Jon Sumrall achieves something fans begged Billy Napier to do with the Florida Gators on an explosive Tuesday morning

The Gators landed three transfer portal starters on offense, with multiple players committing to play in Gainesville.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo (12) warms up before the start of a NCAA college football game against Georgia in Athens, Ga., on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. Philo played his high school football in the Athens area winning a state championship at Prince Avenue Christian.
Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tuesday morning was a big one for Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall. When the transfer portal opened, the Gators were expected to be serious players, and they have lived up to that. It’s something that former head coach Billy Napier didn’t do: make the transfer portal a priority.

The Gators’ priority in the transfer portal is to load up on offense for new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner. They landed three players on Tuesday morning who will maximize the impact on offense.

Florida Gators land transfer portal commitments

QB Aaron Philo signs with the Gators

With DJ Lagway entering the transfer portal, quarterback was a major priority. There are some heavy hitters out there, but the Gators didn’t show a lot of interest in those players. Instead, they focused all of their energy on someone Faulkner knows too well: Aaron Philo.

Coming to Gainesville as a redshirt sophomore, Philo has one start in college football. He finished that game 21-of-28 for 373 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. In high school, he broke Trevor Lawrence’s passing records. There is a lot to like about Philo’s game, and Faulkner knows how to build an offense with anyone under center.

Gators get Jadan Baugh a running mate in Evan Pryor

The second addition of the day was a talented running back in Pryor. He’s entering his sixth year of college, having spent three years with the Ohio State Buckeyes and the last two with the Cincinnati Bearcats. His stats are limited, but injuries have been a major factor in his career. Pryor has averaged 6.3 yards per carry in his career, including 6.9 yards per carry last season on 76 carries.

Pryor won’t carry the Gators’ offense, but he can be a great complementary piece to pair with Jadan Baugh now that he has re-signed with the Gators.

Phil Trautwein brings first Penn State offensive lineman to Gainesville

With Jake Slaughter, Austin Barber, and Damien George all moving on to the NFL, the Gators needed to add starting-caliber players to the offensive line room. New offensive line coach Phil Trautwein brought his first player with him from the Penn State Nittany Lions, in TJ Shanahan Jr.

After transferring from the Texas A&M Aggies to Penn State, Shanahan played 419 snaps with five starts on the season. He has experience at both guard spots, which will be valuable for the Gators to get their best starting five on the field.

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