Myles Johnson (6-1, 224, FR)   SECONDARY (9): S Drake Stubbs (6-1, 207, FR); CB Cormani McClain (6-2, 189, RSO); S Bryce Thornton (5-10, 211, JR); S Lagonza Hayward (6-1, 206, FR); CB J’Vari Flowers (5-10, 187, FR); Dijon Johnson (6-1, 204, JR); CB Onis Konanbanny (6-0, 184, FR);  Ben Hanks III (6-1, 192, FR); S DJ Coleman (6-1, 210, JR, from Baylor)   SIGNED FRESHMEN (18) QUARTERBACK (1): Will Griffin (6-3, 230)   WIDE RECEIVERS (3): Davian Groce (6-2, 191); Justin Williams (5-11, 187); Marquez Daniel (6-5, 205)   TIGHT END (1): Heze Kent (6-6, 305)   O-LINE (6): Tyler Chukuyem (6-6, 285); Chancellor Campbell (6-8, 307); G’nivre Carr (6-4, 309); Desmond Green (6-5, 343); Javarii Luckas (6-6, 318); Corey Brown (6-1, 280)   D-LINE/EDGE (3): DL Kendall Guervil (6-2, 323); DL JaReylan McCoy (6-7, 260); EDGE KJ Ford (6-4, 246)   LINEBACKER (1): Malik Morris (6-0, 250)   SECONDARY (3): CJ Hester (6-0, 186); Kaiden Hall (6-2, 192); CJ Bronaugh (6-0, 172); Dylan Purter (6-0, 185)   GONERS (28) QB (1): DJ Lagway RB (3): KD Daniels; Treyaun Webb; Chad Gaspar Jr.; Ja’Kobi Jackson WR (5): Eugene Wilson III; Tank Hawkins; Aidan Mizell; Muizz Tounkara; Naushaun Montgomery TE (2): Hayden Hansen (to Oklahoma); Cameron Kossman OL (3): OT Marcus Mascoll; OT Enoch Wangoy; OT Devon Manuel; OT Noel Portnjagin DL/EDGE (4): DL Tavorise Brown; EDGE Jayden Woods; DL Michai Boireau; DL Jeramiah McCloud LB (1): Grayson Howard S/CB (6): S Jordan Castell; S Josiah Davis; CB Jameer Grimsley; S Teddy Foster; CB Aaron Gates; CB Shariff Denson (to Ole Miss) ST (3): P Hayden Craig; PK Evan Noel; LS Mack Mulhern   THE REST OF THE SEC Alabama: WR Aeryn Hampton; TE Josh Ford (from Oklahoma State); S Kameron Howard; OG Roq Montgomery; RB Richard Young; WR Jalen Hale; WR Jaylen Mbakwe (to Ole Miss); OT Olaus Alinen; EDGE Noah Carter; PK Peter Notaro; OG Micah DeBose; WR Cole Adams; WR Rico Scott; EDGE Keon Keeley; CB Cameron Calhoun; OL Wilkin Formby   Arkansas: OT Shaq McRoy; CB Keshawn Davila (to Kansas State) ; LB Tavion Wallace (to Kentucky); DL Ian Geffrard (to Texas) ; S Miguel Mitchell; DL Kaleb James; RB AJ Green; QB Trever Jackson; LB Justin Logan; EDGE Justus Boone (to Wisconsin) ; S Anton Pierce; WR Andy Jean; QB Grayson Wilson; DL Kavion Henderson; EDGE Charlie Collins; OG LJ Prudhomme; WR Jace Petty; CB Selman Bridges; WR Zachary Taylor; RB Rodney Hill; DL Danny Saili; WR Krosse Johnson; S Christian Harrison (from Cincinnati); PK Braeden McAlister (from Georgia State); OT Malachi Breland (from Memphis); PK Max Gilbert (from Tennessee); WR Jamari Hawkins (from Memphis)   Auburn: CB A’mon Lane-Ganus (to South Florida) ; WR Horatio Fields; WR Perry Thompson; CB Raion Strader; EDGE Antonio Coleman; RB Damari Alston; LB Caleb Wheatland; TE Hollis Davidson; WR Malcolm Simmons; OG DeAndre Carter; OT Favour Edwin; WR Cam’Ron King; OT Seth Wilfred; CB Jay Crawford (to Ole Miss) ; DL Amaris Williams; LB Jamonta Walker; DL Malik Blocton; PK Towns McGough; QB Ashton Daniels; CB Kayin Lee; CB Donovan Staff; OT Xavier Chaplin; LB Robert Woodyard Jr.; S Kensley Faustin; WR Cam Coleman; OG Dylan Senda; QB Deuce Knight; WR Sam Turner; S Taye Seymore; QB Jackson Arnold; TE Preston Howard; DL James Ash; OT Seth Wilfred; OG Malachi Harris; QB Locklan Hewlett (from South Florida); RB Durell Robinson; WR Korey Pettigrew (from South Florida); LS Hudson Powell (from Maryland); WR Christian Neptune (from South Florida); TE Xavier Newsom (from Howard)   Georgia: TE Pearce Spurlin III; CB Daniel Harris; RB Roderick Robinson II; DL Jordan Thomas; S Jaden Thomas; LB Kris Jones; S Khalil Barnes (from Clemson)   Kentucky: EDGE Landyn Watson (to Kansas) ; EDGE Steven Soles; WR David Washington Jr.; WR Preston Bowman; QB Stone Saunders; OG Austin Ramsey; WR Tony Stellato; CB Nasir Addison; DL Javeon Campbell; S DJ Waller Jr. (to Louisville) ; EDGE Jacob Smith; DL Jerod Smith II; QB Cutter Boley (to Arizona State) ; RB Dante Dowdell; LB Tavion Wallace (from Arkansas); RB Jamarion Wilcox; EDGE Antonio Berry (from Gardner-Webb); S Cam Dooley; CB Hasaan Sykes (from Western Carolina); DL Ahmad Breaux (from LSU); WR Quintin Simmons; OG Coleton Price (from Baylor)   LSU: RB Ju’Juan Johnson; DL Ahmad Breaux (to Kentucky) ; CB Ashton Stamps; WR Jelani Watkins; WR Khylan Billiot; DL Sydir Mitchell; RB Kaleb Jackson; OG Carius Curne; QB Colin Hurley; OG Coen Echols (to Texas A&M) ; OG DJ Chester; OT Tyree Adams; S Javian Toviano; OT Paul Mubenga; S Austin Ausberry; LB Princeton Malbrue; S Dashawn Spears; S Joel Rogers; WR Kyle Parker; OT Ethan Calloway; RB Caden Durham; QB Michael Van Buren; RB JT Lindsey; WR Jackson Harris (from Hawaii); WR TaRon Francis; DL Zion Williams   Mississippi State: S Tony Mitchell; DL Terrance Hibblier Jr.; S Stonka Burnside; OG Brennan Smith; OT Jimothy Lewis Jr.; TE Emeka Lloh; QB Luke Kromenhoek; TE Cam Ball; CB Dwight Lewis III; S Tyler Woodard; DL Ashun Shepphard; WR Ferzell Shepard; S Lo’Kavion Jackson; WR Jaron Glover; OT Jaekwon Bouldin; OG Alex Lopez; EDGE Joseph Head Jr.; DL Corey Clark; WR Jordan Mosley; WR Markus Allen; WR Davian Jackson; RB Johnnie Daniels; WR Cam Thompson (to Northern Illinois); OT Luke Work; WR Marquis Johnson (from Missouri); RB Seth Davis   Missouri: RB Marquise Davis; RB Brendon Haygood; WR James Madison II; S Caleb Flagg; WR Josh Manning; EDGE Javion Hilson; WR Marquis Johnson (to Mississippi State) ; OG Henry Fenuku; QB Beau Pribula; PK Robert Meyer; OT Johnny Williams IV; OT Brandon Solis; OT Jayven Richardson; S CJ Bass III; RB Tavorous Jones; CB Mark Manfred III; OT Jaylen Early; EDGE Nate Johnson; CB Shamar McNeil; OG Keiton Jones; DL Justin Bodford; WR Daniel Blood; S Marvin Burks Jr.   Oklahoma: WR Jayden Gibson (to South Carolina) ; CB Kendel Colby; TE Kaden Helms; LB Kobie McKenzie; OG Jacob Sexton; RB Jovonate Barnes; S Marcus Wimberly; OG Troy Everett; OT Luke Baklenko; CB Devon Jordan; WR KJ Daniels; OL Logan Howland; S Gentry Williams; CB Maliek Hawkins; QB Michael Hawkins; TE Carson Kent; DL Marcus Strong; OL Jake Taylor; RB Taylor Tatum; TE Hayden Hansen (from Florida); OG Caleb Nitta   Ole Miss: QB Austin Simmons; WR Jaylen Mbakwe (from Alabama); RB Domonique Thomas; CB Sharif Denson (from Florida) ; EDGE Jonathan Maldonado (from Nevada); LB Keaton Thomas (from Baylor); CB Jay Crawford (from Auburn); OG PJ Wilkins   South Carolina: PK Peyton Argent; LB Jaron Willis; WR Emazon Littlejohn; DL Zavion Hardy; LB Jaron Willis; OT Mac Walters; OG Trovon Baugh; OT Cason Henry; WR Brian Rowe Jr.; QB Air Noland; OT Tree Babalade; EDGE Taeshawn Alston; DL Chase Kibble; OG Nick Sharpe; TE Michael Smith (to Syracuse) ; CB Myles Norwood; OG Rodney Newsom; OG Boaz Stanley; WR Vandrevious Jacobs; OT Josiah Thompson; EDGE Taeshon Alston; OT Campbell Vandiver; WR Jayden Gibson (from Oklahoma)   Tennessee: EDGE Kellen Lindstrom; DL Jamal Wallace; S Boo Carter; LB Brenden Anes; S Macus Goree Jr.; QB Jake Merklinger; RB Peyton Lewis; OT Trevor Duncan; DL Herb Gray; OG Max Anderson; WR Tommy Winton; OT Lance Heard; OT Bennett Warren (to Minnesota) ; CB Rickey Gibson; EDGE Amari Jefferson; EDGE Caleb Herring; PK Max Gilbert (to Arkansas) ; EDGE Emmanuel Okoye; EDGE Jayden Loften; S Qua Moss (from Kansas State); OG William Satterwhite; TE Richie Anderson (from Fresno State)   Texas: OG Connor Stroh (to Kansas) ; CB Santana Wilson; WR Aaron Butler; RB CJ Baxter; QB Trey Owens; PK Will Stone; RB Jerrick Gibson (to Purdue) ; S Derek Williams Jr.; CB Wardell Mack; DL Melvin Hills; LB Liona Lefau; RB Rickey Stewart Jr.; WR DeAndre Moore Jr.; RB Quintrevion Wisner; WR Parker Livingstone; DL Lavon Johnson; OG Neto Umeozulu; PK Will Stone; OG Nate Kibble; DL Ian Geffrard (from Arkansas); CB Caleb Chester (to Arizona State); OT Wes King (from Wyoming); P Mac Chiumento (from Florida State); PK Gianni Spetic (from Memphis)   Texas A&M: LS Shea Freibaum; LB Tristan Jernigan; CB Jayvon Thomas; S Jordan Pride; EDGE Solomon Williams (to California) ; EDGE Rylan Kennedy; TE Theo Melin Ohrstrom; S Bryce Anderson; QB Miles O’Neill; CB Cobey Sellers; TE Houston Thomas (from UT-San Antonio); OG Coen Echols (from LSU); S Tawfiq Byard (from Colorado); LB Ray Coney ( from Tulsa); P Truette Tumey; PK David Olano (from Illinois); WR Izaiah Williams (to Kansas State)   Vanderbilt: QB Drew Dickey (to Arkansas State) ; TE Maurice Veney; OT Misael Sandoval; QB Jeremy St. Hilaire; OG Cooper Starks; TE Witt Edwards; WR Boski Barrett; EDGE Jailen Ruth; WR Jeremiah Dillon; WR Chance Fitzgerald; DL Linus Zunk; WR Tre Richardson; TE Jayvontay Conner (from East Carolina)

Tommy Haugh slams home an alley oop (UAA Photo) In the latest episode of their very own adaptation of the movie “Groundhog Day,” the Florida Gators had another one of those games in which they turned a very winnable game with the Missouri Tigers into the fifth loss of the season. Like Florida’s four losses prior to Saturday night’s 76-74 flameout in Columbia, the Gators went through some unexplainable stretches in which shooting – or lack of – was almost the least of their worries.   (Order The Golden Season book by Franz Beard) At https://shop.spurriers.com/search?q=book&type=product%2carticle%2cpage We ship next day. ) The Gators lost by a combined 15 points to Arizona, TCU, Duke and UConn. The simplest of explanations for those four losses are all those missed 3-pointers (26-99, 26.26 percent). The Gators did themselves no favors against Missouri, which went zone a good portion of the game, almost daring Florida to win the game with outside shooting. The Gators began the game as if they were going to burn down the arena with their hot shooting, but after going 3-3 on 3-balls to start the game, the Gators went 4-24 the rest of the way.   “The zone bothered us a little bit and I think that probably took away a little bit of our ferociousness, our aggression,” Florida coach Todd Golden said.   So, shooting was indeed a problem, but so were the defensive lapses which let Missouri hit 5-11 of its threes in the first half including a bomb by Trent Burns that tied the score at 39-39 as time ran out. The three, aided by a moving pick by Jacob Crews that was conveniently overlooked by the zebra crew led by Don Daily, was the first and only 3-pointer of Burns’ career.   The Gators tightened up their 3-point defense in the second half – Missouri was just 3-11 – but starting with the first minute-and-a-half after the intermission there were far too many stretches when the Gators seemed to play defense flat footed and couldn’t get a hand in the face of a shooter but more importantly, couldn’t grab a rebound or run down a 50-50 ball.   In the first 7:20 of the second half, Missouri outscored the Gators 17-7 to take a 10-point lead at 56-46. While defense was a problem during this stretch, so was Florida’s inability to get the ball inside to big guys. Florida settled for threes, going 1-7 in the first seven minutes.   After falling behind by 10, it took nearly six minutes for the Gators to fight their way back into it, cutting the Missouri lead to 57-54 on a dunk by Tommy Haugh off a pass from Alex Condon. Missouri’s lead ballooned back up to eight but a fast break dunk by Condon, a driving layup by Boogie Fland and a 5-footer by Haugh off a Rueben Chinyelu pass narrowed it back down to two, 64-62, with 4:27 left.   The Gators took their first lead since the first half when Haugh loaded up a three from the right wing with 3:37 remaining to make it 65-64, but Missouri’s Trent Pierce got a second chance shot in the paint and one possession later, launched and nailed a wide open three. Florida kept coming back, cutting the Missouri lead to 71-69 on a pair of free throws by Fland with 48.9 seconds left and 3-point play on a driving layup and free throw by Haugh with five seconds left that brought the score to the final 76-74.   When the Tigers’ Mark Mitchell bricked two foul shots with 4.3 seconds remaining, the Gators still had life, but Fland’s last second heave from just inside halfcourt hit the rim.   The comeback was almost the prescription the Gators have waited to be filled all season long, but like their four previous close calls, it wasn’t to be. This was a loss that left a sour taste not so much because of the shooting since that has been problematic all season, but all those missed opportunities to secure a rebound or take possession of a 50-50 ball. Also all the fouls that sent Missouri to the line for 30 free throws. Fortunately for the Gators, Mizzou misfired 12 times, which aided the comeback attempt. Of course, the Tigers made 18. Florida, on the other hand, shot 20 foul shots and made 15.   Technically speaking, the three extra makes at the foul line gave Missouri the final margin but it was more than that. The Gators came into the game the nation’s No. 1 rebounding team, but the final totals were 37 rebounds apiece. Some of that had to do with the zone, but some of it was Florida’s lapses of aggression on the backboards.   “We were playing on our heels a little bit against the zone, and we weren't able to get six feet in the paint, which is something that we strive to do on every possession,” Golden said. “That was kind of the main thing for me. I thought that prevented us from getting more. We got 13 offensive rebounds. My bigger frustration was on the defensive glass. We gave up 11 [offensive rebounds], and I think seven in the second half and some big ones that really cost us.”   Missouri’s success with the zone is likely to be repeated over the 17 SEC games remaining on the schedule the next two months as opponents figure to go heavy zone. Teams will dare the Gators to make shots and if the shots aren’t falling, it will be up to the Gators to win the battle on the backboards and dominate the paint.     Until they make shots and dominate in the paint, Florida’s version of “Groundhog Day” is likely to continue. There is no question the Gators have the talent to be the best team in the Southeastern Conference, but they have to make shots, avoid the defensive lapses and above all else, win the rebounding battle.   Game notes: The Gators already have more losses (5) in 14 games than they had in 40 when they won the NCAA championship a year ago with a 36-4 record … Haugh finished with a game-high 24 points. He was 2-9 from the field in the first half, but went 7-11 in the final 20 minutes. He finished the game with seven rebounds and an assist  … Despite foul trouble that included three of the offensive variety, Condon had 14 points, five rebounds and six assists … Xaivian Lee scored 11. Chinyelu had eight points, eight rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot … Micah Handlogten scored four points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots.   Next up for the Gators is Georgia (13-1, 1-0 SEC) Tuesday night at the O-Dome.   SEC BASKETBALL Saturday’s scores No. 11 Vanderbilt (14-0, 1-0 SEC) 83, South Carolina (10-4, 0-1 SEC) 71: Tyler Tanner scored 19 points including 10-10 from the foul line to lead five Vandy players in double figures as the Commodores remained the only unbeaten team in the SEC. Tanner also had 14 assists. Elijah Strong led South Carolina with 17.   No. 14 Alabama (11-3, 1-0 SEC) 89, Kentucky (9-5, 0-1 SEC) 73: The difference in this game was at the 3-point line where Alabama hit 15-38 while holding Kentucky to 4-19. Aden Holloway, who hit 6-8 of his threes, led the Crimson Tide with 26 points. Otega Oweh led Kentucky with 22.   No. 18 Arkansas (11-3, 1-0 SEC) 86, No. 19 Tennessee (10-4, 0-1 SEC) 75: The freshman duo of Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas combined for 47 points to lead the Razorbacks. Acuff  had 29 points, three rebounds, four assists, one steal and one blocked shot. Thomas, who hit 3-4 of his 3-pointers, had 18 points, three rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots. Tennessee, which was led by Amari Evans’ 16 points, was only 12-23 from the foul line.   No. 23 Georgia (13-1) 104, Auburn (9-5) 100, OT: Jeremiah Wilkinson hit two critical threes in overtime as Georgia held on to get the win. Wilkinson, who scored 31, hit 4-10 of his threes, while Smurf Millender went 5-7 from the 3-point line as part of a 22-point effort. Auburn was led by Tahaad Pettiford, who scored 25.   Texas A&M (11-3, 1-0 SEC) 75, LSU (12-2, 0-1 SEC) 72: Rashaun Agee scored 15 points and grabbed 22 rebounds for the Aggies, who had four double figures scorers. LSU played without leading scorer Dedan Thomas Jr., who suffered an injury in practice. The Tigers were led by Mike Nwoko, who scored 21, and Max MacKinnon, who had 20.   Oklahoma (11-3, 1-0 SEC) 86, Ole Miss (8-6, 0-1 SEC) 70: Xzavier Brown hit 3-3 from the 3-point line while scoring 23 points and Mohamed Wague had 10 points, 15 rebounds and three blocked shots to lead Oklahoma. Patton Pinkins led Ole Miss with 25 points.   Mississippi State (9-5) 101, Texas (9-5) 98, OT: Josh Hubbard’s two free throws in overtime sealed Mississippi State’s win over Texas. Of Hubbard’s 38 points, 12 came from the foul line on 15 shots. For Texas, Dailyn Swain scored 34 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.   Tuesday’s games No. 23 Georgia (13-1) at No. 22 FLORIDA (9-5) Texas (9-5) at No. 19 Tennessee (10-4) South Carolina (9-5) at LSU (12-2) Texas A&M (11-3) at Auburn (9-5)   Wednesday’s games No. 14 Alabama (11-3) at No. 11 Vanderbilt (14-0) No. 18 Arkansas (11-3) at Ole Miss (8-6) Missouri (11-3) at Kentucky (9-5) th th Oklahoma (11-3) at Mississippi State (9-5)