(Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts for Tuesday afternoon: Jon Sumrall and new defensive coordinator Brad White got a second helping of good news when linebacker Aaron Chiles (51 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 pass breakup) announced Tuesday that he will be returning for his junior year. With the announced return of linebacker Jaden Robinson (49 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 pass breakups) on Monday and the announcement a week ago that leading tackler Myles Graham (76 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 pass breakups) is returning, Sumrall and White will have three experienced and very capable linebackers to anchor a defense that expects to improve on last year’s 13 th -place ranking (376.8 yards, 24 points) in the Southeastern Conference.   Also on Tuesday, defensive end/EDGE LJ McCray and center/offensive guard Jason Zandamela announced they will be returning. Wide receiver TJ Abrams (14 catches, 202 yards) announced last week that he’s returning. Expected to return are wide receivers Vernell Brown III (40 catches, 512 yards) and Dallas Wilson (12 catches, 174 yards, 3 TDs).   Gator fans continue to hold their collective breath over the status of running back Jadan Baugh (1,170 yards, 8 TDs), who will be meeting Wednesday in Atlanta (his hometown) with Sumrall and other members of the Florida coaching staff.   Front office/coaching staff so far   General manager: Dave Caldwell (from Philadelphia Eagles) Chief of staff: Cole Heard (from Tulane) Director of football operations: Jeremiah Cartwright (from Tulane)   Offensive staff Coordinator: Buster Faulkner (from Georgia Tech) Quarterbacks: Joe Craddock (from Tulane) Wide receivers: Marcus Davis (Auburn) Running backs: To be determined O-line: Phil Trautwein (from Penn State)   Defensive staff Coordinator: Brad White (from Kentucky) D-line/Assistant head coach: Gerald Chatman (retained from UF) Outside linebackers/EDGE: Bam Hardmon (from Tulane) Inside linebackers: Greg Gasparato (from Tulane) Secondary/nickels: Dae’One Wilkinson (former UF analyst) Secondary/corners: Brandon Harris (from UCF) Secondary/safeties: Chris Collins (from Kentucky)   Special teams Coordinator: Johnathan Galante (from Tulane)   Strength and conditioning Coordinator: Rusty Whitt (from Tulane) Associate director player performance: Jesse Ackerman (retained from UF)   Analysts/Coaching support staff H-backs: Dylan Dockery (from Georgia Tech) Assistant quarterbacks: A.J. Erdely (from Georgia Tech) Assistant O-line: Mike Polly (from Georgia Tech) Quality control/O-line: Emil Ekiyor (from Georgia Tech) Quality control/assistant running backs: Ryan Goede (from Georgia Tech)   GATORS MOVE UP TO NO. 22 IN AP BASKETBALL POLL The Gators are the only 4-loss team in the latest Associated Press poll. At 8-4, Florida still has an impressive resume with close call losses to No. 1 Arizona, No. 4 UConn and No. 6 Duke (No. 3 when the Gators played), all of them away from Gainesville. The Gators are off for Christmas and won’t play again until Monday when they host Dartmouth, the last non-conference game of the season. The Gators will open Southeastern Conference play on January 3 at Missouri.   Associated Press top 25 (SEC teams boldface): 1. Arizona 11-0; 2. Michigan 11-0; 3. Iowa State 12-0; 4. UConn 12-1; 5. Purdue 11-1; 6. Duke 11-1; 7. Gonzaga 12-1; 8. Houston 11-1; 9. Michigan State 11-1; 10. BYU 11-1; 11. Vanderbilt 12-0; 12. North Carolina 11-1; 13. Nebraska 12-0; 14. Alabama 9-3; 15. Texas Tech 9-3; 16. Louisville 10-2; 17. Kansas. 9-3; 18. Arkansas 9-3; 19. Tennessee 9-3; 20. Illinois 8-3; 21. Virginia 10-1; 22. FLORIDA 8-4; 23. Georgia 10-1; 24. Southern California 12-1; 25. Iowa 10-2   Coaches top 25: 1. Arizona 11-0; 2. Michigan 11-0; 3. Iowa State 12-0; 4. UConn 12-1; 5. Purdue 11-1; 6. Duke 11-1; 7. Gonzaga 12-1; 8. Houston 11-1; 9. Michigan State 11-1; 10. BYU 11-1; 11. Vanderbilt 12-0; 12. North Carolina 11-1; 13. Nebraska 12-0; 14. Alabama 9-3; 15. Texas Tech 9-3; 16. Louisville 10-2; 17. Kansas 9-3; 18. Arkansas 9-3; 19. Tennessee 9-3; 20. Illinois 8-3; 21. Virginia 10-1; 22. FLORIDA 8-4; 23. Georgia 10-1; 24. Southern California 12-1; 25. Iowa 10-2   SEC teams at kenpom.com analytics (December 23): 8. Vanderbilt 12-0; 12. FLORIDA 8-4; 15. Tennessee 9-3; 17. Alabama 9-3; 19. Kentucky 8-4; 24. Georgia 10-1; 27. Arkansas 9-3; 37. Auburn 8-4; 40. LSU 10-1; 47. Texas 8-4; 49. Texas A&M 9-3; 63. Missouri 10-2; 50. Oklahoma 8-3; 60. Ole Miss 7-5; 63. Missouri 10-2; 87. Mississippi State 7-5; 92. South Carolina 7-4   SEC BASKETBALL Monday’s games No. 23 Georgia (11-1) 103, West Georgia (6-6) 74: Six Georgia players scored in double figures led by Blue Cain with 20. Georgia outrebounded West Georgia, 55-35.   No. 20 Illinois (9-3) 91, Missouri (10-3) 48: Missouri was outscored by 27 points (45-18) from the 3-point line by Illinois. Sebastian Mack came off the bench to score 17 for Missouri.   LSU (11-1) 104, Prairie View A&M (5-7) 90: Marquel Sutton and Dedan Thomas Jr. each scored 21 in a game that took forever to finish. LSU shot 49 free throws (made 43) and Prairie View was 26-28.   Texas (8-4) 94, Maryland-Eastern Shore (4-12) 71: Matas Vokietaitis scored 22 points and Jordan Pope 21 as the Longhorns won in a rout. Texas was aided by 42 free throws (21 for UMES).   Oklahoma (9-3) 107, Stetson (4-9) 54: All five Oklahoma starters scored in double figures led by Derrion Reid’s 22. The Sooners shot 68 percent from the field overall and 50 percent (12-24) from the 3-point line.   South Carolina (8-4) 95: South Carolina State (1-13) 70: South Carolina outrebounded South Carolina State, 36-22, and outscored the visitors from the MEAC by 22 at the foul line. Five Gamecocks scored in double figures.   AS THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PORTAL TURNS      Alabama: WR Aeryn Hampton; TE Josh Ford (from Oklahoma State)   Arkansas: OT Shaq McRoy; CB Keshawn Davila; LB Tavion Wallace; DL Ian Geffrard   Auburn: CB A’mon Lane-Ganus; 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; DL Amaris Williams; LB Jamonta Walker; DL Malik Blocton; PK Towns McGough; QB Ashton Daniels; CB Kayin Lee   FLORIDA: QB DJ Lagway; S Jordan Castell; TE Amir Jackson; RB KD Daniels; WR Muizz Tounkara; DL Tavorise Brown; S Teddy Foster; WR Aidan Mizell; S Josiah Davis; CB Jameer Grimsley; LB Grayson Howard; WR Tank Hawkins; OT Marcus Mascoll; DT Michai Boireau; TE Hayden Handsen; OT Enoch Wangoy; WR Naeshaun Montgomery; OT Noel Portnjagin   Georgia: TE Pearce Spurlin III; CB Daniel Harris   Kentucky: EDGE Landyn Watson; EDGE Steven Soles; WR David Washington Jr.; WR Preston Bowman   LSU: RB Ju’Juan Johnson; DL Ahmad Breaux; CB Ashton Stamps; WR Jelani Watkins; WR Khylan Billiot; DL Sydir Mitchell; RB Kaleb Jackson; OG Carius Curne; QB Colin Hurley; OG Coen Echols   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   Missouri: RB Marquise Davis; RB Brendon Haygood; WR James Madison II; S Caleb Flagg; OG Nick Sharpe; TE Michael Smith; WR Josh Manning; EDGE Javion Hilson; WR Marquis Johnson; OG Henry Fenuku; QB Beau Pribula   Oklahoma: WR Jayden Gibson; CB Kendel Colby; TE Kaden Helms; LB Kobie McKenzie; OG Jacob Sexton   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; QB Air Noland; OT Tree Babalade   Tennessee: EDGE Kellen Lindstrom; DL Jamal Wallace; S Boo Carter; LB Brenden Anes; S Macus Goree; QB Jake Merklinger; RB Peyton Lewis; OT Trevor Duncan   Texas: OG Connor Stroh; CB Santana Wilson; WR Aaron Butler; RB CJ Baxter; QB Trey Owens; PK Will Stone; RB Jerrick Gibson; S Derek Williams Jr.; CB Wardell Mack; DL Melvin Hills; LB Liona Lefau; RB Rickey Stewart Jr.; WR DeAndre Moore Jr.   Texas A&M: LS Shea Freibaum; LB Tristan Jernigan   Vanderbilt: QB Drew Dickey; TE Maurice Veney; OT Misael Sandoval; QB Jeremy St. Hilaire; OG Cooper Starks; TE Witt Edwards; WR Boski Barrett; EDGE Jailen Ruth   ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: There has to be a better way of dealing with coaching changes, the transfer portal and the College Football Playoff. I’m not at all sure what the answers are, but we have a mess on our hands that needs to be resolved. College football as we know it is barely recognizable due to inept leadership and management. It isn’t all the fault of the NCAA, which, in its infinite wisdom shouldn’t be in charge of anything except running tournaments in sports other than college football. The NCAA does a dandy job of putting on basketball tournaments, the College World Series, and championships for gymnastics, volleyball, softball, track and field, and swimming. Otherwise, the NCAA is completely inept.   We have coaching searches and coaching changes going on that make fired coaches rich and give new coaches a shot at jobs that in many cases they only dreamed about. We have a governor of a state complaining about the amount of money coaches make and their huge buyouts signing off on Lane Kiffin’s 7-year deal worth $91 million at LSU. Meanwhile, the kids who played for Kiffin at Ole Miss think their head coach betrayed them. Some coaches like Jon Sumrall (Tulane to Florida) and Bob Chesney (James Madison) to UCLA left their programs on good terms, but they are the rarity.   We have play for pay. What happens a star wide receiver making $750,000 a year in NIL money threatens to go on strike if the head coach doesn’t fire the assistant who’s supposed to be coaching him up? Don’t think it could happen? Brace yourself because it’s going to if it hasn’t already.   The portal has no guidelines which is why TJ Finley has played six years of college football for five different schools (LSU, Auburn, Texas State, Western Kentucky, Georgia State) and is petitioning to play a seventh year at a sixth school. Don’t bet against him getting a waiver.   Resolving transfer and portal issues shouldn’t be difficult if some common sense is applied, but since when does the NCAA have common sense? I think players should be allowed one transfer, otherwise they have to sit a year. If they transfer and they’re still taking remedial courses or their GPA is less than 2.5, then they should be required to sit a year.   The playoff? Isn’t it time to give the Group of Five their own playoff? Their teams could still play paycheck games during the regular season with the power conferences, but at the end of the year, give them their own playoff. The power conferences need to demand Notre Dame join a conference if it intends to participate in the playoff and share the money.   How about making college football autonomous? Take away all NCAA control and let the football schools make their own rules, hire their own commissioner and enforce them.   Do I think any of this will happen? It’s Christmas. I’m entitled to think wishfully.

it was the happiest of days when George Sumrall got to see his son landing as new Gator coach (Family photo) When you lose your father, you become the anchor for the entire family . EDITOR’S NOTE: Jon Sumrall's father, George Sumrall, passed away at 77 on Thursday, December 18, 2025, in his sleep after health issues, just a day before Tulane's College Football Playoff game, a loss Jon shared on social media, honoring his father as a fighter and great example of faith and hard work.  He posted on social media about his father being a fighter and a man of faith, grit, and hard work, and expressed gratitude for the time they had. Our sincerest condolences. Competitors hate to lose, often more than they love to win. If there is one thing we know about Florida’s new football coach,is he is a competitor. And it is apparent that he hates to lose.  Everyone else may have known that Tulane had a snowball’s chance in South Florida to beat Ole Miss on Saturday. My guess is that there were a lot of people in that hotel and bus ride to the stadium wearing green that believed they could do the impossible. Most of it infused by the man at the front of the first bus.  The game went as expected. Tulane was overwhelmed, over matched, and had only a puncher’s chance at a win that evaporated with the first turnover. The loss stung. Every loss stings to a competitor. When it doesn’t, it’s time to give up the game! The final game for some including the head coach makes that feeling magnified. But losing a game wasn’t the most devastating one experienced over the weekend by Coach Sumrall. His father lost his battle with his health on Thursday night. Losing your father is one of the most devastating losses a man can suffer.  When you lose your father, you become the anchor for the entire family. There is added pressure to take care of your mom along with your own family. And if you had a good or great relationship with your dad, you are dealing with your own incredible sense of loss. Those of you that have experienced this loss know the toll it takes on you. Now imagine dealing with that loss in front of the world and trying to get a team ready for the biggest game in the program’s history and trying to get a new team ready to play next year by working out who is going to stay and who you need to get in the transfer portal. I certainly can’t imagine what that level of stress is like, can you? So, if Coach Sumrall is quiet for a few days during the Christmas season, let’s give him some grace and some space. The last thing he needs to be worried about now is how to appease a fan base. Let’s show him that in all kinds of weather we all stick together isn’t just a line in a song, but what he and his family can expect from real Gator fans.

After a brutally tough week, the new Gator football coach begins new era

Rueben Chinyelu (9) powers up after a rebound (Photo by Chris Spears) Twelve seconds into Florida’s Sunday afternoon matchup with Colgate at the O-Dome, Alex Condon had a show and tell moment. After setting a pick for Boogie Fland, Condon drifted right at the top of the key where he got a return pass. He was wide open, plenty of time to load up a 3-pointer. Colgate’s Andrew Alekseyenko made a token effort to get a hand in Condon’s face.   Basically, Colgate was conceding the three to Condon and why not? Coming into the game the 6-11 junior was just 2-20 shooting the 3-ball. Condon buried the shot. Fluke? Well, with 6:40 remaining, Condon hit a second 3-pointer. He was 2-3 for the game, part of a 16-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist and 2-block day as the 23 rd -ranked Gators improved to 8-4 with a 90-60 win over the Raiders (6-6).   That Condon not only didn’t hesitate to launch threes but knocked them down is a rather good sign that this Florida basketball team is coming together at the right time. The Gators have only one more non-conference game – Dartmouth on December 29 – before they begin the 18-game SEC gauntlet on the road at Missouri January 3. It has been a journey just to get to this point with an 8-4 record. Rather than load up on pansies and home games, Todd Golden and the Gators embarked on one of the nation’s toughest schedules. Only 16 points separates Florida from a 12-0 record.   All four losses are away from the friendly confines of the O-Dome and they include a 6-point loss to No. 1 Arizona in the season opener in Las Vegas; a 1-point loss to No. 3 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium; and a 4-point loss to No. 5 UConn at Madison Square Garden. The fourth loss to a very good TCU team was by four in San Diego.   These were four very winnable games but adjusting to a new backcourt, turnovers and rotten shooting turned wins into gut-wrenching losses. A season ago, Florida’s calling card was making the big play to pull out a white knuckles win. In the four losses so far, the Gators have shown the capability of going toe-to-toe with the best teams in the country but they’ve come up short at crunch time. Despite the losses, it is obvious that the Gators are a team that will have to be reckoned with, particularly when the conference schedule begins.   Tommy Haugh believes the adversity the Gators have dealt with is good preparation for what is ahead.   “ I think we're a lot more mature and we're tested,” Haugh said after scoring 17 against Colgate, his 11 th game in double figures. “We went into Madison Square Garden played UConn; we went into Duke and almost beat them there. So, we'll go through those games and see how we do. We're gonna get over that hump in SEC play. I’m confident in this team and it was great for us to go do that and get through those challenges.”   Haugh made a seamless move from a backup post on last year’s NCAA championship team to a hybrid wing/post capable of playing four positions. He is Florida’s most consistent player at both ends of the court. UConn coach Dan Hurley went so far as to call Haugh “a first team All-American” and “a lottery pick.”     Haugh is a plug and play guy who adjusts to whatever role is needed every single game. Condon, Rueben Chinyelu and Micah Handlogten give the Gators what most experts believe as good a three-man rotation of bigs as there is in the country. Against Colgate, Chinyelu had 16 points, 12 rebounds and a steal. Handlogten came off the bench to deliver five points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.   It is no surprise how well Florida’s big guys play. The struggles have been in transitioning from a national championship backcourt (Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin) that now plies its trade in the NBA to newbies Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland, who seem to have gotten beyond the early struggles that had so much to do with the losses to Arizona, TCU, Duke and UConn. Turnover and shooting issues have given way to more consistent play at both ends of the court as they have adjusted to new teammates, a new offense and new defensive responsibilities.   The Colgate game was indicative of how both Lee and Fland grow confidently. Both played at a very high level. Lee, who transferred in from Princeton, led the Gators with 19 points, the fifth time in the last six games that he’s been the team’s leading scorer. He also had two rebounds, three assists and two steals while playing turnover-free. Fland had seven points, two rebounds, three assists and two steals. As a defender, Fland totally disrupted Colgate’s offense, especially the Raiders’ leading scorer Jalen Cox. Cox was held to 10 points, a full six below his average.   Golden, who has waited patiently for Lee and Fland to take their games to a higher level, never lacked confidence that they would come around.   “It’s just a function of reps and a function of getting through our schedule a little bit and just competing,” Golden said. “We knew it was gonna take a little time. We had that group last year together – well Walt and Will for a couple of years, and you know, these guys are new coming into our program. Boog’s young – only 19 – and Zay Lee is coming in from the Ivy League. Obviously, this is the new level. We knew it was going to take some time for these guys to get super, super comfortable, but they’ve been much better over the last couple of weeks.”   Against Colgate, the Gators dominated the rebounding (49-22) which was to be expected. The Gators turned 20 offensive rebounds into 22 points and held a 48-16 advantage in the paint. About the only place the Raiders had success was the 3-point line where they hit 11-17 shots.   The Raiders aren’t the level of competition the Gators will face in the SEC, but they are a good team that will challenge for the Patriot League championship and could easily make the NCAA Tournament. Still, this was a good final game before the Christmas break and a good game to evaluate the progress of the team since the season opener back in early November.   Asked how he views the Gators’ development from the season opener until the win over Colgate, Golden responded, “I think, you know, multiple guys are getting more comfortable. The  obvious one for me is obviously Zay [Xaivian] Lee’s playing really well and started shooting the ball well, started scoring it for us. You know, this is another game where he's had multiple assists, zero turnovers, and so that's giving us a big lift. Our guards, I think, are playing better and more comfortably, and I thought Micah [Handlogten] gave us really good minutes today. I just think we're getting more comfortable. This is the best way I can answer that question. Looking forward to coming back playing Dartmouth and then getting an SEC play and see how we look against some better competition.”   GAME NOTES: Although the Gators had nine turnovers, they only committed four in the first 36 minutes of the game. Backups committed five turnovers in the final four minutes … There was another Olivier Rioux sighting. Rioux got in the last minute or so of the game, grabbed a rebound and was charged with a foul … The Gators hit 32-62 of their shots overall (51.6 percent) and 33 percent (8-24) from the 3-point line … Urban Klavzar came off the bench to score eight points including six on a pair of 3-pointers … Florida has won 18 straight non-conference games at home … Colgate managed only 12-38 on 2-point shots.   SEC BASKETBALL Sunday’s games No. 13 Vanderbilt (12-0) 98, Wake Forest (9-4) 67: Tyler Nickell hit 8-10 of his 3-pointers and Vandy was 16-32 on threes. With 26 points, Nickell was one of five Vandy players in double figures.   No. 16 Alabama (9-3) 92, Kennesaw State (8-4) 81: Aiden Sherrell led Alabama with 21 points, while Labaron Philon Jr. and Aden Holloway scored 17 each.   No. 20 Tennessee (9-3) 94, Gardner-Webb (2-13) 52: An easy win for Tennessee, which was led by Ja’Kobi Gillespie with 15 points, three rebounds and nine assists.   Texas A&M (9-3) 118, East Texas A&M (6-6) 77: The 118 points were the third highest scoring total in Aggie history. Thirteen Aggies scored led by Rashaun Agee who had 21 to go with eight rebounds.   North Carolina State (9-4) 76, Ole Miss (7-5) 62: The Rebels hit only 8-30 from the 3-point line and were outrebounded by North Carolina State. Malik Dia had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Ole Miss.   Monday’s games West Georgia at No. 25 Georgia (10-1) South Carolina State (1-12) at South Carolina (7-4) Prairie View A&M at LSU (10-1) Missouri (10-2) at No. 18 Illinois (8-3) Maryland (4-12) at Texas (8-4)

Jon Sumrall’s tenure as Tulane’s head football coach came to abrupt end Saturday afternoon at the hands of Ole Miss, 41-10, in Oxford. It was the second time the two teams had met and the outcome was similar. Ole Miss won the first game , 45-10, but that was when Lane Kiffin was the Rebels’ head coach and Sumrall wasn’t even on the Florida coaching radar.   After dealing with the death and funeral of his father and Christmas, Sumrall will be completing his coaching staff, dealing with players still undecided about entering the transfer portal and making sure the Gators have targeted players of need who are entering the portal from other schools. Reports from various sources indicate that Sumrall has pretty much found his assistant coaches but that situation is fluid as we will discover in the next several days.   Sixteen members of the 2025 Gators have already entered the transfer portal. It wouldn’t be a surprise if that number swells by 10-15 more. With quarterback DJ Lagway off to the portal and Tramell Jones Jr. as the only scholarship quarterback on the roster, at least one veteran quarterback will have to be found in the portal. The Gators did sign 4-star Will McBride from Tampa Jesuit a couple of weeks ago. Tackles on both sides of the ball will be a priority and Sumrall has to find depth at linebacker and the secondary.   How the coaching staff is shaping up: Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks: Buster Faulkner (formerly Georgia Tech) Running backs: Chad Scott (formerly Texas) or Derrick Nix (formerly Auburn) Wide receivers: Marcus Davis (formerly Auburn) Offensive line: Phil Trautwein (formerly Penn State) Defensive coordinator/inside linebackers: Brad White (formerly Kentucky) Defensive line/assistant head coach: Gerald Chatman (Florida holdover) Outside linebackers: Bam Hardmon (formerly Tulane) Corners: Brandon Harris (formerly UCF) Nickels: Dae’one Wilkins (internal promotion, Florida analyst) Safeties: Chris Collins (formerly Kentucky)   COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF First round games No. 5 Oregon (12-1) 51, No. 12 James Madison (12-2) 34 No. 6 Ole Miss (12-1) 41, No. 11 Tulane (11-3) 10 No. 10 Miami (11-2) 10, No. 7 Texas A&M (11-2) 3 No. 9 Alabama (11-3) 34, No. 8 Oklahoma (10-3) 24   Quarterfinal games December 31 No. 10 Miami (11-2) vs. No. 2 Ohio State (12-1), Cotton Bowl   January 1 No. 9 Alabama (11-3) vs. No. 1 Indiana (13-0), Rose Bowl No. 5 Oregon (12-1) vs. No. 4 Texas Tech (12-1), Orange Bowl No. 6 Ole Miss (12-1) vs. No. 3 Georgia (12-1), Sugar Bowl   PLAYOFF THOUGHTS The blowout first round losses by Tulane and James Madison will have the whiners at Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Texas and BYU blasting the system in the next few days, but before they complain they should take a look in the mirror. They voted for the playoff system that we have in place. If they don’t like it, think it’s too restrictive and shouldn’t include any team from the Group of Five, then they have only themselves to blame. If they weren't prepared for the consequences, they shouldn't have voted for the format.   As for Notre Dame, it is well past time to put an end to the special status it enjoys. If everybody else has to deal with conference schedules, conference championship games, etc., then Notre Dame should not be exempted.     There will be new rules next year and beyond that, expansion is certain but whether it’s to 14 teams or 16 is still up for debate. If it’s 14, then Tony Petiti, the commissioner of the Big Ten, wants guarantees – a minimum of four each from the Big Ten and SEC with the other six spots broken up between the ACC, Big 12, Notre Dame and one from the Group of Five. The Group of Five doesn’t want that, but neither does the SEC. SEC commish Greg Sankey says he’s happy with 12, but if there is expansion he’s expected to favor a 16-team model that includes no guarantees, just the conference champs and the best at-large teams.   How the teams are selected promises to be a heated debate. The committee approach that gave us this year’s 12 teams hasn’t a lot of supporters, but do we want computers making the decisions? There has to be a better way of doing things, but nobody seems to have come up with a solution that seems practical enough for majority approval.     Unfortunately, much of the decision will rest more with the television networks but even that promises to be . Does college football wish to continue with ESPN/ABC/Disney making the decisions about the playoff or should it be put up to a bid that would include Fox, CBS, NBC and cable giants like Amazon and YouTube?   TEXAS HIRES WILL MUSCHAMP AS DC Steve Sarkisian is serious about bringing a national championship to Austin, which is why he hired Will Muschamp to replace Pete Kwiatkowski as the defensive coordinator. Texas ranked ninth in the SEC (38 th nationally) in total defense (335.7 yards per game) and 12 th in the league in pass defense. Muschamp is a noted defensive guru, who last coached on the field for Kirby Smart at Georgia in 2021-22. Georgia won back-to-back national championships those two years. The Poodles didn’t make the College Football Playoff in 2023 and lost to Notre Dame in the 2024 playoff.   Muschamp was the head coach in waiting at Texas when he accepted the Florida head coaching job in 2011. In four years at UF, Muschamp was 28-21. In five years as the head coach at South Carolina he was 28-30.   This is the second serious hire by Sarkisian, whose new running backs coach is former Gator assistant Jabar Juluke, whose relationship with Jadan Baugh could lure the stud running back to Austin.   SEC FOOTBALL Alabama: Alabama’s stunning come-from-behind win over Oklahoma should end all speculation that Kalen DeBoer has one foot out the door and Michigan on his mind … Co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan is expected to take the offensive coordinator job at Michigan State.   Arkansas: Ryan Silverfield’s staff will include Marcus Johnson (OL), Clint Trickett (OC/QB), Morgan Turner (TE) and DeRon Wilson (Co-DC/secondary).   Auburn: Alex Golesh is lining up an impressive defensive staff. In addition to keeping DJ Durkin as his coordinator, he’s bringing in former Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks to coach the safeties and former Mississippi State defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler to coach the EDGE rushers. On the offensive side, Larry Porter has been hired to coach running backs and former Howard head coach Larry Scott will coach the tight ends.   Georgia: No. 3 seed Georgia has already been established as 6.5-point favorite to beat No. 6 seed Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff  quarterfinal in the Sugar Bowl.   Kentucky: Will Stein has hired Joe Sloan, formerly of LSU, to coach quarterbacks and coordinate the offense. Also Kolby Smith has departed Arkansas to coach Kentucky running backs … Former running backs coach and special teams coordinator Jay Boulware is going to West Virginia to work for Rich Rodriguez.   LSU: Lane Kiffin is trying to poach Sterling Lucas of South Carolina to become his defensive line coach.   Missouri: Eli Drinkwitz is hiring Tennessee director of player personnel Jake Breske and Auburn assistant GM Ryan Smith … Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey is expected to be hired to replace Kirby Moore, who left to be Washington State’s head coach.      Oklahoma: Linebacker Taylor Heinecke is appealing to the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility. Heinecke spent his freshman year at Ohio State where he played lacrosse but that counts against the NCAA 5-year eligibility rule.   Ole Miss: The Rebels will face No. 3 seed Georgia in the second round of the College Football Playoff at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans after dusting Tulane, 41-10, Saturday … Pete Golding is hiring East Carolina’s John David Baker as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. Former LSU interim head coach Frank Wilson has been hired to coach the running backs.   Texas A&M: Marcel Reed threw two interceptions including one in the end zone with just seconds remaining in the game and the Aggies ran for only 89 yards on 35 carries in the 10-3 loss to Miami in the first round of the College Football Playoff.   MICHIGAN’S DILEMMA Michigan’s short list grew even shorter Friday. Scratch Kalen DeBoer. He will be coaching another week at Alabama thanks to the win over Oklahoma. Also, scratch Kenny Dillingham. He just signed a five-year extension to stay at Arizona State with a raise to $7.5 million and much more money for assistants.   So, where does that leave Michigan? Running out of options, that’s where, but not completely. Jedd Fisch’s name will probably be heard but he’s got a good thing going at Washington. A name that might get significant mention is former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. He has no buyout, not even a hint of a scandal in 21 seasons as a head coach and two unbeaten seasons.   AS THE PORTAL TURNS Alabama: WR Aeryn Hampton; TE Josh Ford (from Oklahoma State)   Arkansas: OT Shaq McRoy; CB Keshawn Davila; LB Tavion Wallace   Auburn: CB A’mon Lane-Ganus; 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; DL Amaris Williams; LB Jamonta Walker; DL Malik Blocton; PK Towns McGough   FLORIDA: QB DJ Lagway; S Jordan Castell; TE Amir Jackson; RB KD Daniels; WR Muizz Tounkara; DL Tavorise Brown; S Teddy Foster; WR Aidan Mizell; S Josiah Davis; CB Jameer Grimsley; LB Grayson Howard; WR Tank Hawkins; OT Marcus Mascoll; DT Michai Boireau; TE Hayden Handsen; OT Enoch Wangoy   Georgia: TE Pearce Spurlin III; CB Daniel Harris   Kentucky: EDGE Landyn Watson; EDGE Steven Soles; WR David Washington Jr.; WR Preston Bowman   LSU: RB Ju’Juan Johnson; DL Ahmad Breaux; CB Ashton Stamps; WR Jelani Watkins; WR Khylan Billiot; DL Sydir Mitchell; RB Kaleb Jackson; OG Carius Curne; QB Colin Hurley   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   Missouri: RB Marquise Davis; RB Brendon Haygood; WR James Madison II; S Caleb Flagg; OG Nick Sharpe; TE Michael Smith; WR Josh Manning; EDGE Javion Hilson; WR Marquis Johnson; OG Henry Fenuku; QB Beau Pribula   Oklahoma: WR Jayden Gibson; CB Kendel Colby   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   Tennessee: EDGE Kellen Lindstrom; DL Jamal Wallace; S Boo Carter; LB Brenden Anes; S Marcus Goree; QB Jake Merklinger   Texas: OG Connor Stroh; CB Santana Wilson; WR Aaron Butler; RB CJ Baxter; QB Trey Owens; PK Will Stone; RB Jerrick Gibson; S Derek Williams Jr.; CB Wardell Mack; DL Melvin Hills; LB Liona Lefau; RB Rickey Stewart Jr.   Texas A&M: LS Shea Freibaum   Vanderbilt: QB Drew Dickey; TE Maurice Veney; OT Misael Sandoval; QB Jeremy St. Hilaire; OG Cooper Starks; TE Witt Edwards

Micah Handlogten finishes with a dunk (UAA Photo) The Gators (7-4) won a nothing to prove game at the O-Dome Wednesday night. Beating Saint Francis was almost a given, the final margin 102-61 irrelevant. Had Todd Golden played his starters more – none of them played more than 25 minutes – it would have been dial-a-score. To the announced crowd of 9,023 and perhaps the starters watching the last minutes from the bench the most exciting moment came with 42 seconds left when Olivier Rioux took a bounce pass from CJ Ingram and dunked while barely leaving his feet becoming the tallest (he’s 7-9) player to ever make a basket in college basketball history.   That the Gators were going to win this game was about the closest thing you’ll ever get to a mortal lock. Still it was good to be back home for the first time in nearly a month and after slogging their way through a brutal schedule, the Gators needed a punching bag to take out their frustrations. Saint Francis complied and the Gators did their part by making 58.1 percent of their shots and 37 percent from the 3-point line. Defensively, they held the Red Flash to 39.7 percent overall and 3-16 (18.8 percent) from the 3-point line.   “Obviously a game that we expected to win coming into it and a big part of the message to the guys was taking advantage of the opportunity to compete, back in our home gym,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “We haven’t been here for a while and just make sure that we take advantage of the opportunity. I thought we did that. We didn’t play great, but systematically pretty well. I thought we defended pretty well, held them under 40 percent from the field. Only gave up three makes behind the line. Kept them off the foul line. Rebounded well, plus-24 there. Had some late turnovers that were more a function of just kind of some goofy lineups that probably aren’t used to playing a whole lot together. But I thought overall our ball handling was pretty good, so we’ll take it, and you know big picture-wise, didn’t have to play anyone more than 25 minutes. We should be able to get refreshed and recalibrated going into this Colgate game on Sunday.”   Of the more significant developments was the continued revival of Xaivian Lee’s shooting touch. For the third straight game he led the Gators in scoring (18 points) and he did it shooting a very efficient 7-9 from the field that included 2-4 from the 3-point line. This was a very nice follow up to the George Washington game in which he scored 24 and hit 4-8 from the 3-point line.   Lee turned in a solid floor game and once again showed his continuing improvement on the defensive end.   “ My whole life I’ve kind of been like an offensive player,” Lee said. “I wouldn’t call myself a defensive liability, but that’s probably what I was in comparison to my offensive talent. A couple weeks back we played Duke and I was thinking, ‘I’m the most confident defender I’ve ever been in my entire life right now,’ so there’s a positive in that. I just try to dig in, prove that I can play both sides of the ball when my shot’s not falling. I’ve got to control what I can, so I’ve been trying to guard a little better.”   Golden was impressed with Lee’s game at both ends of the floor.   “Yeah, he’s defended hard for us all year,” Golden said. “He’s done a really good job taking away shooters. He’s quick, does a good job recovering and getting through screens and he’s been mentally tough enough to do it so far. So, I’ve been really pleased with him on that end. And obviously the offense is coming around. He had another really efficient game tonight.”   Lee continued to excel with his floor game. He maneuvers easily through traffic, rarely turns the ball over and finds open shooters.   “He’s just got a really good handle,” Golden said. “He’s got that really innate ability to change speed, change directions quickly and he’s confident and comfortable in tight spaces. He’s just a really talented offensive player.”   In addition to Lee, five other Gators reached double figures. Alex Condon had 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots. Rueben Chinyelu scored 12 to go with 11 rebounds, the seventh time this season he’s had double figures in rebounding. Boogie Fland (4 assists) and Urban Klavzar each scored 11 while Micah Handlogten scored 10 (8 rebounds).   Condon played well. He blocked shots and rebounded on the defensive end, started the fast break on several occasions and didn’t force anything at the offensive end of the floor. Saint Francis tried to load up the defense in the paint, almost daring the Gators to make outside shots, so for much of the game, Condon was a facilitator.   “When teams are guarding us like this, he’s got to be an assist guy,” Golden said. “He hasn’t tried to go score through a double team and make it more complicated. Some nights when they do that, he’s going to be the assist guy in our offense. He did it again tonight. He did a really good job being efficient, picking his spots.”   Klavzar, Handlogten and sophomore Isaiah Brown (matched a career high with 9 points) were part of a 42-point night from the bench. Brown seems to be taking over as the eighth man in the rotation but Golden is still tinkering with his bench to find the right combinations.   “Honestly, it’s going to sound really simple, but when those guys come in the game, we just want the score to go the right way,” Golden said. “I don’t necessarily care if they’re scoring. The non-negotiables are defending, rebounding and taking care of the ball, but we don’t need a guy to come in and be like a spark plug offensively. We need those guys to come in and make sure that the level doesn’t drop. ”   Next up for the Gators is Colgate at 12 noon Sunday.   SEC BASKETBALL No. 13 Vanderbilt (11-0) 77, Memphis (4-6) 70, OT: The difference in this game was the foul line where Vandy converted 31 of 40 attempts compared to a 20-26 night for Memphis. Leading scorer Duke Miles had 22 points on a poor shooting night from the field (5-16 overall, 0-5 from three) but he hit 12-13 from the foul line to go with four rebounds, five assists, six steals and a blocked shot.   No. 16 Alabama (8-3) 104, South Florida (6-5) 93: Labaron Philon Jr. had 29 points and seven assists while Aden Holloway scored 24 off the bench as Alabama won a shootout with South Florida.   Ole Miss (7-4) 80, Alabama A&M (6-5) 66: Malik Dia led Ole Miss with 27 points despite going 6-13 from the foul line. Dia went 3-5 from the 3-point line and pulled down seven rebounds.   Thursday Western Carolina (4-6) at No. 25. Georgia (9-1)   Friday Southeastern Louisiana (4-7) at LSU (9-1)   Saturday No. 8 Houston (10-1) vs. No. 14 Arkansas (9-2) in Newark No. 21 Auburn (8-3) vs. No. 6 Purdue (10-1) in Indianapolis No. 22 St. John’s (7-3) vs. Kentucky (7-4) in Atlanta Memphis (4-6) at Mississippi State (6-5)   Sunday Colgate (6-5) at No. 23 Florida (7-4) No. 13 Vanderbilt (11-0) at Wake Forest (9-3) Kennesaw State (8-3) vs. No. 16 Alabama (8-3) in Huntsville Gardner-Webb (1-12) at No. 20 Tennessee (8-3) Ole Miss (7-4) at North Carolina State (8-4) East Texas A&M (6-5) at Texas A&M (8-3)

Xaivian Lee scored 44 points in two games last week (UAA Photo) The next three games – all of them played in the friendly confines of the O-Dome – won’t test 23 rd -ranked Florida but it will give Todd Golden a chance to get on a winning roll prior to the opening of Southeastern Conference play at Missouri on January 3. The Gators (6-4) have played one of the toughest schedules in the country. They’ve lost to No. 1 Arizona, No. 3 Duke and No. 5 UConn by a combined 11 points and all three games on the road.     The Gators face Saint Francis (2-9) tonight (6:30 p.m., SEC Network), a game that should allow Golden to empty his bench early, which could mean an Olivier Rioux sighting. The Red Flashes are 0-9 against Division I teams. They rank near the bottom of the kenpom.com analytics (No. 361).   This is a vertically challenged team with only one player – starting center Gestin Liberis (6-9, 215) – taller than 6-6. The lack of size forces Saint Francis to launch plenty of threes with 33.4 percent of their points coming from the 3-point line. Leading scorer Skylar Wicks (18.8 points, 7.0 rebounds) hits 40 percent (22-55) of his threes for a team that makes 31.3 percent while launching 24 shots from deep per game.   Golden has to hope that this will be the third straight outstanding game for Xaivian Lee. Last week Lee scored 44 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and handed out nine assists in games against UConn and George Washington. Against GW, Lee hit 4-8 of his threes while scoring 24 points, by far the best game the Princeton transfer has had as a Gator.   The Gators have a dominant front court that combines for 42.3 points, 26.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Tommy Haugh leads the Gators with 18.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.   As a team, the Gators are averaging 82 points per game despite the fact they’re hitting just 26.8 percent of their 3-pointers. If the Gators ever start hitting 30-35 percent of their threes per game they might be unstoppable.   Anticipated starting lineups No. 23 FLORIDA (6-4): Alex Condon (6-11, 235, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-11, 265, JR); Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, JR); Xaivian Lee (6-4, 185, SR); Boogie Fland (6-3, 185, SO)   Saint Francis (2-9): Skylar Wicks (6-6, 180, RSR); Gestin Liberis (6-9, 215, RJR); Zion Russell (6-2, 185, RSR); Victor Payne (6-4, 190, SO); Chris Moncrief (6-6, 190, SR)   Associated Press top 25: 1. Arizona 9-0; 2. Michigan 10-0; 3. Duke 10-0; 4. Iowa State 11-0; 5. UConn 10-1; 6. Purdue 10-1; 7. Gonzaga 10-1; 8. Houston 10-1; 9. Michigan State 9-1; 10. BYU 9-1; 11. Louisville 9-1; 12. North Carolina 9-1; 13. Vanderbilt 10-0; 14. Arkansas 8-2; 15. Nebraska 11-0; 16. Alabama 7-3; 17. Kansas 8-3; 18. Illinois 8-3; 19. Texas Tech 7-3; 20. Tennessee 7-3; 21. Auburn 8-3; 22. St. John’s 6-3; 23. FLORIDA 6-4 and Virginia 9-1; 25. Georgia 9-1   Coaches top 25: 1. Michigan 10-0; 2. Arizona 9-0; 3. Duke 10-0; 4. Iowa State 11-0; 5. UConn 10-1; 6. Purdue 10-1; 7. Gonzaga 10-1; 8. Houston 10-1; 9. Michigan State 9-1; 10. BYU 9-1; 11. Louisville 9-1; 12. Vanderbilt 10-0; 13. North Carolina 9-1; 14. Arkansas 8-2; 15. Nebraska 11-0; 16. Alabama 7-3; 17. Kansas 8-3; 18. Illinois 8-3; 19. Texas Tech 7-3; 20. St. John’s 6-3; 21. FLORIDA 6-4; 22. Virginia 9-1; 23. Tennessee 7-3; 24. Auburn 8-3; 25. Iowa 9-2   RATING THE SEC 1. FLORIDA (6-4): The Gators have losses to No. 1 Arizona, No. 3 Duke and No. 5 UConn. They had chances to win all three games. If the guards start making shots the Gators will win the SEC easily. Tommy Haugh is playing like one of the five best players in the country.   2. Tennessee (8-3): The Vols blew out No. 11 Louisville Tuesday night and they lost by three to Houston, a game they should have won. Maryland transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie leads with an average of 17.3 points and 5.4 assists per game.   3. Arkansas (9-2): The Razorbacks have wins over Louisville and Texas Tech and narrow losses to Michigan State and Duke. John Calipari is getting a lot of mileage out of Nick Pringle and Trevon Brazile, but freshman point guard Darius Acuff Jr. is scoring 17.7 points and handing out 5.7 assists per game.   4. Alabama (7-3): When the Crimson Tide hits threes they can stay close with nearly every team in the country. Slow them to a half court style and their lack of rebounding kills them. LaBaron Philon Jr. is averaging 21.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game.   5. Auburn (8-3): The Tigers lost by one to Houston but blown out by Michigan and Arizona. Auburn can score points but struggles to get stops against the good teams. The best player is UCF transfer Keyshawn Hall, averaging 20.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.   6. Vanderbilt (10-0): Yes, the Commodores are unbeaten and yes, they are ranked No. 13 nationally, but they haven’t played anybody. They do shoot 37.5 percent from the 3-point line. Well-traveled Duke Miles, a sixth-year player now on his fourth team, scores a team leading 16.6 points per game.   7. Georgia (9-1): The only loss is by three to a decent Clemson team. Georgia has wins over Xavier and Cincinnati. Guards Jeremiah Wilkinson (17.1 points) and Blue Cain (16.1 points) are the Bulldogs’ only double figures scorers.   8. Kentucky (7-4): The blowout loss to Gonzaga was an eye-opener. Kentucky was vastly overrated when the season began. Does Denzel Aberdeen have regrets that he left Florida? He’s averaging 12.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.   9. LSU (9-1): The Tigers were blown out by 24 points by Texas Tech, the only ranked team LSU has played. The best win is against SMU. UNLV transfer Dedan Thomas is the best player, averaging 15.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game.   10. Texas (8-4): Three of the four losses are to ranked teams, all of them decisive. The best win is against a pretty good North Carolina State team. The Longhorns average 86.7 points per game.   11. Oklahoma (8-3): The closest thing to a big win is an 18-point decision over a very average Wake Forest team. Sixth-year transfer Nijel Pack leads the scoring at 17.3 points per game. He’s on his third team.   12. Texas A&M (8-3): The three losses are to unranked teams. The Aggies have won six of their last seven. The Aggies are scoring 92.9 points per game.   13. Missouri (8-2): The Tigers have won their last two since getting blown out by Kansas. Jacob Crews is hitting 52.9 percent of his 3-pointers.   14. Ole Miss (6-4): The Rebels have already endured a 4-game losing streak. AJ Storr leads the team in scoring at 13.3 points per game.   15. South Carolina (7-4): The Gamecocks have yet to play a ranked team. They are shooting a rotten 29.8 percent from the 3-point line.   16. Mississippi State (6-5): The Bulldogs have a blowout loss to Iowa State. The other four losses were to unranked teams.   SEC TUESDAY SCORES 14 Arkansas (9-2) 108, Queens (5-7) 80: Trevon Brazile scored 26 while freshman Darius Acuff Jr. had 23 points and 10 assists.   20 Tennessee (8-3) 83, No. 11 Louisville (9-2) 62: The Vols hit 55 percent from the field while holding Louisville to 7-34 shooting behind the 3-point line. Ja’Kobi Gillespie led the Vols with 23 points, three rebounds and five assists, while Jaylen Carey had 12 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals off the bench.   Oklahoma (8-3) 89, Kansas City (2-10) 67: Xzavier Brown scored 21 points to lead the Sooners.   Texas (8-4) 95, LeMoyne (5-6) 53: All five Texas starters scored in double figures, led by Tramon Mark with 18 and Matas Vokietaitis had 16 points and 10 rebounds.   Clemson (9-3) 67, South Carolina (7-4) 61: The Gamecocks hit only 19-51 overall from the field and 4-26 from the 3-point line.   Mississippi State (6-5) 87, Long Island (6-5) 83: Josh Jubbard hit six 3-pointers and scored 34 points to lead the Bulldogs while Jayden Epps chipped in with 20 points and 10 rebounds.   WEDNESDAY’S GAMES Saint Francis (2-9) at No. 23 FLORIDA (6-4) No. 13 Vanderbilt (10-0) at Memphis (4-5) South Florida (6-4) at No. 16 Alabama (7-3) Alabama A&M (6-4) at Ole Miss (6-4)   THURSDAY’S GAME Western Carolina (4-5) at No. 25 Georgia (9-1)   FRIDAY’S GAME Southeastern Louisiana (4-7) at LSU (9-1)

Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo has entered the portal. Is he headed to Gainesville? (Georgia Tech Photo)

(Photo by Chris Spears) Transfers. We knew there would be some as soon as Florida dismissed Billy Napier. We knew there would be more whether the new coach was Lane Kiffin or the eventual new coach, Jon Sumrall. And now, the door to the Heavener Center has begun to revolve and we can only guess how many will elect to seek newer, greener pastures and how many will elect to give the new coach a shot.   You almost wouldn’t know it by the reactions to the announcement that quarterback DJ Lagway is in the portal, but there were three others and they are significant talents. Safety Jordan Castell, Florida’s third leading tackler, is the loss of a veteran with 209 career tackles and three interceptions to his credit. It’s never easy to replace a 3-year starter. Tight end Amir Jackson, a redshirt freshman who was a highly regarded 4-star prospect out of high school, has ‘tweener size (6-4, 235) for a tight end, but has outstanding speed. Running back KD Daniels got rave reviews from those who saw him in practice, but he spent two seasons watching Jadan Baugh emerge as the kind of back who will be a first rounder someday.   Castell, Jackson and Daniels are all talented enough to wind up as a good fit in some other system, but none of them are irreplaceable. They may very well prove to be the trickle before the flood given the fact that there is only one portal opportunity now, unlike the past where there was a second one after spring. With Sumrall splitting time between coaching the Gators and prepping Tulane for its Saturday College Football Playoff encounter with Ole Miss in Oxford, we may see many more elect to go the portal route once he’s in Gainesville on a full-time basis.   And, even though Tulane is a 17.5-point underdog to Ole Miss, no one should be particularly shocked if the Green Wave were to spring the upset. Lane Kiffin, after all, won’t be on the Ole Miss sideline so we don’t know how hard the Rebels will play nor how well they can focus given the loss of the head coach to LSU.   So, it’s a matter of holding your breath to see what happens next with the Gators.   Meanwhile there is the case of Lagway electing to bolt. Writes Chris Hummer of CBS Sports: “Lagway’s initial meeting with the new Florida staff did not go well, per multiple sources. New Florida head coach Jon Sumrall questioned who Lagway is as a football player. The new staff opted to challenge the high priced quarterback, pushing him on his competitiveness and work ethic.”   Hummer reports that another source said, “He didn’t care about the money. He didn’t care about them bringing someone else in. He just wanted to hear you have the ability and we want to coach it out of you.”   It is never easy to lose a former 5-star talent. During his two years as a Gator, Lagway threw 28 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions. When he was good, he was very, very good, capable of throwing what seemed to be laser-guided deep balls that only his receiver could catch. When he was bad, he was really bad as a 5-interception game against LSU and a 3-interception fiasco against Kentucky will attest. Perhaps the best thing we can do is wish him well and hope the new coach wherever that may be can coach the best out of him. And, while wishing that the best version of DJ is yet to come, wish that Jon Sumrall finds the right quarterback fit for the Gators moving forward.   WHERE TO FOR DJ? Here are five potential landing spots: 1. James Madison: He knows Billy Napier and the offense. It’s not the SEC but JMU is a high profile program that is in the College Football Playoff. Maybe the Sun Belt is a good place to regain the luster. 2. Clemson: Cade Klubnik is done after the bowl game. Dabo has won a couple of national championships. 3. Florida State: Watch this one. FSU will need a QB and DJ’s girlfriend plays softball at UF. FSU is a high profile softball program that has an NCAA title (2018) and two other appearances in the championship series. 4. Miami: Mario Cristobal has done quite well with transfer QBs Cam Ward and Carson Beck. Beck moves on to the NFL after the playoff. 5. Texas Tech: It’s Texas and DJ is from Texas. The Red Raiders have cash and will spend it. They also seem to win big no matter who’s the QB. Finally, DJ’s girlfriend is also from Texas and Texas Tech has spent big to turn softball into a championship-level power.     JAKE SLAUGHTER SECOND TEAM AP ALL-AMERICAN It is a tribute to just how good Jake Slaughter is that he made second team All-American (Associated Press the latest) despite the Gators going 4-8. Slaughter gave up only one sack, one quarterback hit and two quarterback hurries all season long. Slaughter graded 87.1 percent on pass blocking. A first team All-SEC selection, Slaughter also made second team All-America for Walter Camp Foundation, The Athletic, USA Today and On3.   SEC FOOTBALL Alabama: There is no question that Kalen DeBoer is the No. 1 choice at Michigan to replace fired Sharrone Moore, but Rick Neuheisel of CBS Sports says that DeBoer is happy in Tuscaloosa and will remain Bama’s head coach.   Arkansas: New head coach Ryan Silverfield is hiring Clint Trickett as his offensive coordinator. At Jacksonville State, Trickett’s offense ran for 258 yards and threw for 161.2 per game.   Auburn: Stud defensive end Keldric Faulk is declaring for the NFL Draft … New head coach Alex Golesh has added Larry Porter to his staff to coach the running backs.   Georgia: Brett Thorson, who averaged 45.24 yards per punt, was the winner of the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter.   Kentucky: New head coach Will Stein has hired Jay Bateman as his new defensive coordinator. At Texas A&M, Bateman produced a defense that is ranked No. 19 nationally (309.8 yards per game) and is tied for the national lead in sacks (41) … Stein is also hiring Oregon offensive line assistant and run game coordinator Cutter Leftwich, UT-San Antonio wide receivers coach Josh Price and Houston safeties coach Josh Christian-Young.   LSU: Lane Kiffin is hiring former Florida special teams coach Joe Houston. Kiffin is retaining defensive coordinator Blake Baker. He is bringing Charlie Weis Jr. with him from Ole Miss to be the offensive coordinator.   Mississippi State: Bush Hamdan, most recently the offensive coordinator at Kentucky, has been hired as the associate head coach for offense.   Missouri: Offensive coordinator Kirby Moore is the new head coach at Washington State. Mizzou’s 2025 offense averaged 32.2 points per game and 429.3 yards. Mizzou had the No. 8 rushing offense (234.08 yards) in the nation.   Oklahoma: Placekicker Tate Sandell won the Lou Groza Award. Sandell hit 23-24 on field goals in 2025.   Ole Miss: John David Baker, who spent the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator at East Carolina, is the new OC at Ole Miss. ECU averaged 464.7 yards per game in 2025, 280.7 yards passing and 184 on the ground.   South Carolina: LaNorris Sellers is negotiating an NIL deal that will bring him back for his redshirt junior year. Sellers threw for 13 touchdowns and ran for five in 2025 … Kendall Briles is the new offensive coordinator.   Tennessee: The Vols have hired former Ohio State and Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. His 2024 Ohio State defense was No. 1 nationally (254.6 yards per game). Penn State gave up 334.3 yards and 21.4 points in 2025.   Texas: Former Florida assistant head coach Jabar Juluke is the new running backs coach at Texas.   Texas A&M: With Jay Bateman leaving to become the defensive coordinator at Kentucky, HBC Mike Elko promoted Lyle Hemphill as the new DC. Hemphill was the associate head coach at A&M in 2025. He worked for Elko previously at Hofstra and Duke.   Vanderbilt: A day after finishing second to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza in the Heisman Trophy voting and writing on social media, “F*** all the voters!” QB Diego Pavia issued an apology.   AS THE PORTAL TURNS Alabama: WR Aeryn Hampton   Arkansas: OT Shaq McRoy; CB Keshawn Davila; LB Tavion Wallace   Auburn: CB A’mon Lane-Ganus; 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   FLORIDA: QB DJ Lagway; S Jordan Castell; TE Amir Jackson; RB KD Daniels; WR Muizz Tounkara; DL Tavorise Brown   Georgia: TE Pearce Spurlin III; CB Daniel Harris   Kentucky: EDGE Landyn Watson; EDGE Steven Soles   LSU: RB Ju’Juan Johnson; DL Ahmad Breaux; CB Ashton Stamps; WR Jelani Watkins; WR Khylan Billiot; DL Sydir Mitchell; RB Kaleb Jackson   Mississippi State: S Tony Mitchell; DL Terrance Hibblier Jr.; S Stonka Burnside; OG Brennan Smith; OT Jimothy Lewis Jr.   Missouri: RB Marquise Davis; RB Brendon Haygood; WR James Madison II; S Caleb Flagg; OG Nick Sharpe; TE Michael Smith; WR Josh Manning   Oklahoma: WR Jayden Gibson   South Carolina: PK Peyton Argent; LB Jaron Willis; WR Emazon Littlejohn; DL Zavion Hardy; LB Jaron Willis; OT Mac Walters   Tennessee: EDGE Kellen Lindstrom; DL Jamal Wallace; S Boo Carter; LB Brenden Anes; S Macus Goree   Texas: OG Connor Stroh; CB Santana Wilson; WR Aaron Butler; RB CJ Baxter; QB Trey Owens; PK Will Stone; RB Jerrick Gibson; S Derek Williams Jr.; CB Wardell Mack; DL Melvin Hills; LB Liona Lefau   Texas A&M: LS Shea Freibaum   Vanderbilt: QB Drew Dickey; TE Maurice Veney

Xaivian Lee loads up a 3-point shot in the first half against GW (UAA Communications photo) SUNRISE –  Todd Golden has this unwritten rule that there are no apologies necessary whenever the Gators win a basketball game by 10 or more points, no matter the opponent. So, no apologies were forthcoming after 18 th -ranked Florida (6-4) played well enough to knock off the George Washington Revolutionaries (8-4), 80-70, in the annual Orange Bowl Classic at Amerand Bank Arena.    “As I told the guys, we’re never going to be disappointed with a 10-point victory but I do think we have a lot that we need to continue to improve upon, a lot in the areas that we say doesn’t require a lot of talent,” Golden said.   Inconsistency has been a problem all season long. The Gators could just as easily be 10-0 right now as 6-4 and it goes beyond the obvious shooting problems – the Gators were 6-27 from the 3-point line against GW and they’re only making 26.8 percent of their threes for the season. Shooting problems have a way of working themselves out. What Golden is talking about when he says things that don’t require a lot of talent are lapses in focus, decision-making and defensive intensity.   All those inconsistencies were on full display Saturday. During those stretches when the Gators were good, they were very, very good. But, when they lost focus, which happened more than once, they allowed a good GW team to remain close. With half a month and three games against what should be outmatched opponents before the schedule turns exclusively to the Southeastern Conference, Golden has a chance to iron out the problem areas.   One issue that seems to have found resolution is the play of Xaivian Lee, whose two games during the week totaled 44 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and four steals. He followed up his 20-point outburst against UConn with 24 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals against GW. Mired in a shooting slump all season, Lee drilled four threes in eight shots. One of his four misses defied gravity when it somehow popped out and another just hung on the rim, so it was close to a 30-point effort.   Lee was selected the game’s MVP. If there was a runner-up it had to be Tommy Haugh, who had what has become a typical game for him with 19 points and seven rebounds. But the outstanding play of Lee and Haugh was overshadowed by those stretches in which focus was hard to come by.   There was a first half in which the Gators played defense at such an intense level that they should have led at the intermission by 10-15 points instead of 30-27. The problem was that after Haugh and Lee opened the game by nailing their first 3-point attempts, the Gators became enamored with launching threes. Of their first 14 shots, 12 were from long distance.   If there is an open, uncontested shot to be taken, Golden wants the Gators to let it fly, but he also expects them to make a decent percentage. GW was willing to concede the 3-point line while packing the paint to try to prevent Florida from overwhelming them with their size.   “I thought first half we got off to a good start, got a little lead and then we started allowing our misses on the offensive end to affect the overall quality of our play,” Golden said. “So, just talking through that, we actually kind of hit our goals at halftime. We had five kills in the first half, which means you get three stops in a row. We got five of those. Our goal is four for the first half. I think we were plus eight on the glass at halftime, or something along those lines … plus seven maybe? So we were on track that way and we had only five turnovers, so we were doing a lot of good things that way.   “We just weren’t putting the ball in the basket. We were 4-for-19 in the first half from three. We were 4-for-10 from the foul line. So we were up three, probably played to the level of being up close to 10 and we weren’t.”   Then came the second half. The first seven minutes of the second half Golden saw the team he needs if the Gators expect to make a run at a second straight NCAA championship. The Gators dominated a very good team at both ends of the court as that 3-point lead stretched out to 14 before GW even scratched.   The lead swelled to 20 (54-34) on a Boogie Fland alley oop to Micah Handlogten with 12:30 left in the game. GW was teetering on the verge of a flameout, but the Gators lost focus. Again.   “I think we got up 18 or 20 with 12-1/2 minutes to go and then we just weren’t able to mentally hold ourselves accountable enough to finish possessions defensively and get shots on the rim on the offensive side. And, you know, we can’t be content being up 20 at that point. I kind of sound like a hard ass saying that, but we got to win that game by 25 for me to be satisfied with our performance … we gave them life and let them back in the game a little bit, so it wasn’t the effort that we expected in the last 10 minutes.”   The Gators were ahead by 18, 61-43, with 6:49 left in the game when they had another lapse in intensity. It showed up particularly on the defensive end where GW suddenly found the range from the 3-point line and at the foul line. GW outscored the Gators 27-19 and twice cut the deficit down to eight points. With 5.8 seconds remaining and Jean Aranguren at the line there was an opportunity to narrow matters down to six but he bricked two of three free throws.   Florida finished off the Revolutionaries with a pair of free throws from Lee with 4.5 seconds to go, ending a decent, but inconsistent performance. It was far from spectacular, but it was a win against a very good team that has the talent and ability to make the NCAA Tournament in March.   Still, Golden knows the Gators can be better. They have to get better.   ‘We’ve got to be willing and able to knock down wide open shots from the perimeter,” Golden said. “That’s just a non-negotiable at this level if you want to be a championship level team and we have not done that well enough consistently, but we still have a really high floor and ceiling because we’re capable of being a very good defensive team. We’re capable of being physically imposing on the glass and we should be a better ball handling team than what we’ve shown at this point.”   The Gators will play Saint Francis Wednesday night at the O-Dome.   SEC BASKETBALL No. 1 Arizona (9-0) 96, No. 12 Alabama (7-3) 75: Arizona, which trailed Bama at the half, 41-39, outscored the Crimson Tide 57-34 in the second half. Arizona outrebounded Alabama 52-32. Labaron Philon Jr. led Alabama with 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.   No. 15 Vanderbilt (10-0) 83, Central Arkansas (4-7) 72: Tyler Nickell bombed in eight 3-pointers and finished with 30 points as Vandy took down Central Arkansas.   No. 17 Arkansas (8-2) 93, No. 16 Texas Tech (7-3) 86: Travon Brazile had a double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds), while Darius Acuff Jr. and Karter Knox each scored 20 as Arkansas withstood a 30-point, 11-rebound night by JT Toppin.   No. 21 Auburn (8-3) 92, Chattanooga (5-6) 78: UCF transfer Keyshawn Hall had 24 points, 11 rebounds and six assists while Tahaad Pettiford knocked down five 3-pointers to lead Auburn past Chattanooga.   Oklahoma (7-3) 85, Oklahoma State (9-1) 76: Oklahoma got 21 points from Xzayvier Brown and 18 from Nijel Pack to hand Oklahoma State its first loss of the season. The Sooners outrebounded OSU, 46-36.   Georgia (9-1) 84, Cincinnati (6-4) 65: Despite a dismal 4-21 night shooting the 3-ball while losing the rebounding battle 41-37, Georgia still blew the doors off Cincinnati. Blue Cain led the way for Georgia with 22 points, five rebounds and five assists.   Ole Miss (6-4) 71, Southern Miss (6-5) 67: Ole Miss shot nearly 50 percent (24-49) and AJ Storr scored 21 as the Rebels outlasted Southern Miss to break a 4-game losing streak.   South Carolina (7-3) 71, The Citadel (3-8) 55: Despite a miserable, 3-23, night shooting the 3-pointer, South Carolina blew out The Citadel. Meechie Johnson led the way with 19 points.   Kentucky (7-4) 72, Indiana (8-3) 60: The Wildcats outscored Indiana 40-21 in the second half to score a come-from-behind win. Kentucky shot a miserable 3-15 from the 3-point line, but the Wildcats held Indiana to 4-24.   LSU (9-1) 89, SMU (9-2) 77: UNLV transfer Dedan Thomas had 16 points, two rebounds, 12 assists, two blocks and two steals as LSU improved to 9-1.   Mississippi State (5-5) 82, Utah (7-4) 74: Ja’Borri McGhee came off the bench to score 30 points on a 5-7 shooting night from the 3-point line to lead Mississippi State to an upset over Utah.   Today’s games Bethune-Cookman (3-6) at Missouri (9-2) Jacksonville (5-5) at Texas A&M (7-3)