Florida Gators

Florida university leaders seek athletic agent registration fees and more changes

Jim Turner — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 10:00:44 +0000

TALLAHASSEE — Legislators could be asked to impose a “commercially reasonable” registration fee on athletic agents as state university leaders seek changes to address the rapidly evolving landscape of college sports.

The State University System Board of Governors on Thursday accepted a statement and list of recommendations from its task force on intercollegiate athletics that calls on Congress to pass an antitrust exemption for the NCAA to establish a salary cap, along with transfer and eligibility regulations on athletic programs.

“We need to stay flexible, because these things are going to change all of the time,” said Governor Ken Jones, the task force chairman, during the board’s meeting at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. “Unfortunately, I think this whole issue is going to ultimately be decided by the courts. Every one of these things is going to end up in a lawsuit.”

The statement approved by the board cites the importance of intercollegiate athletics as a “front door” to educational institutions, boosting their reputations.

“It’s not necessarily the front door of the university, but it’s certainly visible from the front door, from a student experience, from an alumni experience,” said Florida State University Trustees Chairman Peter Collins.

The board itself is asked to consider requiring financial literacy training and advisors for student-athletes, along with establishing trusts for student-athletes to manage “name, image and likeness” earnings.

Anticipating a lack of federal action, the recommendations ask the Florida Legislature to allow multi-state agreements on issues ranging from student pay and eligibility as well as increased financial immunities for the schools, athletic departments and the direct support organizations that manage intercollegiate athletic programs outside of direct state bureaucratic control.

The recommendation also asks the board regulate agents for student-athletes, including by requiring a filing fee to register and be verified.

When the board was asked to consider using the word “minimal” for the agent filing fee suggestion, Jones suggested “commercially reasonable” because “minimal sounds like it’s a dollar.”

“It’s probably not going to be a dollar. But it’s got to be something to prove that you’re a real entity that can actually have corporate compliance and you’re a valid registered agent,” Jones said.

The request to Congress would also include regulating sports agents and allowing conferences to pool broadcast rights.

The proposal comes as Congress continues to waver on the Protect College Sports Act, which has been rewritten repeatedly over the past six months.

U.S. Senate debate on voting to proceed to the bill is scheduled to begin between Sept. 15 and Sept. 23.

Highlights of the federal bill include a limited antitrust exemption for the NCAA and conferences to enforce eligibility and transfer rules, a five-year eligibility window for athletes, a ban on professional athletes returning to play college sports, a one-time transfer exception, capping agent commissions at 5 percent, and setting the revenue share cap with athletes at $48.8 million. This cap includes the current $21.3 million base, $22.5 million for a retention pool, and $5 million for women’s and non-revenue sports.

Some of the details have irked school officials because the act caps conference membership at 19 teams and requires schools moving between conferences to spend five years as an independent.

When the task force met in August at the University of Central Florida, it did not take up proposals to allow schools to increase fees on tickets, concessions, and sports betting, along with apparel and other branding deals.

Jadan Baugh a force for Gators and more from Sumrall’s debut | Things we learned

Edgar Thompson — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 18:47:39 +0000

GAINESVILLE — The Jon Sumrall era began with a record-setting 66-21 rout of Florida Atlantic highlighted by an explosive offense and an impressive turnout from a fan base eager for a fresh start.

Here are five things we learned about the Florida Gators after their season-opening victory:

When in doubt, give the ball to Baugh

Unlike Billy Napier, Jon Sumrall and his staff know they have a unique, if not unstoppable, weapon in Jadan Baugh.

He needed little more than a half against FAU to show he is Florida’s most talented tailback since Fred Taylor. After following a career-long 61-yard run with a six-yard touchdown, Baugh exited with 160 yards on 14 carries and three touchdowns.

Baugh closed the 2025 season with a 266-yard night against Florida State and has 426 yards and five scores in his last two games.

Baugh has been a force since Ja’Kobi Jackson’s injury forced Napier to adjust his two-tailback system last season. Baugh responded with 107 yards on 27 carries as Florida upset Texas. Two weeks later against Mississippi State, he rushed for a then-career-high 150 yards.

Following Napier’s ouster, interim coach Billy Gonzales unleashed Baugh against rival Florida State, which had never allowed a Florida player to rush for so many yards.

The Gators’ running back room is deep. Sophomore Duke Clark impressed with 65 yards and a touchdown on eight carries, while explosive Cincinnati transfer Evan Pryor, sidelined by a sore hip, should eventually be a factor.

Baugh will spearhead Buster Faulkner’s attack and give the Gators’ creative offensive coordinator options. He scored on a direct snap from the Wildcat and, despite not being targeted, is an elite pass catcher out of the backfield.

The 6-foot, 222-pound Baugh is a security blanket.

“I tell Buster all the time: You don’t know what to do, you just hand it to (No.) 13,” Sumrall said.

The Big Five was money well spent

Among the five Gators that Sumrall immediately targeted to return, Baugh delivered on his new coach’s investment.

He wasn’t alone.

Sophomore receiver Vernell Brown III ignited Florida’s record-setting night with a 49-yard touchdown — the first score of his collegiate career — and looked every bit like the playmaker the Gators hoped he could become. The former Orlando Jones standout finished with six catches on seven targets for a career-high 117 yards, repeatedly showcasing the instincts and explosiveness that make him so dangerous in space.

Dallas Wilson needed just three catches for 47 yards to make his presence felt. At 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds, the sophomore is a difference-maker whose combination of size and athleticism gives Florida another imposing weapon on the perimeter. Considering Wilson’s history of foot injuries, there was little reason to push him beyond five targets in a game Florida controlled from the outset.

Defensively, veteran linebacker Myles Graham set the pace with 10 tackles, including a half-sack. Sophomore edge rusher Jayden Woods added four tackles, three of them solo, while flashing the disruptive potential that should become more evident as the Gators move beyond a vanilla defensive game plan.

Baugh may be Florida’s best weapon, but Sumrall made sure to surround him with others.

Jones High product Vernell Brown III is knocked out of bounds by FAU's Damarius McGhee after one of the Florida wideout's six receptions Saturday night. The sophomore also scored his first collegiate touchdown in UF's 66-21 victory. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

Fans showed out for Sumrall

The team’s pregame “Gator Walk” was packed and the Swamp was standing-room only. Emotions swirled in the south endzone tunnel.

“I had tears running down my eyes,” Graham said. “Seeing the fans, seeing my family. It just gave me chills.”

The passionate, personable Sumrall clearly had the fan base energized Saturday night. He then delivered it a product worth celebrating.

Sumrall also saw many flaws in Florida’s 45-point win featuring 66 points from a program that didn’t score 50 against an FBS school the past five seasons.

FAU fielded one of the nation’s worst defense in 2025 and could again. Florida’s defense, meanwhile, struggled early to keep up with coach Zach Kittley’s up-tempo offense.

Gator Nation, though, earned the game ball. Fans starved for a change showed up in force and were rewarded.

“It surpassed my expectations,” Sumrall said. “What an unbelievable crowd.”

Florida’s defense was serviceable, but tested

Kittley’s fast-paced attack had the Gators gassed and on their heels when quarterback Caden Veltkamp’s seven-yard run made it 24-14 after Florida staked a 17-0 lead.

Florida’s offense soon took over the game.

But the defensive-minded Sumrall called the effort on the other side of the ball “atrocious at times.” He hinted some players felt entitled — “We got some guys who feel like we’ve arrived.”

Jon Sumrall's debut as UF head coach went well, as the Gators beat FAU 66-21 to open the 2026 season Saturday night in the Swamp. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

Knowing Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, Missouri’s run game and Texas’ Arch Manning-led offense are on the immediate horizon, Sumrall offered words of caution.

“We have got a lot of room to grow,” Sumrall said. “If it doesn’t happen real fast, we’re going to get embarrassed.”

Safety DJ Coleman was a bright spot, with an interception and a tipped pass that led to an INT for Dijon Johnson; nickelback Kayne Clark broke up a touchdown in the end zone; and tackles Brendan Bett and Jeremiah McCloud combined for 12 tackles and four quarterback hurries.

Despite his coach’s criticism, Graham, the team’s defensive leader, expects the Gators will learn — and improve — from the experience.

“It’s never easy preparing for tempo,” Graham said. “So, it was great for us to come out and play that first game.”

Don’t read too much into a season-opening romp

Sumrall’s team impressed. Napier’s Gators also did during a 29-26 upset of No. 7 Utah in the first game of his failed tenure.

Ron Zook’s 2002 team beat UAB 51-3. Jim McElwain’s Gators scored 61 points in his first game, then fielded one of the nation’s worst offenses for three seasons.

The previous seven coaches won their home debuts by an average of 30.6 points.

But Sumrall’s Gators look different, especially on offense. The future looks bright. Now comes the harder part: proving Saturday night was the beginning of something real, not simply another false start.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Up next

Campbell (2-0) at UF (1-0)

When: 5:30 p.m., Saturday

Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville

TV: SEC Network+

Favorite: UF by 27.5 points

Florida running back Jadan Baugh (13) flies into the endzone for a touchdown over FAU cornerback JK Johnson (23) during the Florida Atlantic University at University of Florida football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville on Saturday, September 5, 2026. At left is Florida wide receiver Micah Mays Jr. (5). (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

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Pictures: Florida Gators Beat FAU 66-21

Stephen M. Dowell — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 04:19:06 +0000

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Bianchi: Goodbye and good riddance, Billy Ball — Sumrall’s Gators rout FAU in fun Swamp debut

Mike Bianchi — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 03:50:10 +0000

GAINESVILLE — “Our long national nightmare is over.”

Gerald Ford famously uttered those words in 1974 after Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace and Ford inherited a nation desperate for a fresh start.

OK, so maybe replacing Billy Napier with Jon Sumrall isn’t quite Watergate.

But judging by the mood inside a sold-out Swamp on Saturday night, Gator Nation was ready to celebrate Liberation Day, too.

Florida blew out FAU 66-21 in Sumrall’s inaugural game and scored more points than a UF team ever has in a head coach’s debut, but this didn’t feel like another season opener against an overmatched opponent.

After four years of Napier, it felt like an exorcism.

The crowd of 90,295 – the fifth-largest opening day crowd in school history – was loud. The sidelines were alive. The offense had juice. The head coach had a pulse.

Florida football felt like Florida football again.

That alone was worth celebrating.

“Running out of the tunnel for the first time exceeded my expectations and I had pretty high expectations,” Sumrall said of the greeting he and his team received when they sprinted onto the field before kickoff. “It was exhilarating. The stadium was on fire.”

Meanwhile, Napier made his coaching debut at James Madison on Saturday, and – no joke – the Dukes were penalized 15 yards before the game even started. Napier wasn’t just a losing coach at Florida. He was a boring coach, which at UF might be the more unforgivable sin. His news conferences often sounded like quarterly earnings calls. If Napier had been captain of the Titanic, he would have calmly explained that the organization was experiencing some temporary buoyancy challenges.

Sumrall?

He probably would have punched the iceberg and broken it up into cubes.

That’s the difference Gator fans have embraced since Sumrall arrived from Tulane preaching urgency, toughness and accountability. Saturday night, they finally got to see whether all that talk translated to football.

It did.

The most anticipated debut besides Sumrall belonged to quarterback Aaron Philo, operating new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner’s system to near perfection. Philo completed 16-of-21 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns. He launched a perfectly placed 63-yard bomb to TJ Abrams to set up another score..

More important than the numbers was the feeling. Florida played offense with pace, aggression and explosiveness. Philo’s passing was precision; Jadan Baugh’s running (14 carries, 160 yards and three TDs) was violent and explosive. Vernell Brown’s receiving (six catches for 117 yards and a touchdown) was electric.

There was purpose in the offense. There was creativity. There was – dare we say it? – fun. The Gators finished with a whopping 624 yards of total offense.

“I want our guys to have fun out there,” Sumrall said of the offensive performance. “When you’re growing up as a kid, you never said, ‘I want to go work football today.’ You always said, ‘I want to go play football today.’ Now that doesn’t mean it doesn’t take hard work, but the work should be fun, competing is fun and making plays is fun.”

Faulkner came to Gainesville after constructing one of America’s most productive offenses at Georgia Tech, which averaged 460 yards per game last season. Two nights before his Florida debut, we received an interesting little reminder of Faulkner’s value when Georgia Tech, now operating without him, managed just 13 points in a 14-13 upset loss to what is expected to be a bad Colorado team.

Coincidence?

Maybe.

But after four years when Florida’s offense too often resembled a three-hour hostage negotiation, Gator fans aren’t going to apologize for enjoying competence.

There was even a new symbol on Florida Field for this new era: the XRP cryptocurrency logo, plastered on each 25-yard line as part of Florida’s multiyear partnership with Ripple (no, not that deliciously cheap sweet wine of yesteryear) The agreement is reportedly worth $5 million annually.

Only in modern college football could a university celebrate tradition by putting cryptocurrency logos on Steve Spurrier-Florida Field. Then again, considering Florida’s upcoming $1.45 billion stadium renovation and the escalating cost of big-time college athletics, maybe the Gators ought to paint a Venmo QR code in the end zone, too.

Whatever it takes.

Florida is betting enormous money on the football program becoming nationally relevant again, and Saturday night was the first installment.

And perhaps Gator Nation should also send Lane Kiffin a thank-you card.

Remember when Florida fans were devastated because Kiffin chose LSU and the Gators ended up with Sumrall? Suddenly, that rejection is looking increasingly like the football equivalent of being stood up at the altar and later discovering your runaway bride was wanted in three states.

Kiffin has quickly become college football’s chief agent of chaos. His attempt at LSU to add two of his former Ole Miss players after their brief NFL stints has helped ignite an extraordinary legal battle involving LSU, the SEC, a state judge and a federal court. The SEC actually sued LSU and Kiffin over the issue, and LSU ultimately left both players off its opening-game roster Saturday.

Florida wanted the Lane Train.

Maybe it dodged the Lane Lawsuit.

Meanwhile, Sumrall has spent his first nine months selling something considerably less complicated: toughness, enthusiasm, accountability and belief. Of course, beating Florida Atlantic proves almost nothing about whether Sumrall will ultimately succeed.

The SEC is coming.

Georgia is coming.

There will be Saturdays when motivational speeches won’t matter, the offense won’t hum and Florida will have to beat teams with just as much talent; if not more.

Sumrall knows that.

“The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step,” he said. “This was step one.”

In other words, Saturday night wasn’t really about proving Florida is back.

It was about proving Florida could feel alive again.

For four years, Gator Nation kept waiting for Napier’s process to produce something resembling progress. Instead, the program became increasingly joyless, predictable and irrelevant.

Saturday night, the Swamp shook again.

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The offense entertained again.

The fans believed again.

And the new coach didn’t sound like somebody presenting PowerPoint slides to the board of directors.

Jon Sumrall’s first victory won’t rank among the most important wins in Florida history, but perhaps it represented something more basic:

A beginning.

Gerald Ford’s declaration came after America survived Watergate.

The Gators merely survived four years of bad, boring football.

Either way, the message Saturday night sounded pretty much the same:

The long Napier nightmare is finally over.

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.

Philo, Baugh lead explosive Gators past FAU in Sumrall’s record-setting debut 66-21

Edgar Thompson — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 03:35:03 +0000

GAINESVILLE — Florida quarterback Aaron Philo displayed machine-like efficiency, while offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner delivered the fireworks long missing at the Swamp.

Star tailback Jadan Baugh picked up where he left off after a record-setting night against Florida State to conclude last season’s 4-8 campaign.

Head coach Jon Sumrall’s long-awaited debut during Saturday night’s 66-21 rout of Florida Atlantic signaled better days are ahead on the side of the football where the Gators once made their name.

“It was a fun brand to watch tonight,” Sumrall said. “We need to keep it up.”

The performance showcased an attack able to find the end zone, generate explosive plays and entertain a crowd that has waited far too long for all three.

Florida was eight-of-eight in the red zone and had 20 plays of at least 10 yards, beginning with a 49-yard touchdown by sophomore receiver Vernell Brown III to open the scoring.

Baugh had runs of 61, 25 and 18 yards as he finished with 160 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries before leaving the game early in the third quarter with Florida leading 45-14.

“I tell Buster all the time: You don’t know what to do, you just hand it to 13,” Sumrall said, referencing Baugh’s number. “That’ll work usually.”

Philo also completed passes of 63 yards to TJ Abrams and 33 yards to Brown, a former Orlando Jones standout who finished with a career-high 117 yards on six catches.

A reported crowd of 90,295, the fifth-largest for a home opener, celebrated as the Gators compiled 624 yards and scored the most points under a head coach during his first home game — and the most by Florida against an FBS foe since 2020. FAU didn’t even force Florida to punt.

“It was awesome. It’s unreal,” Philo said of the offensive explosion. “We had a blast out there.”

The Gators (1-0) rode their offense to a convincing win on a night the defense left something to be desired early on against the up-tempo, pass-happy Owls (0-1).

“Our defense was atrocious at times, quite honestly,” Sumrall said. “We had a hard time keeping pace with them. I don’t think we’re as good as we think we are.

“We got some guys who feel like you know we’ve arrived in some spots, and that’ll be addressed.”

Meanwhile, Philo calmly operated Faulkner’s system as the OC dialed up plays for his former backup at Georgia Tech.

Philo completed his first seven throws, including two touchdowns, as Florida built a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. FAU quarterback Caden Veltkamp briefly rallied the Owls, who cut the lead to 24-14 on his 7-yard run with 6:50 remaining in the second quarter.

At that point, FAU had run 42 plays, leaving Florida defenders gassed. But the offense picked up the slack to give the Gators’ D a rest.

“They ran up the scoreboard, got the fireworks going,” linebacker Myles Graham said. “So, it really took a lot of stress off of us.”

A seven-play, 75-yard scoring drive featured a fourth-and-one conversion on a Philo keeper on UF’s 49 and ended with a brilliant 12-yard run by Baugh, who juked two FAU defenders on his way to the end zone.

Florida’s defense then forced a turnover by the gun-slinging Veltkamp, who made an ill-advised throw into the flat that safety DJ Coleman tipped into the hands of cornerback Dijon Johnson at the Owls’ 29. After runs of 15 and seven yards by sophomore Duke Clark, Baugh scored from seven yards out following a direct snap in the Wildcat formation for a 38-14 halftime lead.

Florida wasted little time extending the lead behind Baugh.

He followed his 61-yard run on third-and-two with a six-yarder up the middle for his third touchdown — and fifth in two games. The 6-foot, 222-pound junior found the end zone twice and rushed for 266 yards against FSU, the most in the long-standing series, for a bright spot to cap an otherwise dismal 2025.

“Honestly I’ve never seen anything like it,” Philo said. “The dude is unreal.”

With Florida leading 52-14, Philo headed to the sideline himself. He completed 16 of 21 passes for 275 yards, with three touchdowns, an interception and a passer rating of 223.8, leaving little doubt about Sumrall’s choice to name him as starter over sophomore Tramell Jones Jr.

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Jones entered the game and got in on the act, too. He finished 4 of 5 for 68 yards, including a six-yard touchdown to Micah Jones with 25 seconds to go on a record-setting night.

Sumrall wasn’t looking to run up the score as 26.5-point favorites. He said he didn’t want to rein in his players, either.

The night soon ended in a memorable debut for a first-year coach who gave fans something to cheer, but the Gators have plenty to work on with next weekend’s visit from Campbell the final gimme on the schedule.

“Long list of things we have to get a lot better at if we have high goals here,” he said. “But grateful for the the guys’ effort, a lot to work on, a lot to grow from. I told them just now on the journey of 1,000 miles starts with a single step.

“That was step one.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Controversial ‘Gator Bait’ cheer returns to the Swamp during Jon Sumrall’s UF debut

Edgar Thompson — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 00:41:13 +0000

GAINESVILLE — Florida’s “Gator Bait” cheer returned from a six-year ban following the first touchdown of the Jon Sumrall era.

During the opening quarter of Saturday night’s season opener against Florida Atlantic, fans responded to a once-familiar cue from the school band with words the university ended in June 2020 because of concerns about possible racial undertones.

New school president Stuart Bell, however, hinted the controversial Gator Bait cheer could return for the 2026 season.

During an interview in June on the “The Frangie Show” on 1010XL in Jacksonville, the incoming president said he appreciated the traditions that define college football programs.

“I know there’s a lot around the Gator Bait (cheer),” Bell said. “It’s meaningful to the Gator family. I hope we’re able to have some really great conversations around that.”

Former UF president Kent Fuchs announced the popular cheer would be banned at sporting events because of the “horrific racist imagery” associated with the phrase, dating to the 19th century.

Art depicting alligator hunters using Black babies to lure the animals into the open was popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The decision came amid a broader national reckoning on race following the murder of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis.

The cheer’s return Saturday night in the Swamp was anticipated after video clips appeared on social media this week of the school band practicing the musical tune.

The band played it when FAU took the field after Florida sophomore receiver Vernell Brown’s III 49-yard touchdown catch gave the Gators a 7-0 lead. Fans responded loudly with the words, “Gator Bait.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Game time: Florida Gators vs. FAU Owls — TV, betting odds, keys

Edgar Thompson — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 14:00:43 +0000

When: Saturday, 7:45 p.m.

Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville

Latest line: UF is favored by 26.5 points

TV: SEC Network

Weather: 84 degrees, 20% chance of rain

Coaches: Zach Kittley 4-8 at FAU; Jon Sumrall in first year at UF, 43-12 overall.

Quick slant: The last Gators coach to lose his debut at the school was Charley Pell in 1979. Sumrall is the ninth head coach since then. Florida is 4-0 in the series, last defeating the Owls 35-14 to open 2021 in Dan Mullen’s final season. The 35-year-old Kittley is the youngest head coach at the FBS level.

About FAU (0-0): The 2025 Owls led the nation with 340.2 passing yards per game and return quarterback Caden Veltkamp and leading receiver Easton Messer. Veltkamp threw for a school-record 3,641 yards and 24 touchdownss but also a national-leading 17 interceptions. Messer finished with 1,052 yards and six touchdowns on 104 receptions. FAU also allowed a program-record 36.3 points per game and yielded 5.97 per play, ranking 107th among 136 FBS teams.

Florida quarterback Aaron Philo looks to throw during the 2026 Orange & Blue Game April 11 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the UF campus in Gainesville. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

About UF (0-0): Aaron Philo becomes the Gators’ seventh starting quarterback in eight seasons at quarterback after following offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech. Philo passed for 938 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions during six appearances with the Yellow Jackets, adding an 18-yard, game-winning run in relief against N.C. State in 2024. He is among six transfers starting on offense, while two will start on defense. The unit that ranked 70th and 75th nationally the past two seasons.

THREE THINGS TO WATCH

1. The trenches. Sumrall wants his team to establish its identity with phyiscality and toughness up front. Florida faces a learning curve on the offensive line, with three transfers in a starting role and senior Bryce Lovett starting for the first time at left tackle. Florida tallied 19 sacks in four games, but only seven in the other eight last season. Coordinator Brad White seeks consistent pressure.

2. Gators secondary. Kittley’s up-tempo attack will test the communication on the defense’s back end a season after Florida allowed 15 completions of at least 40 yards, ranking 100th nationally. Sophomore cornerback Ben Hanks Jr., who received high praise from Sumrall since spring, makes his first career start.

3. Receiver Dallas Wilson. Florida’s 6-foot-3, 218-pound sophomore is a rare talent. Foot injuries limited him to four games last season, but he addressed them during the offeason. If healthy, he can create opportunities throughout the offense.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

UF signs whopping deal, among nation’s highest to feature logos on Florida Field

Edgar Thompson — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 13:12:25 +0000

GAINESVILLE — Steve Spurrier-Florida Field will prominently feature the cryptocurrency XRP beginning Saturday night against Florida Atlantic after UF’s athletic department signed a multi-deal with Ripple to display the logo on the Gators’ playing surface.

Ripple is a leading provider of blockchain solutions across traditional and digital finance.

As part of the agreement, the XRP logo appear on each 25-yard line when Jon Sumrall’s Gators open the 2026 season against FAU.

The deal will be worth $5 million annually, among the largest in college sports, according to a source.

“Florida has a long history of embracing innovation and technology to enhance the experience of our fans and advance our programs,” athletic director Scott Stricklin said in a statement. “Ripple has established itself as an innovative leader in financial technology, and we’re excited to welcome XRP to Gator Nation.”

Last season, Geico Insurance paid $1 million to advertise each of the Gators’ final two home games, against Tennessee and Florida State, after UF took advantage of an NCAA ruling permitting field logos.

Corporate advertisements are ubiquitous at stadiums across the nation, but logos provide a lucrative revenue stream to help athletic departments address escalating costs.

A 2024 NCAA ruling permitted schools to seek sponsorships for field logos and jersey patches ahead of pending revenue sharing with athletes. The House v. NCAA settlement required school distribute $20.5 million to athletes beginning July 1, 2025, a recurring expense set to increase 4% annually until the end of the 2034-35 school year.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Gators’ Jadan Baugh tries to do what Emmitt Smith didn’t at UF

Edgar Thompson — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 18:23:47 +0000

GAINESVILLE — Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith never did it at Florida.

Neither did the Gators’ all-time leading rusher Erricht Rhett or future NFL stars Neal Anderson or Fred Taylor.

Jadan Baugh now sets his sights on making history for a program steeped in it.

The Gators’ season opener against Florida Atlantic Saturday night in the Swamp will begin Baugh’s pursuit of his second consecutive 1,000-yard season — something never achieved at Florida. But the unprecedented feat is an an afterthought for one of the SEC’s top tailbacks, who is focused on getting better.

“It doesn’t cross my mind because I don’t too much try to think about it,” he said. “My main focus is improvement each day. I try to tell all the guys: ‘Improvement is our best friend.’

“If we can improve each and every day, then we’ll get the result that we want on Saturday.”

As nearly four-touchdown favorties, the Gators could get past FAU without their best effort. But Baugh and Co. will push to set the tone for a turnaround season under first-year coach Jon Sumrall.

“Going into it with the mindset of just being tough, physical, relentless and being a very scrappy team, regardless of how the outcome is or how much adversary we face,” he said. “We’re just going to go out there and give our best at all times.”

Florida sophomore tailback Jadan Baugh (13) rushed for 266 yards against Florida State Nov. 29 in the Swamp to become the Gators' first 1,000-yard rusher during the regular season since 2012. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Baugh is positioned to be the best version of himself.

The 20-year-old Georgian’s 266-yard, 38-carry masterpiece during last November’s 40-21 rout of Florida State ended a miserable four-win season with a burst of momentum for Baugh.

The Gators’ strongest pound-for-pound skill position player, the 6-foot Baugh trimmed down a few pounds to 222 and added lean muscle in order to handle a similiar workload in a new offense under Buster Faulkner.

“Perfect game shape,” Baugh said.

He also won’t have to be a one-man show given the Gators’ tremendous depth at running back and receiver. No Florida players posesses Baugh’s unique skill set, either.

He can run between the tackles with power, bounce outside and beat defenders with elusiveness and speed, and serve as a sure-handed outlet in the passing game able to turn short receptions into long gains. This season, Faulkner might also line up Baugh in the Wildcat formation, where he’ll receive a shotgun snap and have the option to run, hand off or even throw.

Having been a safety, outside linebacker, defensive end, running back, quarterback, receiver and returner at Decatur Columbia, a small 2A school east of Atlanta, Baugh said, “I’m ready. Full package.”

The Gators won’t have to completely rely on him a season after injuries and a lack of depth decimated the team’s skill positions. Baugh is eager to see what his teammates can do.

“The way we look at it is anybody can go score, and we compete as we don’t want to come off the field because we know if somebody else gets on the field, it’s going to go for a touchdown,” he said. “I can’t wait to see what happens Saturday.”

For Baugh, it could be the start of history in the making.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

From washing dishes at Waffle House to Gators: Joseph Mbatchou living the dream

Edgar Thompson — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:55:38 +0000

GAINESVILLE — At around 11 p.m. at a local Waffle House, Joseph Mbatchou quietly washed dishes and cleared tables, helping his family pursue the American dream.

Grayson High School defensive line coach Greg Carswell was grabbing a late bite after work in the fall of 2023 when he noticed the towering, powerful teen with a scruffy beard.

“I said, ‘Sheesh, who is that?’” Carswell told the Orlando Sentinel. “I was like, ‘That’s a grown man who looks like a kid.’ He just still had that baby face.

“I was like, ‘What’s your name?’”

The brief introduction that October became a life-changing moment.

A day or two later, Carswell spotted Mbatchou in the halls at Grayson High — located in Loganville, Georgia — where he was with his mother, Rosaline, registering for classes.

“I said, ‘Mom, he will be at football practice every day for the rest of the year,’” Carswell said. “She was like, ‘Oh my goodness, he plays basketball.’

“I said, ‘Well, he’s going to play football now.’”

Three years and 90 pounds later, the 6-foot-5, 321-pound Mbatchou is poised to help anchor the middle of Florida’s defense when the Gators open the season Saturday night against Florida Atlantic in the Swamp.

Serving as fellow sophomore Jeremiah McCloud’s backup at nose tackle, Mbatchou still has plenty to learn.

He’s also well ahead of schedule.

“He was working at Waffle House, just trying to help his family out and help put them in a better situation,” Carswell said. “I don’t think we ever knew at that moment he’d be where he’s at now.”

Florida defensive tackle Joseph Mbatchou, nicknamed the "Big Striker," pushes back a blocker from Long Island University during his true freshman debut during the Gators' season opener Aug. 30, 2025 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. (Maddie Washburn / UF's University Athletics Association Communications)

Am amazing journey

Getting here wasn’t easy.

In fact, it was unfathomable when Mbatchou stepped onto a football field for the first time at one of the nation’s top high school programs, a team already stockpiled with talent.

The 17-year-old had never even taken a three-point stance.

“You’re walking in the room, and these other kids have been doing this their whole life,” Carswell said. “And not just that, they’re the best at it — the best in the country at it — and you’re walking in really raw.”

Despite his basketball background, Mbatchou lacked lateral movement, body control, balance and explosiveness on the gridiron.

“But he had good strength. He had good speed. He had transferable traits,” Carswell said. “There was just no foundation as a football player.”

Mbatchou’s work ethic and tenacity, however, proved to be unmatched, even among a collection of Power Four prospects.

The son of immigrants from Cameroon who moved to the U.S. when their son was 3 months old, Mbatchou wasn’t about to take his opportunity for granted.

“That raised the temperature of the room,” Carswell said. “‘Hey, you’ve been doing this for 10 years. This is his first day doing it. Why is he going harder than you?’

“Joseph matched his inexperience with just effort.”

Those efforts didn’t get Mbatchou on the field as Grayson made a run to the Georgia 6A semifinals. But he attacked the offseason, training with his teammates at school and four days a week away from campus with Carswell.

By the time preseason camp began in 2024, Mbatchou had added 40 pounds and weighed 270.

Colleges flocked to Logansville to see his high-profile teammates, including Texas-bound linebacker Tyler Atkinson, Andre Fuller, a defensive end now at Georgia Tech, and Josiah Victor, the nose tackle at N.C. State.

Mbatchou soon caught their attention, too.

“I got offers really fast,” he said. “But I was still trying to learn every day.”

By the end of his senior season, Mbatchou was becoming a force.

He finished with 30 tackles, including 13 for loss and three sacks, along with 12 quarterback hurries.

A few weeks before Grayson defeated Carrollton for the state title, Mbatchou flipped his commitment from Texas to Florida, with USC among his other primary suitors.

Another step behind

Mbatchou did not arrive in Gainesville until June of 2025, putting him, once again, a step behind his teammates.

He quickly realized how far behind when he squared off against All-American center Jake Slaughter during OTAs, an offseason practice session without pads.

“It was a zone play. It was my first time doing anything,” Mbatchou recalled. “I remember they snapped the ball, and Jake was gone in like half-a-second. I didn’t even see what happened before I got out of my gap.”

True to form, Mbatchou went to work.

As the season began, he was a serviceable player. After star defensive tackle Caleb Banks re-injured his foot in Week 3 at LSU, Mbatchou moved in and out of the primary rotation.

He finished 2025 with 135 snaps, 11 tackles, including one for loss.

During Florida’s annual rivalry game at Georgia, Mbatchou came to value every opportunity.

“It was just me realizing that every snap, the most important thing is I have to do my job — not doing my job one time could cost us,” he said. “There was one play where I had gotten out of my gap, and it was a big gain. That’s the thing this year: No matter what I do, I’m gonna do my job.”

Mbatchou appears to be ready after adding 23 pounds of muscle.

Nicknamed the “Big Striker” by defensive line coach Gerald Chatman, Mbatchou is heavy-handed and doesn’t give ground without a fight.

Given his limited experience, he has an impressive sixth sense. Besides playing just one high school season, he was limited by injuries this past spring — his first at Florida.

“Those kinds of players really struggle with being instinctual,” defensive coordinator Brad White said Wednesday. “He gets it. He’s got block recognition. He’s going to be a guy that elevates and excels quickly in this sport because of that.

“He’s a big, strong, rugged force inside. We need him to be that all year.”

Mbatchou’s pass-rushing skills still need work.

As gets better at identifying opposing linemen setting to pass block, he’ll be able to turn on the afterburners and chase the quarterback.

At the same time, the 19-year-old already is on the fast track.

“It seems like he’s been playing for a while,” veteran linebacker Myles Graham said. “He’s just a football player. He’s very gritty. He’s tough.

“I like playing behind him.”

Living the dream

As he evolves into an SEC-ready nose tackle, Mbatchou still can’t quite believe where he finds himself.

Fate clearly had a hand.

When the Mbatchous were able to purchase their first home in Loganville, 45 minutes east of Atlanta, Grayson High happened to be across the street. The basketball powerhouse was also a future state champion, led by Jake Wilkins, son of NBA Hall of Famer Dominique, making it less appealing for Mbatchou to pursue a basketball career as an undersized power forward.

“It wasn’t really worth competing,” he said. “I felt like I could put my time to better use.”

Taking a job at Waffle House and focusing on his studies seemed a good way to help out his family and pave a future.

Then, one night, the stars aligned.

Carswell’s hankering for a late-night snack and a chance meeting with Mbatchou were the start of a promising football career no one saw coming.

“A kid that was washing dishes at Waffle House, as a junior in high school, turned into one of the biggest national prospects in the country because he made a decision to put the work in and go get it,” Carswell said. “I’m extremely excited for him and everything he’s doing.”

A teenager from another continent, raised by a father, Simplice, who played futbol and in a family seeking a better life is now becoming his best self.

“I feel blessed to be in this position,” Mbatchou said. “If I think about three years ago, I’m thinking, ‘What am I gonna do after high school? What’s the next step?’

“This gave me a possibility to help my family, but also gave me a chance to do what I love to do and go to school for free while doing it.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Up next …

FAU (0-0) at UF (0-0)

When: 7:45 p.m., Saturday

Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville

TV: SEC Network

Favorite: UF by 26.5 points