Florida opens its 16-game home schedule Nov. 5 against Jacksonville, three days after beginning the season against Miami on Nov. 2 in Tampa’s Benchmark International Arena — site of the season-ending 73-72 NCAA Tournament loss to Iowa.

“It’ll be kind of a good opportunity to kind of get that bad taste out of our mouths from the way last season ended,” coach Todd Golden recently told the Orlando Sentinel.

The Gators open SEC play Jan. 2 at Texas before hosting Oklahoma on Jan. 5 or 6 in their SEC home opener.

Neutral-site dates on Dec. 12 and 18 also have yet to be finalized, while times for SEC midweek dates will be announced later.

In addition to visits from Vanderbilt and Kentucky, the Gators will host Texas (Feb. 6), Missouri (Feb. 13) and Georgia (Feb. 20) on Saturdays. Other midweek SEC games beside Oklahoma will be against Texas A&M (Jan. 19 or 20), South Carolina (Feb. 2 or 3) and Ole Miss (Feb. 23 or 24).

Coming off a 27-8 finish and SEC regular-season championship, the Gators sold out 10 games in 2025-26 and have been at full capacity during 19 of the past 25 games in the O’Connell Center. Florida is 43-3 at home the past three seasons under Golden.

Other than the highly anticipated visit from Duke, Florida’s nonconference schedule also includes the Players Era 8 Tournament in Las Vegas from Nov. 17-19. The Gators open with Notre Dame before facing either Rutgers or Houston, setting up the possibility of a rematch with Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars after the teams met in the 2025 national title game. Auburn, Kansas, UNLV and West Virginia make up the other side of the bracket.

Entering Golden’s fifth season at Florida, the Gators return 81.8% of their scoring from last season’s SEC championship team. Four starters are back, including seniors Rueben Chinyelu, Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh, who form one of the nation’s top frontcourts. Starting point guard Boogie Fland also is among six of the eight primary rotation players returning, with 11 players expected back overall.

The Gators also welcomed back veteran guard Denzel Aberdeen, though the former Dr. Phillips High product is awaiting an NCAA waiver for a fifth season of eligibility after spending the 2025-26 season at Kentucky.

Florida’s Nov. 5 and Dec. 6 home dates will be men’s and women’s basketball doubleheaders.

2026-27 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE

Nov. 2: Miami (Tampa)

Nov. 5: vs. Jacksonville

Nov. 10: at Florida State

Nov. 13: Merrimack

Nov. 17: Notre Dame (Las Vegas)

Nov. 18: Houston-Rutgers (Las Vegas)

Nov. 19: Auburn/Kansas/UNLV/West Virginia

Nov. 24: vs. Milwaukee

Dec. 1: vs. Duke

Dec. 6: vs. Vermont

Dec. 12: TBA (neutral site)

Dec. 18: TBA (neutral site)

Dec. 21: vs. Florida A&M

Dec. 29: vs. Long Island

Jan. 2: at Texas

Jan. 5 or 6: vs. Oklahoma

Jan. 9: vs. Vanderbilt

Jan. 12 or 13: at Mississippi State

Jan. 16: at Alabama

Jan. 19 or 20: vs. Texas A&M

Jan. 23: at Georgia

Jan. 30: at Tennessee

Feb. 2 or 3: vs. South Carolina

Feb. 6: vs. Texas

Feb. 9 or 10: at Auburn

Feb. 13: vs. Missouri

Feb. 16 or 17: at LSU

Feb. 20: vs. Georgia

Feb. 23 or 24: vs Ole Miss

Feb. 27: at Arkansas

March 2 or 3: at South Carolina

March 6: vs. Kentucky

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Sumrall has energized the fan base and generated optimism. However, competing in the nation’s toughest conference, he and the Gators have ground to make up and questions to answer, including at quarterback, offensive line and in the secondary.

“We are going to do everything we can to be really good this year and beyond,” Sumrall said Wednesday in Tampa. “I’m excited about the direction of our program. We have nowhere near arrived.”

The Gators return only six starters and placed just three players on the preseason All-SEC teams.

Junior tailback Jadan Baugh was named second team after rushing for 1,170 in 2025. He was also named to the SEC’s third team as an all-purpose player after catching 33 passes and returning three kickoffs and punts last season.

Meanwhile, sophomore edge rusher Jayden Woods was named to the third team after recording 28 tackles, including 3 1/2  sacks as a freshman. Sophomore receiver Vernell Brown III was named the third-team’s return specialist after he averaged 12.6 yards returning punts and 17.4 yards returning kickoffs.

Linebacker Myles Graham was perhaps the biggest omission, failing to earn one of nine available spots at his position. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound junior led the 2025 Gators with 76 tackles, seven for loss, and seven quarterback hurries.

Georgia is projected to win its third consecutive SEC championship, finishing ahead of Texas. Ole Miss is predicted to place third, followed by Texas A&M after the Aggies reached the 2025 College Football Playoff. LSU, led by new coach Lane Kiffin, was picked to finish fifth, followed by Alabama, Oklahoma and Tennessee, with Florida ninth in the 16-team conference.

Gamecocks quarterback Trinidad Chambliss earned first-team honors, edging out Texas’ Arch Manning. At running back, Ole Miss’ Kewan Lacy and Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy were selected ahead of Baugh.

Vanderbilt was the only school without a position player represented on any of the three teams. Florida, Auburn, South Carolina, Kentucky and Missouri each had two selections, while Mississippi State and Arkansas had one player apiece.

Texas and Georgia led the conference with nine position players selected across the three teams, followed by Ole Miss and LSU with eight each. Oklahoma had seven selections, including five on the second-team defense, while Alabama had six, including two first-team defensive players. Tennessee placed four players on the third team, and Texas A&M had just three selections, despite being projected to finish fifth in the SEC.

2026 Preseason SEC Media Poll

1. Georgia
2. Texas
3. Ole Miss
4. Texas A&M
5. LSU
6. Alabama
7. Oklahoma
8. Tennessee
9. Florida
10. Missouri
11. South Carolina
12. Auburn
13. Vanderbilt
14. Kentucky
15. Mississippi State
16. Kentucky

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

The Gators battered the Longhorns star for Florida’s lone memorable win of a forgettable season, sparking the turning point for the young signalcaller.

“I got a few games like that from last year,” he said Thursday as SEC Media Days came to a close in Tampa.

Ater absorbing six sacks during a 29-21 loss, Manning didn’t have many more games like it.

He and the Longhorns don’t expect another stumble-filled start after a hyped-filled and lucrative 2025 offseason quickly fell flat.

Projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft and Heisman favorite, Manning also carried a $6.8 million NIL evaluation by On3Sports.com — then the highest in college sports.

He then looked overwhelmed while throwing for just 170 yards in a season-opening 14-7 loss at Ohio State. Two weeks later, he threw for only 114 yards in a lackluster lackluster 27-10 home win against overmatched UTEP.

The backlash was immediate, culminating with the Florida loss.

Afterward, The Athletic labeled the latest member of football’s first family of quarterbacking, “college football’s first flop.”

Manning, however, didn’t fold.

“What he got put through probably would have melted or destroyed 99% of the people in his shoes,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday at SEC Media Days. 

Instead, Manning rallied the Longhorns to a 7-1 finish as Texas fell short of a third straight College Football Playoff bid.

Manning capped a turnaround with 20 touchdowns and just two interceptions, then delivered a virtuoso performance against Michigan in the Citrus Bowl. The 6-foot-4, 222-pound redshirt sophomore accounted for four touchdowns and 376 yards, including 155 yards rushing, during a 41-27 win.

While a trip to Orlando was initially a letdown, Manning recalled the locker room scene with his father, Cooper, and younger brother, Heid, as one of his most cherished memories in sports.

“Even though you know we didn’t necessarily really want to be in that bowl game, my dad and my brother came into the locker room and I hugged it out with them,” he said. “That was a special moment.”

He expects many more this season as he readies to give football his full attention next week.

Away from the field, the 22-year-old caught the golf bug, lowering his handicap to 10. He recently broke 80 for the first time — or came close.

“I gave myself a putt,” he admitted.

Few gimmes are on the horizon.

After opening with Texas State in Austin, Texas will host Ohio State. Two weeks later, the Longhorns visit Tennessee, where uncle Peyton is a legend but recently admitted he’d be pulling for his nephew.

Three 2025 playoff teams await after that: rivals Oklahoma and Texas A&M, along with Ole Miss. Texas travels to LSU Nov. 14 to face Lane Kiffin and the Tigers.

A week before the Ole Miss game, Manning will get a chance to avenge the Florida loss, when the Gators visit Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

The new-look Gators under coach Jon Sumrall will face a battle-tested quarterback. 

By the time last season ended, Manning didn’t recognize himself when comparing the Michigan and Ohio State film.

“I looked like a different player,” he said. “And I still feel like I have a lot to prove and a lot left in me that I can still display on Saturdays.”

Manning will have the supporting cast to shine. 

Veteran Longhorn Ryan Wingo and Auburn transfer Cam Coleman could form one the SEC’s best receiving duos. Transfers Hollywood Smothers (NC State) and Raleek Brown (Arizona State) should boost a running game that averaged just 93.13 yards in conference games, reducing the burden on the elusive Manning.

Dressed in a blue blazer with a burnt-orange necktie and Longhorn lapel pin, Manning was the final act of a four-day event showcasing the SEC’s 16 schools. He handled his much-anticipated appearance like he plans to approach the upcoming season.

“You got to block out the negatives and the positives, and just continue to stay in the present moment,” he said. “I’m not worried about anything in the future right now. I’m worried about getting through this interview.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Now, the Gators’ junior running back is ready for more big days and big wins.

Baugh arrived at SEC Media Days on Wednesday among the league’s elite backs after finishing third in rushing yards to Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy and Ole Miss’ Kewan Lacy. His unforgettable 266-yard night against the Seminoles offered a glimpse of what’s possible. The performance broke Jimmy DuBose’s mark for the most rushing yards by a Gator against FSU.

In new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner’s attack, Baugh hopes to showcase his unique skill set and iron-man durability at 6-foot-1, 228 pounds while helping his new coach fulfill a promise he made years ago.

“Coach Buster recruited me when I was in high school,” the 20-year-old recalled. “He always told me these are things we can do with you: I’ll play you at running back, quarterback, receiver, whatever you want to do. 

“Now he’s showing me he’s a man of his word.”

A two-way star at Decatur Columbia, Baugh was a quarterback, running back, receiver, linebacker, safety and returned kicks for the 2A school east of Atlanta.

Faulkner appears ready to capitalize on that versatility as Baugh rushed for 1,170 yards on 220 carries while adding 33 receptions for 210 yards in 2025.

“He’s definitely special,” linebacker Myles Graham said. “He can split out in the slot or wherever you need to put him. He’s just an all-around offensive weapon.”

Baugh also has been virtually indestructible.

“I don’t think he’s gotten injured his whole college career,” said Graham, who is back from offseason shoulder surgery.

During his 38-carry effort against FSU, Baugh displayed uncommon endurance and a relentless finishing touch, punctuating the night with a 12-yard touchdown run with 56 seconds remaining.

After averaging 19 touches during the first 11 games last season, he has spent the offseason preparing for a heavier workload. The strongest Gator pound-for-pound as a freshman, Baugh recently squatted 600 pounds while improving his speed.

“Each and every day they prepare me to take on 30- or 40-plus carries a game,” he said. “They always preach that because they’ve seen it. I try to be in a weight room, be able to put my body in certain conditions where I’m at a disadvantage, so that I can just overcome it.”

To withstand the rigors of the SEC, Baugh won’t have to handle every carry. 

The Gators have depth and options, including veteran transfers Evan Pryor and London Montgomery. Baugh also singled out redshirt freshman Duke Clark as a potential breakout player.

Still, Faulkner’s attack is expected to revolve around its workhorse.

“He’s physical, he’s strong, he’s faster than you give him credit for,” coach Jon Sumrall said. “I’m fired up to watch him play in this system. You get a guy like that in some one-on-one space tackles, he can run through you, around you — a lot of different ways to make a play.”

With 1,843 career rushing yards, Baugh would become the sixth Gator with 3,000 if he matches his 2025 production, joining Fred Taylor (3,075), Earnest Graham (3,085), Neal Anderson (3,234), Emmitt Smith (3,928) and Errict Rhett (4,163).

Smith remains the standard, having played just three college seasons before launching his Hall of Fame NFL career.

Baugh recalled meeting Smith during the Gators’ 2024 visit to Texas, where the UF legend offered words that have stayed with him.

“He told me, ‘You got it, and if you keep going in the right direction, you’re going to be where you want to be,” Baugh said.

Baugh acknowledged Wednesday that he pondered entering the transfer portal. Texas — where former Florida running backs coach Jabaar Juluke now works — made a strong push.

But after weighing his options, Baugh chose a place where he believes he will have a lasting impact. With close friends like Graham and Jayden Woods returning, Sumrall and Faulkner taking over and a chance to build a legacy, staying put became an easy decision.

“I understood where I wanted to be,” he said. “I wanted to be a Gator. Being a Gator means so much for me.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Florida’s new coach stopped mid-sentence and fixed his bulging eyes on the offender.

“You would have been kicked out of our team meeting, I swear,” he said. “You’re lucky I’m not going to throw this freaking podium right now. That drives me crazy.”

Tanned and rested, Sumrall was on edge and ready to roll as he returned to the spotlight Wednesday at SEC Media Days.

The straight-shooting 44-year-old didn’t take long to steal it.

True to form, Sumrall wore his emotions on the sleeve of his blue blazer featuring an orange “F” pin on the lapel.

Soon after calling out the cell phone offender, Sumrall summed up a pair of losses to Ole Miss by a combined score of 86-20 in 2025 while at Tulane, his previous stop.

“They beat the s— out of us,” he said. “We played them the second time, different head coach, still beat the s— out of us.”

Cursing is nothing new on football fields or in meeting rooms, but it’s a rarity at the annual gathering of the conference’s 16 head coaches.

Sumrall hasn’t sugarcoated his message since he arrived in December to rebuild a once-proud program that has fallen into the lower-tier of the SEC.

“I’m excited about the direction of our program,” he said. “We have nowhere near arrived. I’m very hungry for our team to improve because if we don’t improve, we’re going to get our ass beat.”

The Gators open preseason camp Aug. 5 having endured their share of beatings. Florida lost twice in November by at least 20 points and three times in September when Florida scored a single touchdown in each to set the tone for a 4-8 season.

Gator Nation is starved and eager to support a winner.

“We’ve got 18 straight sellouts, though maybe not ideal on-the-field results,” Sumrall said. “We need to win more games. Like 4-8 last year is not okay at the University of Florida.

“We got to fix that.”

After four seasons of Billy Napier’s guarded, understated demeanor, Sumrall’s candor and energy have been a jolt for fans and the media alike. 

“Napier was a dud in front of the media, and this guy is extraordinary,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum told the Orlando Sentinel.

The longtime SEC observer said Sumrall’s ability to sell his vision and energize the fan base has eased the despair felt after the Gators lost out on Lane Kiffin, who is now at LSU. After four failed hires from Will Muschamp to Jim McElwain to Dan Mullen to Napier, Finebaum thinks Florida might just have the right man for the job.

“You can’t have a great program just because you’re good in front of the media,” Finebaum said. “But I know he’s a great coach. When you consider the buildup, the whole Kiffin thing, Florida did incredibly well.

“It’s about time Florida got serious about football again.”

Sumrall brings a proven track record while boasting the fifth-highest winning percentage (78%, 41-12 record) among FBS coaches. He is the only FBS coach to have led two different programs to their conference championship game the past four seasons, while at Troy (2022-23) and Tulane (2024-25).

But Sumrall, a former Kentucky linebacker and Huntsville, Alabama, native, is keenly aware he’s made a step up in competition.

“As a kid growing up there were three conferences in football in my mind: There was the NFC, AFC and the SEC,” he said. “That’s all I knew. To be an SEC head coach right now for me is very surreal.”

Sumrall has embraced the challenge, while leaning on what he learned during previous rebuilds.

“I do feel fortunate to maybe have only been a head coach since 2022,” he said. The transfer portal and NIL and all the chaos that has ensued is all I know. Every time you walk into a place that’s different. The most important thing you do as a new head coach is you listen to maybe what’s gone right and you listen to what’s gone wrong.”

The lack of strength and experience on the offensive line immediately jumped out at Sumrall, who aims to instill a physical brand of football at Florida.

The Gators’ big uglies have blossomed under new strength coach Rusty Whitt, a former Green Beret, and his staff.

“I was very underwhelmed with our strength when I got to Gainesville with our offensive line,” Sumrall said. “The weight being moved wasn’t up to the standard of what I’m comfortable with. The guys in that room, they’ve gotten real comfortable with pushing heavy weight.

“They’ve improved; their bodies look different.”

Sumrall said Georgia Tech transfer Harrison Moore and Penn State transfer guard TJ Shanahan have set the tone.

The two linemen are among 50 newcomers, but all eyes are on potential starting quarterback Aaron Philo after he joined offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech. Philo and redshirt freshman Tramel Jones Jr. will enter camp locked in a pivotal competition that could last until the Sept. 5 opener against Florida Atlantic.

“I don’t have a timeline,” Sumrall said. “It may be five minutes before the game before anybody finds out.”

Not everything at Florida is unsettled.

The Gators’ three representatives at SEC Media Days — leading rusher Jadan Baugh, leading receiver Vernell Brown III and leading tackler Earnest Graham — have become believers in Sumrall’s demanding, no-nonsense approach.

The players weren’t surprised by the coach’s fiery reaction to a ringing cell phone. Around Florida’s football complex, they know exactly where the line is — and no one is eager to be the first to cross it.

“He’s very blunt, to the point,” Graham said. “He doesn’t beat around the bush at all, which I love about him. He’s just a real dude.”

Told of the cell phone mishap, Graham smiled.

“It ain’t happened yet,” he said. “But I don’t want to see what will happen. I will feel bad for that guy.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

It was one of those classic Spurrier expressions that perfectly captured the annual ritual of SEC Media Days and preseason news conferences. Every coach is undefeated. Every quarterback has taken the next step. Every transfer is exactly what the program needed. Every new strength and conditioning coach has made the players bigger, stronger, faster. Every new offensive coordinator is going to play fast and be explosive. Every new defensive coordinator promises his guys will pin their ears back and be more physical and aggressive. Meanwhile, every fan base convinces itself that this is finally the year

Translation: There are no losses in July, only optimism.

And if somebody handed out championship rings for the talkin’ season, Florida coach Jon Sumrall would already have one.

Since the day he walked into Gainesville, Sumrall has been exactly what a weary Gator fan base desperately needed after four years of Billy Napier. He’s been candid, charismatic and refreshingly quotable. He has challenged his players publicly, energized donors privately and reconnected with a fan base that had grown emotionally exhausted. His candidness, energy and intensity even won over the room Wednesday at SEC Media Days in Tampa.

Here’s a sampling:

— On his decision to coach Tulane in the College Football Playoff after accepting the job at Florida (with the obvious but unsaid comparison to Lane Kiffin not coaching Ole Miss in the playoff): “It (being able to coach Tulane in the playoff) was non-negotiable. I don’t care what the offer was, if somebody had said we need you to take this job and do it on our terms (and not coach Tulane in the playoff), the answer would not only have been no; it would have been hell no!”

— After a reporter’s phone goes off and starts playing music during his Media Days news conference: “You would have been kicked out of our team meeting, I swear. You’re lucky I’m not going to throw this freaking podium right now. That drives me crazy.”

— On what it means to coach in the most storied conference in college football: “As a kid, I grew up thinking there were three leagues — the AFC, the NFC and the SEC. To be an SEC head coach is surreal.”

— On his philosophy: “I’m a firm believer that the only disability in life is a bad attitude. I ain’t going to have a bad attitude even when things go bad. That’s not purple skies and butterflies. There’s going to be adversity, but when it hits, you better respond with the right attitude. I want everybody in our building to be filled with urgency, excitement and passion about what they do.”

— On his team’s potential outlook this season: “If we don’t improve, we’re going to get our ass beat.”

There is no question Sumrall has been undefeated during the talkin’ season. His personality has been a welcome departure from the monotonous corporate droning that defined the Napier era, when listening to a press conference sometimes felt like sitting through a quarterly shareholders meeting. Sumrall sounds like a football coach. More importantly, he sounds like somebody who understands exactly what Florida football is supposed to be.

But eventually, every talkin’ season comes to an end.

Soon enough, microphones give way to scoreboards, and first impressions are replaced by final records. That’s why this season feels different from most coaching debuts. Sumrall isn’t simply trying to rebuild a football program. He’s taking over at perhaps the most consequential moment in the modern history of Florida athletics.

The timing could hardly be more significant.

Florida recently announced plans for a staggering $1.45 billion renovation of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, believed to be the most expensive stadium renovation in the history of college athletics. The project will preserve the character of The Swamp while modernizing virtually every aspect of the facility, and much of it will be financed through long-term debt.

That represents a dramatic shift for an athletic department that has long prided itself on financial discipline. While other schools eagerly borrowed against the future to build ever-larger facilities, Florida generally preferred a more conservative approach. Now the Gators are preparing to carry roughly a billion dollars in debt into an era when nobody can confidently explain what the financial model of college athletics will even look like five years from now.

Revenue sharing has arrived. NIL spending continues to escalate. The transfer portal has essentially created annual free agency. Coaching salaries continue climbing, support staffs continue expanding and talent acquisition has become one of the largest expenses in college sports.

Florida isn’t simply betting on a stadium. It’s betting on the continued power of Florida football to drive the university’s athletic future.

That’s where Jon Sumrall enters the picture.

The Gators have already spent millions buying out Billy Napier and his staff. They’ve spent millions assembling one of the nation’s highest-paid coaching staffs around Sumrall. They’ll continue spending millions every year to acquire and retain elite talent. None of those investments matter if the product on the field fails to inspire the people expected to fill those seats, purchase those luxury boxes and write those donation checks.

In today’s college athletics, a football coach isn’t merely hired to win games. He’s expected to generate belief.

Winning drives ticket sales. Winning fuels fundraising. Winning fills premium seating and convinces boosters that the next check is worth writing. Winning transforms a massive financial obligation into a worthwhile investment.

Winning has a way of making people forget what something cost. Losing has a way of reminding them of every penny.

That’s why this isn’t just another coaching transition. It’s an inflection point.

The encouraging news is that Sumrall appears to understand exactly what Florida lost over the last several years. His message has consistently centered on urgency, accountability and earning everything. He stripped the Gator logo off team-issued apparel until players earned the right to wear it. He talks about toughness instead of trust, expectations instead of patience and standards instead of excuses.

Florida fans have embraced that message because it reminds them of what this program once represented.

Of course, words are easy in July.

History is filled with coaches who won press conferences before losing football games.That’s why everything changes once the ball is kicked off.

Steve Spurrier loved the talkin’ season because he understood that hope is part of college football’s magic. Every fan deserves one offseason each year to believe that better days are coming.

But hope alone doesn’t pay for a $1.45 billion stadium.

Eventually the speeches have to become victories. The excitement has to become sellouts. The vision has to become reality.

Jon Sumrall has already convinced Florida fans to believe again. That may have been the easy part.

Now he has to justify that belief.

Because when the University of Florida decided to borrow against tomorrow in order to preserve one of college football’s greatest cathedrals, it wasn’t really making a bet on concrete, steel or luxury suites.

It was making a bet that Florida football would once again become important enough to make all of it worthwhile.

Whether that bet pays off may ultimately depend less on the renovated, billion-dollar stadium than on the man standing in the middle of it every Saturday afternoon.

Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on social media @BianchiWrites and listen to my radio show “Game On” every weekday from 3 to 6 p.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen.

TODAY: SPECIALISTS

What to expect

Attempting to maintain an elite level of play with Florida’s specialists, Jon Sumrall turned to some familar faces from his previous stop at Tulane. The Gators’ new coach hired Johnathan Galante to coordinate special teams, a position former coach Billy Napier filled with a low-level analyst, Chris Couch, for two failed seasons until hiring replace Joe Houston in 2024 from the New England Patriots.

A nominee for the 2025 Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach, Galante soon lured his decorated specialists from New Orleans to Gainesville.

Placekicker Patrick Durkin was named the American Conference’s Special Teams Player of the Year after making 24-of-27 field goal attempts at Tulane. A rising redshirt sophomore, Durkin tied second nationally in made field goals while also rankingd fifth with 66 touchbacks (on 77 kicks).

Punter Alec Clark, native of Perth, Australia, led the AAC with an average of 46.82 yards on 45 attempts. This included placing 15 punts inside the 20-yard line after he followed Galante from Marshall following the 2024 season.

Longsnapper Carter Milliron soon arrived to UF from Louisiana, where he appeared in 44 games for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

To create competition and depth, Florida also signed kicker Liam Pardon from Texas A&M, punter Miller Fealy from Southwestern Oklahoma via Melbourne, Australia, and longsnapper Hunter Solword from Washington.

The trio will have to wait while Durkin, Clark and Milliron look to fill some large shoes.

The Gators’ kicking game was one of the bright spots under Napier, producing the only punter drafted in 2025, Jeremy Crawshaw, and only placekicker selected in 2026, Trey Smack. Crawshaw’s replacement, Michigan transfer Tommy Doman, was selected by the Buffalo Bills this past April with the No. 239 selection.

Meanwhile, former long snapper Rocco Underwood, a former Lake Mary standout, was an All-SEC performer who earned the 2024 Mannelly Award, given to the best long snapper in college football.

Besides fielding a top-notch kicking game, Galante will seek more impact from Florida’s return game.

Sophomore Vernell Brown III is dangerous fielding punts, averaging 12.64 on 11 returns, including a long of 40 yards. Options abound at kick returner, including Brown and East Carolina transfer running back London Montgomery.

Returnees

K Brandon Rabasco, redshirt sophomore

Departures

P Tommy Doman: 44.04 average, 17 of 50 punts inside the 20

PK Trey Smack: 18-of-22 on field goals, with five 50-yarders

Arrivals

P Alec Clark (redshirt junior; transfer Tulane)

PK Patrick Durkin (redshirt sophomore; transfer Tulane)

P Miller Fealy (redshirt sophomore; transfer Southwestern Oklahoma)

LS Carter Milliron (redshirt senior; transfer Louisiana)

PK Liam Padron (redshirt sophomore; transfer Texas A&M)

LS Hunter Solword (redshirt freshman; transfer Washington)

Previous position breakdown

Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive line

Interior defensive line

Edge rushers

Linebackers

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

TODAY: SAFETIES/NICKELBACKS

What to expect

Veteran safety Bryce Thornton’s steady improvement, experience and nose for the ball have positioned him to lead the back end of the Gators’ secondary. Donning the No. 1 jersey in 2026, the 5-foot-10, 211-pound senior aims to build on a breakout season.

A 37-yard touchdown return of a recovered fumble in the opener against Long Island University was Florida’s first touchdown of the season and spurred the highly productive season for Thornton. He finished with 56 tackles, a team-leading six pass breakups, five quarterback hurries, two fumble recoveries, a sack and a forced fumble. A season earlier, Thornton’s 14-tackle, two-interception effort during the Gators’ upset of Ole Miss in 2024 was among the top defensive performances at Florida in recent memory.

Following three-year starter Jordan Castell‘s departure to Kentucky, Baylor transfer DJ Coleman emerged during spring practice, culminating with an interception in the spring Blue Game that showcased 6-foot, 209-pound senior’s anticipation and fit for Brad White’s defense.

Competing with Coleman to team with Thornton will be sophomores Drake Stubbs and Lagonza Hayward, a pair of former 4-star prospects. UF also signed versatile Kentucky transfer Cam Dooley and 2025 Under Armour All-American safety Kaiden “KD” Hall.

Meanwhile, walk-on Alfonzo Allen Jr. burst onto the scene in 2025 against Mississippi State, becoming the first Gator since 2021 to record 15 tackles in a game. The 5-foot-11, 197-pound Miami native finished the season with 34 stops in six appearances and could factor as a redshirt senior.

The 6-foot-1, 209-pound Hayward also could impact at nickeback, as could Dooley. The rangy 6-foot-2, 205-pound junior followed White from Kentucky after recording 30 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble in 2025.

UCLA transfer Kayne Clark might have the inside track at nickelback. The 5-foot-10, 181-pound redshirt junior was one of the tone-setters during the offseason programs and turned heads during spring practice. He tallied 23 tackles along with two pass breakups and a forced fumble in nine games at both cornerback and at nickel in 2025.

Elijah Owens, a 6-foot-2, 208-pound transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, is an intriguing prospect after compiling 65 tackles, an interception and three passes defended last season. Freshman Dylan Purter, an Alabama native who flipped his commitment from LSU, will also compete for snaps at nickel. He had 97 solo tackles and three interceptions as a senior at Booker T. Washington High in Tuskegee.

Returnees

Alfonzo Allen Jr., redshirt senior

Lagonza Hayward, sophomore

Brayden Slade, redshirt junior

Drake Stubbs, sophomore

Bryce Thornton, senior

Departures

Jordan Castell (transfer to Kentucky): 54 tackles, two interceptions, two hurries

Sharif Denson (transfer to Ole Miss): 53 tackles, one interception, one hurry

Aaron Gates (transfer to Kentucky): seven tackles

Josiah Davis

Arrivals

Kayne Clark (redshirt junior; UCLA)

DJ Coleman (senior; transfer Baylor)

Cam Dooley (junior; transfer Kentucky)

Kaiden Hall (freshman, Milton)

Elijah Owens (sophomore, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College)

Dylan Purter (freshman, Tuskegee, Alabama)

Previous position breakdown

Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive line

Interior defensive line

Edge rushers

Linebackers

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — It used to be the biggest rivalry game of the week, the month — maybe the entire season.

In 2026, Florida and Tennessee will be complete strangers.

Their once-a-year matchup that, back in the day, featured Steve Spurrier, Peyton Manning, Phillip Fulmer and snark that sometimes even outweighed the stakes — “You can’t spell Citrus without ‘U-T’” — is absent from the schedule for the first time in 37 seasons.

Alabama-LSU — soon that’ll be gone, too, for the first time since 1963.

The Gators and LSU — they’ll miss each other this year for the first time since 1970.

Such is the price of progress in the Southeastern Conference, which has grown from 10 teams in the old days to 16 now.

The league is introducing a nine-game league slate this season in an attempt to boost strength of schedule for what is now a playoff system that has a committee awarding seven at-large spots in the 12-team field.

“When you look at our schedule, no one has created the kind of weekly competition that exists in the Southeastern Conference,” commissioner Greg Sankey said.

The divisions that once made Florida-Tennessee such a big deal — winner had an inside track for the East, a spot in the conference title game and maybe the national championship — are gone, another product of expansion.

Under the new system, in place through 2029, each school will play three “annual” foes. Some of the SEC’s most ancient rivalries, like Alabama-Auburn, Florida-Georgia and Auburn-Georgia, were preserved.

Others are now less-permanent affairs. Another oldie but goodie that’s missing this year, Georgia vs. Tennessee, was first played in 1899 and became an annual event in 1992. The Volunteers got the best of the Bulldogs early, but Georgia has won nine in a row and 14 of the last 16 — a run that prompted a question to Georgia coach Kirby Smart on Tuesday about feeling like he has “one less win” on the schedule.

“You said that; not me,” Smart responded. “I got a lot of respect for Josh (Heupel) and their staff. I mean, they’re a tough prep. I’m glad other teams get an opportunity to do that, and then we get some new teams to play.”

Some new teams, yes. Some old rivalries will return, too.

For instance, Arkansas-Texas, a must-see game on the old Southwestern Conference schedule that produced the Game of the Century, attended by President Richard Nixon in 1969, is an annual affair again. Two years ago, Missouri renewed acquaintance with Oklahoma, reupping a rivalry that meant a lot in the Big Eight for a time in the 1970s. And Texas-Texas A&M, the “Lone Star Shootout” and a game held every year between 1915 and 2011, will now be played annually.

Asked about rivalries being renewed and others that, in another effect of realignment, are changing dates — Missouri’s season-ending tradition against Arkansas has been moved to Week 8 — Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz said: “I don’t worry about that. I know each and every game in the SEC is extremely difficult.”

The SEC also mandated its teams play a 10th game against a Power Four opponent, which led Kansas and Missouri to renew their so-called “Border War” and created other early season matchups like Oklahoma-Michigan, Clemson-LSU, Ohio State-Texas, Auburn-Baylor, Arkansas-Utah and Arizona State-Texas.

SEC coaches believed moving to a nine-game league schedule would coincide with College Football Playoff expansion, which didn’t happen.

Now, they have tougher schedules, no increased access to the 12-team playoff and a few less rivalries.

“That’s what our conference looks like,” Oklahoma coach Brett Venables said. “Each and every week, you’re not going to sneak up on anybody.”

A brief look at the Tennessee-Florida series

The Tennessee-Florida rivalry decided the SEC East a dozen times between 1993 and 2009. Spurrier got under Fulmer’s skin with his “Citrus Bowl” comments. Manning, despite all his accolades, went 0-4 against the Gators. The importance of the rivalry diminished beginning in 2011, with both schools falling behind Georgia in the East.

A brief look at the Florida-LSU series

The Florida-LSU matchup has been filled with chaos, controversy and close games. Among the most memorable: LSU upset No. 1 Florida in 1997, and fans stormed the field and tore down goal posts; the top-ranked Tigers won another close one a decade later by converting five fourth-down plays; and in 2020, unranked LSU stunned the sixth-ranked Gators in Gainesville on Cade York’s 57-yard field goal through heavy fog after cornerback Marco Wilson inexplicably threw an opponent’s shoe and kept alive the game-winning drive.

A brief look at the LSU-Alabama series

Alabama and LSU played 12 times between 2008 and 2021 with one of them ranked first or second. It often had Western Division and national title implications. It comes off the schedule for 2027, no longer an annual fixture. Few matchups outweigh the 2011 showdown in which top-ranked LSU knocked off No. 2 Alabama 9-6 in overtime. The Crimson Tide won the rematch in New Orleans two months later for the national championship.

Could current rivalries be affected beyond 2029?

The SEC has been adamant that each team’s annual opponents will be revisited and potentially realigned to maintain competitive balance before the 2030 season. Of course, by then, there’s no telling what the SEC or college football will look like.

The Bulldogs remain the league’s standard-bearer, yet no longer tower over the sport as NIL and the transfer portal have narrowed the gap.

Georgia is still among the nation’s best, but arrrived Tuesday at SEC Media Days three years removed from a bid for college football’s first three-peat since 1936. They also are coming off consecutive opening-round losses in the College Football Playoff after missing the playoff entirely in 2023.

“We have not had our best performances when we needed them most,” coach Kirby Smart said.

The two-time defending SEC champions set such a high standard that conference titles are expected. Beating archrival Florida, losers of eight of nine meetings, has become passé.

National titles are now the measuring stick for Smart’s propgram. Back-to-back national crowns in 2021 and 2022 fueled a conference record 29-game winning streak that ended against Alabama in Nick Saban’s final SEC title game.

Those Georgia teams produced 10 first-round draft picks from 2022-24, while boasting depth few programs could match. That advantage has thinned as NIL and the transfer portal have given recruits and reserves attractive options elsewhere.

Even so, Georgia remains confident as the team to beat in the SEC, with Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Alabama giving chase.

“I wouldn’t say it made us more vulnerable,” veteran linebacker Raylen Wilson said. “I really wouldn’t care if they called us the favorite or not. We know who we are.”

The Bulldogs return 14 starters, including quarterback Gunner Stockton, tailback Nate Frazier and three offensive linemen led by center Drew Bobo and left tackle Earnest Greene III. Defensively, linebacker Raylen Wilson spearheads a formidable front seven while cornerback Ellis Robinson IV and safety KJ Bolden anchor arguably the nation’s top secondary.

“Coach Smart, our staff, does a really good job with player retention,” Bobo said. “We’ve kept a lot of players around. I think also the culture in our locker room does a really good job there. It’s a good time at Georgia, and just with that, it all leads into different things.”

Georgia is also one of only three SEC programs, along with Oklahoma and Vanderbilt, to retain both coordinators. Mike Bobo returns to direct the offense while Glenn Schumann leads the defense.

“It’s huge because it’s so many familiar faces,” said Drew Bobo, the offensive coordinator’s son. “You know everybody there, and it just helps build our connection because that’s one of our core DNA traits.”

There are still reasons for concern.

The 2025 Bulldogs finished last in the SEC in sacks and weren’t consistently a downfield threat in the passing game, finishing 10th in the SEC with 42 plays of at least 20 yards.

“We want to be more explosive,” Bobo said.

Georgia Tech transfer receiver Isiah Canion was signed to provide more big-play ability.

Canion, Kentucky tailback Dante Dowell and former Clemson defensive back Khalil Barnes were front-line players added through the transfer portal at a time when programs have aggressively used it to address weaknesses and attrition. Dowell, though, recently had a severe off-campus ATV accident and is sidelined indefinitely.

“People say you’re just a retention team and you don’t believe in the portal,” Smart said. “Our most explosive offensive player last year was out of the portal. So we still have guys that we need.”

The Bulldogs lack the experienced depth that once defined the roster, making injuries more difficult to overcome. Georgia was without five starters during its 39-34 CFP loss to Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl — and the addition of a ninth SEC game will only increase the physical toll.

Smart’s preferred formula — winning with defense, physicality and ball control — also leaves less margin for error.

A third straight SEC championship likely will require a different path than last seasaon. Georgia rallied from behind in six of seven conference victories and were third in the nation in fourth-down conversions — impressive accomplishments that are difficult to duplicate.

“The biggest challenge you have when you retain not only your roster, but your staff, is you have to be willing to grow,” Smart said. “You have to be willing to experience, try new things. You can’t just sit back and do the same old things and expect to get the same return.

“My job as the leader is to make sure we’re thinking outside the box.”

A Sept. 26 visit from Oklahoma and trips to Alabama (Oct. 10) and Ole Miss (Nov. 7) are the toughest tests on an otherwise favorable schedule.

Georgia has every opportunity to extend its streak of five straight SEC championship game appearances and capture a fourth conference title in five years.

But if the Bulldogs are to nagivate the new landscape and reclaim college football’s summit, they’ll have to do it without the overwhelming talent advantage that once made them untouchable.

“It’s changing more rapidly, but what wins football games has not changed,” Smart said. “If you get really lost and caught up in the landscape … guess what you’re not worrying about? What matters.

“We’re going to worry about what matters.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com