The 52-28 rout of the Rebels on Saturday in the Swamp elevated first-year coach Jon Sumrall’s squad to the program’s highest-ranking since the Gators were No. 7 under Dan Mullen entering the 2020 Cotton Bowl.

Those Gators lost 55-20 to the Sooners, but Sumrall’s Gators appear to just be getting started under the 44-year-old coach, who left Tulane for Gainesville.

Florida jumped to a 10-0 lead before Ole Miss even had a first down, pushed the lead to 17-6 by halftime and held off a pair of second-half surges by quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels before pulling away.

The victory ended a 12-game losing streak to Top 5 foes dating to a 2020 win against Georgia and was Florida’s first at home since beating No. 3 Ole Miss in 2015 under former coach Jim McElwain, in his first season. McElwain’s inaugural team reached also reached No. 8 in the rankings, but could not sustain the success, losing its final three games to finish 10-4.

Florida’s victory against Ole Miss positioned them to move up in the polls after six teams ahead of them lost: No. 12 Southern California, No. 13 Penn State, No. 14 Tennessee, No. 16 Louisville, No. 18 Michigan and No. 19 Missouri.

But Florida also passed several teams that won Saturday to enter the Top 10 as the Gators prepare to visit Missouri at 3:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Here are five things we learned after UF’s big win, which pushed them to No. 8 in the newest AP Top 25 poll released Sunday:

The Gators enter the College Football Playoff race

Sumrall vowed from Day One to turn Florida into a winner. The Gators are ahead of schedule and suddenly find themselves in the thick of the playoff conversation.

ESPN ranks Florida No. 8 in their latest CFB projections following Saturday’s resounding win, a spot ahead of Ole Miss. The Gators sit one spot behind reigning national champion Indiana, which executed a swift turnaround under Curt Cignetti.

It’s only September, and Sumrall is quick to temper expectations.

“Excited about the direction we’re headed,” he said. “We have not arrived.”

Florida’s coach remains focused on his team’s flaws, including 92 penalty yards against Ole Miss, amid his pursuit of perfection. Sumrall also knows the long-term implications of performances like Saturday’s in the Swamp.

“We had some recruits here this weekend — a recruiting list that we get a lot of those guys to say yes, we’re going to wake the beast up real fast,” he said. “We still have to reinforce our roster, (for) the depth of our roster to look like maybe the top, top, top teams in the country.”

Already, Buster Faulkner’s blitzkreig attack has been as explosive as any.

The Gators rank second nationally in scoring (53.4 ppg), fourth in 20+ yard plays, fifth in total offense (532.8 ypg) and seventh in time of possession. Florida became the first team in program history to score 200 points through four games, a stretch that has included just five punts.

An Oct. 17 date at No. 1 Texas and Oct. 31 meeting with No. 2 Georgia in Atlanta are daunting, but also opportunities. A pair of losses would not doom the Gators in the CFP race — a dizzying thought given the state of the program Sumrall inherited.

The Heisman pose suits Jadan Baugh

Baugh isn’t much for self-promotion, but his teammates have egged him on to state his Heisman case after he reaches the end zone.

Following the first of his three touchdowns against Ole Miss, Baugh obliged, striking the familiar one-legged pose in a corner of the south end zone at the Swamp.

“I too much don’t even want to do it,” the 20-year-old said after the game. “It’s the guys in front, like my guys want me to do it. They tell me every time, like, did you do it? Did you do it?

“I’m like, ‘Yeah, I did it, just for y’all.'”

With a nation-leading 11 touchdowns and SEC-leading 600 rushing yards, Baugh is making a case to become the first running back to win the award since Alabama’s Derrick Henry in 2015.

DraftKings ranks him fifth, a spot behind Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss after Baugh’s Gators got the best of the presumed frontrunner for the award.

Baugh is happy to be in the conversation for his offensive line as much as himself.

“Having somebody on the team who could potentially win this award, that means the world to them,” he said.

To Baugh’s family, too. His younger brother Kendall Bryant struck his own Heisman pose last Wednesday during his game in Atlanta.

Unfriendly territory on the horizon

Coming off a pair of big wins, the Gators head to Missouri, where they’ve struggled since the Tigers joined the SEC in 2012.

Florida is 2-4 in Colombia and has won just once in four tries since 2015.

History has been irrelevant thus far to Sumrall.

Yet Eli Drinkwitz’s team could be a tough out during its SEC home opener, still smarting from a 31-24 loss at Mississippi State after leading 24-17 entering the fourth quarter.

The Tigers (3-1, 0-1) boast one of the league’s top offensive lines, featuring All-SEC left tackle Cayden Green anchoring a unit ranked sixth in the preseason by Phil Steele.

But 2025 SEC leading rusher Ahmad Hardy continues to recover from a gunshot wound to his upper leg sustained in May; former Gator quarterback commit Austin Simmons has been hot and cold; and Missouri’s defense has 11 new starters.

The Gators, who are 5.5-point favorites, could check another item off their to-do list with a win.

Sumrall surrounded himself with an elite staff

A big knock on former coach Billy Napier was the people around him — and the people he didn’t put around him.

Napier insisted on calling plays to his detriment. He hired a pair of inexperienced defensive coordinators — 32-year-old Patrick Toney followed by 29-year-old Austin Armstrong — and a strength staff to get the most out of Florida’s roster.

Sumrall took a different approach, surrounding himself with assistants who have quickly made an impact.

Faulkner was one of the most coveted coordinators on the market. While Florida’s defense ranks 72nd nationally, coordinator Brad White fielded four Top 25 defenses from 2019-25 at Kentucky. Strength coach Rusty Whitt has transformed players’ bodies while instilling a competitive fire and no-nonsense approach.

Meanwhile, offensive line Phil Trautwein’s unit has grown as much as any position group following four under-achieving seasons under Rob Sale, a close friend of Napier’s now with him at James Madison. Against Ole Miss, Florida rushed for 302 yards and didn’t allow a sack.

Running backs coach Chris Foster has stepped in for respected assistant Jabar Juluke, now at Texas, and pushed Baugh to another level while developing the depth behind him. Sophomore backup Duke Clark’s 126 yards marked his first 100-yard game at Florida, while his career-long 45-yard touchdown run broke open the game.

A head coach is only as good as those around him. Sumrall understood this after Napier seemingly refused to do so.

Special teams matter to Sumrall

Sumrall spends more, or as much, time on special teams as any coach in Florida since Urban Meyer, whose national championship teams turned the so-called third phase of the game into a decided advantage.

Against Ole Miss, the Gators exceled in the kicking and return games.

In a rare appearance in 2026, punter Alec Clark executed one of the best efforts in recent memory. Late in the first half, he booted a 70-yard punt that went out of bounds at the Ole Miss 2, leaving the playmaking Chambliss little chance to cut into Florida’s 17-6 lead by halftime.

Third-string tailback London Montgomery’s 74-yard kickoff return in the third quarter set up a touchdown, while a 41-yarder earlier ignited the scoring drive ending with Clark’s long run.

Placekicker Patrick Durkin’s 49-yard field goal pushed Florida’s early lead to 10-0 before Ole Miss had made a first down.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Up next

What: UF (4-0, 2-0) at Missouri (3-1, 0-1)

When: 3:30 p.m., Saturday

Where: Faurot Field, Columbia, Missouri

TV: ABC

Favorite: Florida by 5.5 points

We’ve missed you.

We’ve missed you more than you know.

We’ve missed the noise, the swagger, the arrogance, the audacity. We’ve missed the big games in a bonkers Swamp when 90,000 fans show up expecting something spectacular instead of bracing for something stupid. Most of all, college football has missed the mighty Gators being the mighty Gators.

On a sunny, honey of a Saturday afternoon, No. 21 Florida didn’t merely beat No. 4 Ole Miss. The Gators bludgeoned the Rebels 52-28, snapped a 12-game losing streak against Top 5 opponents and sent a message reverberating from Gainesville to every corner of the SEC: The Gators are back. Back among the relevant. Back among the dangerous. Back among the elite.

A week ago, college football was buzzing about Lane Kiffin returning to Oxford to play the program he left high and dry. This week, it’s about the coach Florida hired instead of Kiffin beating the ever-loving Hotty Toddy out of Ole Miss.

Jon Sumrall, take a bow.

“This has very little to do with me,” Sumrall said during his on-field interview afterward.

Puh-leeze.

It has everything to do with him.

Four games.

That’s all it has taken Sumrall to pump more electricity into Florida football than the previous four head coaches could generate with jumper cables and a lightning bolt. Earlier this week, when told the Gators were actually favored over No. 4 Ole Miss by oddsmakers in Las Vegas, Sumrall cracked, “There are a lot of good drugs out there, huh.”

Turns out there is one particularly powerful drug going around Gainesville these days. It’s called belief, and Sumrall has injected it straight into the veins of Gator Nation.

Yes, there were brief bursts of excitement under Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain and Dan Mullen. But none of them – and certainly not Billy Napier – created this immediate jolt of energy, personality and possibility. The excitement around Florida football isn’t merely palpable; it’s intoxicating.

And nothing demonstrates the difference between Sumrall and Napier more than the offense. Napier stubbornly tried to do everything himself. He surrounded himself with familiar faces and produced an offense that looked like it needed an instruction manual to figure out but was almost always as dull as a butter knife.

One of Sumrall’s first moves? He went out and hired offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech and gave him a $2.1 million annual salary – more than any assistant coach in UF history.

What a concept: Hire really good coaches and let them coach.

Florida entered Saturday with the nation’s No. 3 offense after finishing 104th last season. Then the Gators hung 52 on the No. 4 team in America – the most points Florida has scored against a Top 5 opponent since Steve Spurrier’s Gators annihilated Florida State 52-20 in the 1997 Sugar Bowl to win the national championship.

Gator fans, enjoy Faulkner while you can. If this continues, he’ll be a head coach next season. Maybe even in Tallahassee.

That would be appropriate because this offense is starting to look like something out of Florida’s glorious past. With just over four minutes remaining and Florida leading 45-28, the Gators could have run out the clock, shaken hands and called it a day.

Nah.

They threw deep to Eric Singleton Jr., setting up another touchdown and putting 52 on the scoreboard. It was positively Spurrierian. Why kneel when you can score? Why survive when you can humiliate? Why just win when you can make the scoreboard scream?

And nobody is making more noise than Jadan Baugh. The signs in the Swamp said it all: “In Awe of Baugh.” “Run the Damn Baugh.” And the description that seems more appropriate with every passing week: He is Bad to the Baugh.

Baugh carried 29 times for 142 yards and three touchdowns, giving him five consecutive 100-yard games. The only other Gators ever to do that? Emmitt Smith and Fred Taylor.

That’s not a list. That’s a shrine.

Baugh also has multiple rushing touchdowns in five straight games, the longest such SEC streak since Derrick Henry’s Heisman season at Alabama in 2015. And, yes, Baugh was scoring touchdowns and striking the Heisman pose.

Before the game, Florida legend Tim Tebow told the cheering “SEC Nation” crowd in Gainesville: “Some people do the Heisman pose out of hope. I love Jadan because he does it out of belief.”

There’s that word again.

Belief.

Believe it now: Jadan Baugh is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate.

And here’s the scary part: When Baugh needed a breather, Duke Clark came in and ran for 126 yards himself, including a 45-yard touchdown in which he juked Ole Miss defenders into another ZIP code. Together, Baugh and Clark helped Florida pile up 302 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

This wasn’t finesse. This was a mugging.

For years, Florida fans kept hearing about rebuilds and patience and culture and process. Enough process. Give them progress. Give them points. Give them victories. Give them Saturdays when the Swamp shakes again.

Sumrall spent the offseason calling Florida a “sleeping giant” and talking about “waking the beast.”

Consider the alarm clock smashed.

Said Sumrall of that sleeping giant: “It’s not asleep, but it ain’t fully awake yet. It’s being stirred up a little bit. We’re going to get there. It’s coming. I didn’t come here for us to be average. We had some recruits here this weekend. We get a lot of those guys to say yes, and we’re going to wake up the beast real fast.”

Florida is 4-0 for the first time since 2019. The Gators have scored at least 50 points three times in four games, only the second time in school history that’s been accomplished. On Saturday, they scored touchdowns on five consecutive second-half possessions against the No. 4 team in America.

Maybe there will be bumps ahead. There always are in the SEC. They still have the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in America – Texas and Georgia – on their schedule. But this feels different, looks different and sounds different. The Swamp is roaring again. The offense is rolling again. A Heisman candidate is posing again. And, perhaps most importantly, Florida football is swaggering again.

For too many years, the Gators kept telling us they were on their way back. On Saturday, they quit sending postcards and finally arrived.

Welcome back, Gators.

College football hasn’t been the same without you.

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.

But four games into his tenure, they are starting to look the part.

A 52-28 demolition of No. 4 Ole Miss on Saturday in a sold-out Swamp was Florida’s biggest statement yet in a turnaround moving at full speed.

When Sumrall took over, he inherited a program that had sleepwalked through five years of futility. He also arrived at a school with three national championships, eight SEC titles and expectations that extend far beyond mere relevance.

Following the spring game, Sumrall vowed “to wake this beast up.”

A week after the No. 21 Gators came out of their SEC hibernation with a win at Auburn, they bullied quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels.

But Sumrall isn’t satisfied.

“It ain’t fully awake yet. It’s being kind of stirred up a little bit,” Sumrall said. “We’re gonna get there. It’s coming.

“I promise you, I didn’t come here for us to be average.”

The No. 21 Gators (4-0, 2-0 SEC) were exceptional against Chambliss, a Heisman frontrunner, and an Ole Miss program coming off a monster win against LSU and a season removed from a run to the College Football Playoff semifinals.

“That was an old-fashioned ass whooping,” Rebels’ coach Pete Golding said.

The win was Florida first against a top-five opponent since a 38-10 rout of then-No. 3 Ole Miss in 2015 at home.

With a sellout crowd of 90,683 looking on, Florida rode another explosive day by Buster Faulkner’s offense to hold off a second-half surge by Chambliss.

Star running back Jadan Baugh recorded his fifth straight 100-yard rushing performance while sophomore Duke Clark recorded his first as a collegian on day when the Gators compiled 302 rushing yards against the Rebels (3-1, 1-1).

“Makes my job pretty easy,” quarterback Aaron Philo said. “I didn’t have to do a whole lot tonight.”

Meanwhile, Chambliss was left to shoulder a heavy load playing without All-SEC tailback Kewan Lacy, who injured his left shoulder against LSU.

A week after an emotional home win against the Tigers and former coach Lane Kiffin in Oxford, the Rebels quickly trailed 10-0 against Florida before their star quarterback had even thrown a pass.

Trailing 17-6 at halftime after Baugh scored his ninth and 10th touchdowns of 2026, Chambliss and the Ole Miss offense awoke from a sleepy first half and shook off their LSU hangover.

He cut the lead to 17-14 less than than two minutes after intermission.

A 49-yard completion to Deuce Alexander highlighted a five-play drive ending with Chambliss’ 8-yard scoring run. A completion to Horatio Fields for a two-point conversion cut the lead to 17-14.

Florida, though, quickly responded behind a 45-yard touchdown run by Clark extending his team’s advantage to 24-14.

The 6-foot-2, 208-pound Clark broke through the line and juked two defenders, including former Florida defensive back Shariff Denson, and outraced backup safety Andy Jaffe to the end zone.

Jaffe was in the game because officials ejected starter Joenel Aguero for targeting during the first half.

Standing on Florida’s sideline at the 35, Baugh relished his sophomore back-up’s effort.

“As soon as he broke, I was so proud of him, just making the cut,” Baugh said. “Being able to see that and just see him improve each and every week, that means so much to me — and he doesn’t even know it.”

Chambliss answered, this time with a 14-play, 74-yard drive capped by his 10-yard scoring run to cut the lead to 24-21 with 5:21 remaining in the third quarter.

Having lost twice last season while at Tulane to Chambliss and Co. by a combined 86-20, Sumrall braced himself.

A shootout in the Swamp was taking shape.

“Knowing who No. 6 (Chambliss) was and the talent around him, I felt it was going to take 42 points to win,” Sumrall said.

From there, Florida steadily pulled away.

A 74-yard kickoff return by third-string tailback London Montgomery gave Florida the ball on the Ole Miss 26, leading to a 1-yard keeper by Philo for a 31-21 Florida lead.

On Ole Miss’ next series, Gators’ sophomore edge rusher Jayden Woods forced a Chambliss fumble that star linebacker Myles Graham recovered. Chambliss sat on the field dejected and hanging his head, knowing his defense was on its heels.

“I don’t want to credit it to just one play, but it was good to give the ball back to our offense,” Woods said. “That was my biggest thing.”

A 6-yard touchdown by sophomore receiver Dallas Wilson on an end-around extended the Gators’ advantage to 38-21 early in the fourth quarter.

Ole Miss, however, drove 76 yards in just four plays, covering a scant 81 seconds. The series ended with Chambliss’ 2-yard scoring toss to Alexander, who entered the night the SEC’s leading receiver and finished with seven catches for 134.

Yet the series proved the Rebels’ last gasp as Florida’s offense continued to apply the pressure en route to a 498-yard day against the SEC’s 15th-ranked defense.

A 2-yard run by Baugh, his 11th touchdown in 2026, ending the scoring as Florida completed its fourth straight game with at least 40 points — last accomplished at Florida in 2001, Steve Spurrier’s final season in Gainesville.

The 6-foot, 222-pound junior struck at Heisman pose in the left corner of the south end zone, ending his day with 142 yards on 29 carries.

Clark added 126 yards on just 12 attempts as Florida closed September undefeated for the first time since 2019.

Seeking their first 5-0 start since that season ended with an Orange Bowl win, the Gators hit the road next week for Missouri, where the Tigers have won three of the schools’ past four meetings in Colombia.

The meat of the SEC season awaits.

“Winning’s fun,” Woods said. “It’s a good indicator of the hard work that you put in. But the most important thing about winning is to not let yourself get complacent.

“We gotta keep going back to the chalkboard, practice just as hard, if not harder, as we did last week, just keep things going.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com.

Journalist Pablo Torre reported Thursday on his podcast, “Pablo Torre Finds Out”, that Tebow has spoken at dozens of Life Surge events and been paid a reported $50,000 to $100,000 per engagement.

Tebow, a devout Christian, said he used the platform to spread his message on faith.

“My heart in getting to share there was to be able to share something that I love to share, which is the love of Christ and the good news of the gospel,” Tebow said Friday while with ESPN’s SEC Nation ahead of No. 21 Florida’s visit from No. 4 Ole Miss. “So I think it’s really important that we can really understand all the facts and details of it.”

According to Torre’s report, Life Surge initially charges around $30 to attend an event featuring Tebow, then encourages attendees to sign up for three-day classes for $97 to learn successful strategies in the stock market and real estate. At those classes, options are offered for additional courses ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.

Torre reported that Life Surge suggests attendees apply for credit cards at temporary 0% interest rates offered by third-party brokers on site. The company also encourages people to take out lines of credit on their homes and use retirement accounts to cover costs.

The investments have left people in financial ruin, according to Torre’s report.

Tebow called the allegations, “extremely, extremely serious,” adding “it’s something that we take very serious,” before saying he was “pausing our relationship until we can learn more about the facts to be able to understand more.”

Life Surge holds events nationwide featuring prominent speakers and entertainers, including Tebow, former Gators coach Urban Meyer, ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit and former Super Bowl winning quarterback Russell Wilson.

Tebow has been perhaps the organization’s most prominent speaker and was scheduled to speak at more than 20 events in 2026 before he paused his relationship with Life Surge.

Tebow said he was unaware of the company’s alleged misdeeds when Torre’s report surfaced.

“I was at an anti-human trafficking conference (Thursday), and my team shared with me when we were leaving as we were flying to Alabama for the event,” he said. “Kind of caught off guard with some of it, and I think that’s why really trying to understand more of the facts to really learn it.”

Tebow was in Gainesville on Friday ahead of a game with special meaning for the 39-year-old Jacksonville native, who played quarterback at UF from 2006-09, won two national titles and the 2007 Heisman.

Arguably the seminal moment of his decorated career came after a 31-30 loss to Ole Miss early in the 2008 season. The loss inspired Tebow’s “Promise” speech.

Choking back tears, he vowed that no one in college football would work harder than the Gators, who would go on to win their final 10 games by an average of 35 points.

A plaque in the Swamp celebrates the moment, though Tebow was not sure he could recite it word for word.

“I’d probably get somewhat close,” he said with a smile. “The most important thing to me was to truly apologize, and that means saying I’m sorry, and that’s the part I think was most important is just repeating it twice, and then saying how things were going to be different.

“But still means a lot.”

Saturday’s matchup with Ole Miss is the most meaningful game in Gainesville in some time.

First-year coach Jon Sumrall’s Gators (3-0) could earn their first win against a Top 25 team, while the Rebels (3-0) look to defeat their third ranked opponent of 2026.

Tebow expects the game-day environment to bring back memories.

“There’s a chance that the Swamp will be crazier than it’s been in a long time,” he said. “So I’m excited about that because for Florida to have success that it needs to be one of the most-hostile places in the country.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Aaron Philo will steadily go about his business as he pushes to take the biggest step of his fledgling Florida career.

Philo hasn’t been as flashy as Chambliss during the Gators’ fast start, but has been efficient and unflappable at the controls of an attack setting a torrid pace while averaging 54 points. If the No. 21 Gators (3-0) can stay the course, Philo could emerge from his latest quarterback battle once again a winner when No. 4 Ole Miss (3-0) and Florida square off on national TV. (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)

Gators offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner is counting on it, having met Philo as a ninth-grader and seen him overcome everything thrown his way since he followed Faulkner to Gainesville after two seasons together at Georgia Tech.

“He’s just even-keeled,” Faulkner said. “One thing I think about him is as an 18-year-old, (21)-year-old now, he’s extremely comfortable in his own skin. That’s what kind of separates him.”

Chambliss’ dual-threat abilities, pinpoint accuracy and timely playmaking have elevated the Rebels to the top of the sport. Ole Miss was a pass breakup away from beating Miami during last season’s College Football Playoff semifinals and beat LSU 32-24 last weekend in a clash with former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin.

Chambliss now looks to prevail in one of college football’s toughest environments, where top quarterbacks have traditonally struggled.

“It’s a huge advantage, especially on defense,” sophomore edge rusher Jayden Woods said, fresh off a 2.5-sack night at Auburn. “If the stadium is insanely loud, the offense, they can’t operate.”

Philo’s ability to execute Faulkner’s system proved the edge in the quarterback race with Tramell Jones Jr. and has allowed him to deftly distribute the ball to a one of the SEC’s best collection of playmakers, led by tailback Jadan Baugh and receivers Vernell Brown III and Dallas Wilson.

The months-long competition with Jones prepared Philo for what was to come.

“That’s pressure everyday, it’s something that you got to bring it everyday, which he was able to do,” Faulkner said.

Despite just four collegiate starts, the 6-foot-1, 208-pound Philo has displayed poise and precision while posting a 192.8 passer rating — third in the SEC and 35 points better than Chambliss (157.9). He’s shown enough running ability to keep defenses honest.

Florida will now face a defense ranked 15th in the SEC.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Chambliss has repeatedly masked Ole Miss’ flaws, already beaten a pair of Top-25 opponents — Louisville and LSU — this season and sits 14-2 as a starter.

To get here, the 24-year-old had to secure a February court order on his third try to get a sixth season of college eligibility. Meanwhile, Philo was establishing himself at a new school and preparing to win the starting job.

One quarterback will emerge a winner Saturday. During last weekend’s 44-39 win at Auburn, Philo proved he won’t shy away from the challenge.

“I’ve been preparing for this moment for a long time,” he said.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville

Latest line: UF is favored by 3.5 points

TV: ABC

Weather: 83 degrees, 0% chance of rain

Coaches: Pete Golding is 5-1 in second season at Ole Miss; Jon Sumrall is 3-0 in first year at UF, 46-12 overall.

Quick slant: Florida’s three-game winning streak in the series ended last year with a 34-24 loss Nov. 15 at Ole Miss. The Rebels are the only team in the country this season with two wins against ranked opponents, beating Louisville 41-38 and LSU 32-24. This is the 21st consecutive sellout for UF, marking longest sellout streak at The Swamp since a 138-game run from 1989-2011.

About No. 4 Ole Miss (3-0, 1-0 SEC): Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss leads the league with 924 passing yards and has accounted for nine touchdowns. Receiver Deuce Alexander’s 20 receptions for 295 yards are SEC highs. But the Rebels are likely to be without tailback Kewan Lacy, who rushed for 224 yards against the Gators last season. LSU sophomore transfer JT Lindsey would replace him. All-SEC defensive tackle Will Echoles has three tackles for loss, while linebacker Tah’j Butler has a team-high 20 tackles. The defense allows 23.7 points per game, 14th in the SEC, and 373.7 yards, 15th.

About No. 21 UF (3-0, 1-0): The Gators’ 162 points are the most through three games for a first-year coach at the school. Jadan Baugh’s 152.7 rushing yards per game and eight touchdowns led the SEC. Quarterback Aaron Philo ranks second in completion percentage (73.4%) and yards per attempt (11.3) while ranking third in rating (192.76). Thus far, Florida’s defense has not kept pace. The Gators are 11th in the SEC in yards allowed (326.3 per game) and tied for 10th in points allowed (21 per game). Linebacker Myles Graham has a team-high 20 stops.

3 things to watch

1. Containing Chambliss. The Rebels quarterback is elusive, able to throw on the run or beat defenders around the edge. The Gators recorded seven sacks at Auburn but could struggle to get Chambliss on the ground and stay with receivers as he buys time.

2. Ole Miss run defense. The Rebels allow a SEC-high 159 rushing yards per game as it prepares to face Baugh, who looks to join Emmitt Smith and Fred Taylor as the only Gators with five straight 100-yard games.

3. Explosive plays. The Gators lead the SEC with 12 plays of 30 yards or longer, while the Rebels have eight. But the Rebels have allowed seven, compared with just three by Florida.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

The weight he and players shouldered last season was gone.

“I don’t feel as stressed,” Golden said. “We’re gonna have a lot of expectations. But we’re not as worried about it this year.”

Golden and his Gators’ meteoric rise culminated with the 2025 national championship during his third season at age 39.

That ascension into rare air came with suffocating anticipation in Year Four, even as Florida was left to replace three guards drafted by the NBA.

With four starters back this season, including All-America candidates Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu returning to the front court, the Gators are the presumptive preseason No. 1.

Anything less than another national title would be disappointing, given Florida’s talent, experience and $25 million roster price tag.

Following a strong showing at the NBA Combine, the 6-foot-10, 265-pound Chinyelu decided to put his professional aspirations on hold to make another championship run.

“Being back here, doing it one more time, going to go get a national championship again, that’s the ultimate reason why I’m back,” he said.

Chinyelu averaged 11.2 rebounds last season to lead all power-conference players while setting a school record with 19 double-doubles. He also earned Naismith Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Yet he also had unfinished business after recording no points, one rebounds and four fouls in 19 minutes of Florida’s stunning 73-72 season-ending loss to Iowa in the NCAA Tournament’s second round.

“You want to be able to come out each game and feel like, ‘I did everything I can,'” he said. “That day, I don’t think I did everything that I can. I don’t want to be in that spot again.”

Chinyelu and his teammates attacked the offseason to address their weaknesses, build on their strengths and continued to develop chemistry on a team returning 81.8% of its scoring and six of the top eight rotational players from 2025-26.

Florida also welcomed back veteran shooting guard Denzel Aberdeen, who transferred to Kentucky following the national championship season. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound Orlando native decided to return to UF, where he began his career in 2022, to bolster a backcourt featuring starting point guard Boogie Fland and reigning SEC Sixth Man of the Year Urban Klavzar.

Aberdeen, though, is currently ineligible according to NCAA rules. The 22-year-old aims to secure a temporary injunction Tuesday in the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court in Gainesville.

Aberdeen gave up his opportunity to redshirt when he played 41 minutes during 12 games as a true freshman.

But the NCAA changed its eligibility rules earlier this year, allowing athletes who entered college fresh out of high school or before turning 20 to play five seasons in a five-year window while eliminating redshirting.

Outgoing seniors who had played in each of their four years argued the new rule should apply to them, despite the NCAA ruling it would not.

Aberdeen’s case will argue he appeared in just 33% of the game’s in 2022-23 — the same percentage of games football players were allowed to play under previous redshirt rules — and is on track to earn an academic degree within five years of enrolling in college. The Gators also did not free up a roster spot so he could re-join the team.

If Aberdeen’s request is denied, the Gators have options at guard. Junior Isaiah Brown of Orlando developed into a key role player late last season while sophomore sharpshooter Alex Lloyd continues to improve his overall game, Golden said.

“Denzel has the best case, individually, of any guy that’s in this situation of dealing with the NCAA’s confusing, operative system that they’re employing right now,” Golden said. “But we’ll be ready if that happens. I don’t anticipate it happening, but we’ll be ready if it does.”

Aberdeen’s status aside, Golden was relaxed and ready as the Gators prepare for their Nov. 2 season opener against Miami in Tampa.

“We feel like we’re ahead,” he said. “We’re able to do some different things at this point in the year that we haven’t been able to do and focus on the court.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

The Gators had won just four games. Brown had failed to score a touchdown for the first time since he started playing football at 5 years old. He had dropped a half-dozen passes. He was determined to put the last season behind him.

Then new strength coach Rusty Whitt’s grueling “Gauntlet” exposed the soft underbelly of a program that had too often lacked accountability, toughness and a competitive edge in 2025.

After the Gators failed their fourth attempt, Brown set aside his exhaustion and delivered a message.

“He stood up and said, ‘Hey, enough of this BS. Let’s get this stuff done right,’” Whitt recalled Monday to the Orlando Sentinel. “And kind of drew a line in the sand.”

Brown had established himself as a true freshman, leading the team in receiving. That day, at 19, he asserted himself as a team leader.

“I knew really quickly what we had in VB after the fourth Gauntlet,” coach Jon Sumrall said Monday. “And as I wrapped up, VB is like, ‘Coach, can I say something?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah,’ and he let it rip.

“I was like, ‘All right, we got something.’ I looked at Whitt. I was like, ‘Yeah, this guy’s got it.’”

The Gauntlet inspired a leader

By the end of the offseason, the Gators had completed Whitt’s six-station, high-intensity strength-and-conditioning circuit, which pits two players against each other.

Brown was the only player who never lost.

Entering Saturday’s SEC showdown with No. 4 Ole Miss (3-0, 1-0 SEC) in the Swamp, Brown is undefeated on the field with No. 21 Florida (3-0, 1-0), undefeated in the locker room and undefeated in the program’s most demanding physical test.

He also is one of the few Gators who embodies the nine characteristics Whitt, a former Green Beret, expects from his players. The traits measure a player’s attitude, toughness, discipline, love for the game and commitment to his teammates.

“Very few guys rattle off all nine of those checkpoints,” Whitt said, putting the number at 10 of the team’s 112 players. “If we can get that into the 50 range, then you’re going to be a problem.

“So he’s a rare one.”

Brown’s ability was never a question.

The former Orlando Jones standout was the 2024 Class 4A Player of the Year, an Under Armour All-American and the top-rated member of the nation’s No. 9 class in 2025.

Despite leading Florida with 40 receptions for 512 yards last season, he also had underachieved, missed two games with a shoulder injury and been under-utilized by former coach Billy Napier.

In 10 games, he was targeted one time in the red zone.

Yet, failing to score didn’t weigh on Brown entering the offseason. Seven drops on 58 targets haunted him.

One of them was on a critical fourth down during a 34-17 loss at Texas A&M. Later in the game, Brown also fumbled.

“The drops fired him up,” his father and former Gator, Vernell Jr., told the Orlando Sentinel Wednesday. “That was uncharacteristic of him, and definitely motivation. He was raised if the ball touches his hands, he’s supposed to catch it.”

From drops to determination

Brown addressed the issue and leaned on his exceptional work ethic during the offseason.

Even now, he estimates he puts in an extra two to three hours daily outside of what coaches demand.

Whitt said Brown is among the first to arrive early at team workouts.

“I’m very consistent in my process,” Brown said. “Whether it is just getting on the Jugs (pitching machine), watching some film or just doing whatever I need to do to feel prepared on Saturday. I feel like I found my process and I’m good at it.

“Consistency is the biggest thing so just making sure I’m doing everything I need to do.”

The extra effort has paid off.

Playing in Buster Faulkner’s high-octane attack, Brown has thrived.

He ranks second in the SEC to teammate Jadan Baugh with 429 all-purpose yards and has scored four times, including twice on punt returns on back-to-back possessions on Sept. 12 against Campbell — a first at Florida since Gators Hall of Famer Jacquez Green 30 years earlier.

Faulkner is clearly aware of the weapon he has in Brown, who has reached 22.5 mph on GPS tracking and can power clean 290 pounds at 5-foot-11, 178 pounds.

Asked what separates Brown, the 44-year-old coach didn’t hesitate.

“His work ethic, how smart he is, he can play every position and that’s shown this year,” Faulkner said. “We ask him to do a bunch and he doesn’t flinch. He’s one of those guys who’s like, ‘Give me more.’ That’s what makes him special, that’s why he’ll play for a long, long time.

“Whatever roster he’s on the coaches are going to be like ‘OK we want him.’”

A legacy that carries weight

Brown, though, was always destined to play for the Gators.

Growing up in Gainesville as the son of a cornerback and team captain for Urban Meyer’s inaugural team in 2005, Brown had Gators bed sheets.

While playing Wildwood Middle School, he would come to the Swamp on weekend’s as Brown Jr. served as the program’s senior director of student-athlete development.

After starring at Jones High School beginning as a sophomore, he followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Vernell Sr., a Gator from 1982-85, and signed with Florida, despite a late push by Ohio State.

Those Gator roots drive him to set the tone despite being a teenager.

“He’s a legacy guy and he feels the weight of that leadership,” Whitt said.

Even as a first-year player, Brown was willing to be front and center, but under Sumrall, Faulkner and Whitt he’s found an even stronger voice.

The Gators have been better for it as they enter a battle of Top-25 unbeatens.

“It’s lonely to be a leader, and he accepts that responsibility,” Whitt said. “If he rubs somebody the wrong way, he’s good with it because he puts the priority of excellence over just being liked.”

But the affable and articulate Brown is team leader and fan favorite who makes fast friends, even if few of them can keep up. A season after suffering dropped passes, an injury setback and eight losses, Brown is now on his way to a special season.

“If he can stay healthy, the rest is history,” Brown Jr. said, “because he’s always been dynamic with the ball in his hands.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Up next

What: Ole Miss (3-0, 1-0) at UF (3-0, 1-0)

When: 3:30 p.m., Saturday

Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville

TV: ABC

Favorite: Florida by 3.5 points

Easier said than done.

Ole Miss’ unflappable superstar isn’t easily rattled.

Florida’s home field, however, has a history of turning exceptional quarterbacks into ordinary ones — and carrying the Gators to victory.

Not every star QB comes unglued in Gainesville. Cam Ward led Miami to a 41-17 rout during the 2024 opener. Alabama’s Bryce Young carried the Crimson Tide past Florida in 2021. Each went on to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.

Chambliss aims to join them while avoiding a long list of talented signal callers who fell apart in one of the sport’s most-hostile environments.

Over the past decade, that list includes Texas’ Arch Manning in 2025, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart in 2024, Auburn’s Bo Nix in 2019, LSU’s Joe Burrow in 2018 and Missouri’s Drew Locke in 2016. Those five finished a combined 74-of-149 (49.7%) with five touchdowns and 11 interceptions while taking 17 sacks.

Jon Sumrall was astounded by his first taste of the Swamp before the season opener against 26.5-point underdog FAU.

“I’m not knocking those opponents, but you go out and you get ready for the Gator Walk, I’m like, ‘Holy cow. This is electric,'” he said. “So I fully expect our fan base to be ready to go and create as much havoc as they possibly can, and make it a tough place to play when we play big games like this one.”

Florida’s first-year coach knows he’ll need every advantage he can get against No. 4 Ole Miss (3-0) and Chambliss. He twice beat Sumrall’s Tulane team by combined 86-20 last season.

Now in his sixth college season, the Chambliss, 24, is level-headed and 14-2 as a starter since he stepped in last season, suffering only narrow losses at defending SEC champion Georgia and to Miami in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

The Heisman frontrunner after last week’s win against LSU, Chambliss now faces resurgent No. 21 Florida (3-0) and a crowd with history on its side.

Now at Ole Miss, former Florida defensive back Sharif Denson knows what lies ahead for his new quarterback.

“It’s so close and tight as far as all the fans. You feel like they’re on your back,” Denson said this week. “If we can go out there and execute the first couple drives and delete the crowd, and make them not a factor, then we’ll be OK.”

Who best avoids a letdown?

Florida is riding high after delivering Surmall a signature win at Auburn. Ole Miss was euphoric after beating LSU and former coach Lane Kiffin in Oxford.

Being able to process those emotions and move on could well determine this week’s winner.

“This is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business,” Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said Wednesday.

A year after their CFP run, Golding said the Rebels have been in this position, but will have to ground themselves after beating Kiffin a game with nine months of build-up.

“Everybody had that game circled; I didn’t,” Golding said. “There’s nothing about winning a game in September that makes your season.”

A high-stakes game is uncharted territory lately for the Gators, but not for Sumrall. His Troy and Tulane teams won three conference titles in four seasons.

Few celebrated Saturday’s win over Auburn more than Sumrall, but his message soon after was quite clear.

“If anybody walked around the building feeling good about what happened last week, it’s going to be bad for them because it’s over, it’s gone, forever,” he said. “I’m not thinking about that game ever again. If we are not fully moved on to getting ready for Ole Miss, this is going to be ugly for us on Saturday.”

If any of his players tuned out Sumrall, he had a hammer, beginning with 16 penalties and several defensive breakdowns that allowed the Tigers to hang around during a 44-39 decision.

“Last week’s performance will not cut it,” he said Monday.

Will the Gators and Rebels be missing a key playmaker?

Florida receiver Eric Singleton and Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy are questionable, potentially leaving each team without one of its most dynamic weapons.

Thus far, the Gators have weathered Singleton’s absence while averaging 54 points and 544.3 yards. But Florida’s fastest offensive player would open up even more opportunties on the perimeter for sophomores Vernell Brown III and Dallas Wilson, who have combined for 26 catches six total touchdowns.

Singleton’s streak of 37 straight games with a reception ended when he suffered a high ankle sprain against FAU.

“He can really take the coverage off the top, which allows VB … allows Dallas to work underneath,” offensive coodinator Buster Faulkner said Tuesday. “He’s just got a different trait it’s hard to find across the country — is a guy that can really run like that.”

The Gators are well familiar with Lacy, who rushed for 224 yards and three of his SEC-leading 24 touchdowns during last season’s 34-24 win against Florida. But he injured his left shoulder last Saturday, leaving LSU transfer JT Lindsey next up.

A former four-star recruit, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound sophomore had 20 yards on four carries, along with an eight-yard catch against his former team.

How will Denson factor against his former team?

Denson said this week he entered the transfer portal without even meeting Sumrall.

In just one game, Denson has made the most of his new home.

After sitting out the first two games, he tied for the team lead with nine tackles, including seven solo stops, against LSU. He allowed just 29 yards on seven targets lined up at strong safety.

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Jacksonville native had 95 tackles in three seasons in Gainesville, including 53 in 2025. Facing SEC leading rusher and former teammate Jadan Baugh, Denson will have to be at his best.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Up next

What: Ole Miss (3-0, 1-0) at UF (3-0, 1-0)

When: 3:30 p.m., Saturday

Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville

TV: ABC

Favorite: Florida by 3.5 points