The Florida Gators barely missed out on the AP top-25 going into the 2026 season, and it’s not a surprise. They are coming off of a 4-8 season where they fired Billy Napier after seven games. With the hiring of Jon Sumrall, there is a lot of hype with this year’s team, but it’s still a relative unknown.

As we go into the season kicking of on September 5th against the Florida Atlantic Owls, the Gators are currently on a list where Sumrall’s success will be paramount.

Florida Gators have an expensive roster

It’s no secret that the Gators have an expensive roster. You have to if you want to have any chance to compete in the SEC. On3 Sports’ Andy Staples grouped the Gators with the Auburn Tigers as team who could compete for a playoff spot outside of the AP Top 25.

“My logic with the Sarkisian Line is that it should help identify the unranked power-conference teams that most resemble the ones that actually will make the CFP. Based on the list Nakos and I scratched out earlier this month, there are two candidates because all the others are ranked in the preseason top 25. Both happen to be in the Also Receiving Votes section of the preseason AP poll.

It’s Auburn and Florida.

The Tigers and Gators both had talented teams last season that underperformed so badly that their coaches got fired. But both programs have been spending and continue to spend like their SEC and Big Ten peers that have either won the national title or come much closer to it.

In other words, we might be about to learn how big a difference coaching makes.”

The Gators have everything you could need to make the College Football Playoff, but they still have to prove it. Sumrall will have them ready to go, and it will be fun to watch them develop.