Jon Sumrall’s tenure in Gainesville hasn’t truly begun on the field. However, the new Gators coach is already identifying the glaring weaknesses that could define his first season. Florida was ranked 10th in CBS Sports’ SEC power rankings. Sumrall has to work with a massive roster overhaul and a difficult schedule next season. The uncertainty around the new look he’s trying to build at Florida lies in several key positions on the team.

“There’s a lot of question marks,” he said on the February 3 episode of Gators Breakdown. “We’ve got a lot of holes in the O-line to replace. We’ve got a lot of youth in the D-line that I like. I don’t know if we need to be really as good as I want to be yet. That’s a question mark for me right now. The secondary, very unproven.

We’re going to find out everything we can find out before we get to game one, because I want to see if a guy’s going to quit or if he’s going to tap out or not compete the right way right now, not when the season comes.”

Sumrall’s first major test is rebuilding an offensive line decimated by departures. With four starters gone (Austin Barber, Jake Slaughter, Kamryn Whites, and Damieon George) and another four hitting the portal, the unit is relying on veterans Knijeah Harris and Roderick Kearney to mentor a massive influx of 10 freshmen and four transfers

The defensive line is also fragile. Caleb Banks’ graduation was a big loss for the Gators. His departure was compounded by Brien Taylor Jr., Michai Boireau, and Tarvorise Brown transferring out. The lack of returning production in the front seven is concerning, as the only notable players remaining are Jamari Lyons, Brendan Bett, and Jeremiah McCloud.

The secondary also took a massive blow. Six safeties and three corners left Florida after 2025, with some key losses being CB Devin Moore and three-year starter Jordan Castell. But at the same time, there are some names to look out for. Sumrall was able to retain J’vari Flowers, who played many snaps as those ahead of him in the depth chart were out with injury. Then there’s 4-star corner CJ Bronaugh, the most elite player in Sumrall’s 2026 class. Top-10 transfers DJ Coleman and Cam Dooley can also surprise fans this year.

Despite these roster holes, Sumrall’s track record offers a reason for optimism. He immediately proved his recruiting prowess by signing the nation’s 14th-best class. This is some promising talent joining a head coach who has always won 10 or more games in his career. Sumrall also juggled his Florida duties with those at Tulane and even took the latter to the first round of the playoffs.

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Clearly, there’s a lot at stake for Jon Sumrall at Florida. But in his pursuit of excellence, his players might have to make a costly sacrifice.

Jon Sumrall prioritizing football over academics?

Sumrall’s mad dedication to football has worked everywhere he’s been. That is the expectation from him at Florida this year, too, which is why he’s willing to risk anything and everything. His players might have to bear the brunt of this hard-nosed attitude.

“We had a 3.6 GPA. I think in the fall. I said, ‘I’d be OK with a touch lower GPA and more wins. Like, school matters, let’s win some games, too,’” he said as a joke.

Players can rest assured that Sumrall isn’t coming for their degrees. Academics at Tulane had actually improved during his leadership, the program tying for the 21st position in the country in the Academic Progress Report (APR) for 2025. The previous academic year, Tulane was tied for 32nd place. Those successes should continue at UoF, a more reputable school than the Green Wave.

He has to carry forward the legacy set by Billy Napier, who had a significant impact academically within the program. The average 3.48 GPA recorded in Spring 2025 broke the 3.3 set in the previous year. Napier also broke the program record in the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll three times—80 players made the cut in the 2024 season. Academics have never taken a backseat to football success.

Sumrall’s challenge is clear: he must quickly develop this unproven talent and forge a new identity for the Gators, or risk seeing the program’s legacy continue to fade.