Florida Gators HC Jon Sumrall highlighted overlooked transfer portal addition who had a massive impact in Week 1 victory
Within the Florida Gators’ 66-21 win over the Florida Atlantic Owls was a secret superstar who could pay major dividends all year.
Jon Sumrall’s head coaching debut for the Florida Gators was an exciting one, as they destroyed the Florida Atlantic Owls 66-21. It was the most explosive offensive performance since Kyle Trask was throwing touchdowns to Kyle Pitts in 2020.
Even with the massive offensive explosion led by quarterback Aaron Philo and running back Jadan Baugh, the Gators weren’t quite as sharp on defense. They failed to get consistent pressure against the Owls and tackling was an issue. The one thing that wasn’t a big issue defensively was ball production from the defensive backs.
D.J. Coleman shines for Florida Gators
The secondary was on point for the Gators on Saturday night. They intercepted quarterback Caden Veltkamp twice, along with breaking up seven passes. The key instigator was safety D.J. Coleman, who the Gators added from the Baylor Bears in the transfer portal. He got the first interception and a PBU on the one Dijon Johnson intercepted in the second quarter.
“D.J. is one of those guys who is just really consistent,” said Sumrall after the game. “He’s a high-level communicator. He’s got a high football IQ. He’s smart. He’s tough. He’s dependable. So [I’m] not surprised. He showed it in the spring game.
“[In] the spring game, he had the pick on the glance route, and like everybody’s like, ‘Oh, the quarterback threw a pick.’ I’m like, ‘Well, that was a friggin’ unbelievable play that 33 made.’ I’m glad he’s on our football team. He’s been a great pickup for us. He practices really hard every day. He invests a lot in his craft, just a steady, steady player. Not surprised by how he played because that’s how he practices.”
Safety is a spot where the Gators have a ton of youth who will be players down the line, but they aren’t quite ready to roll. Coleman got the start opposite of Bryce Thornton and immediately proved the Gators right for prioritizing him in the transfer portal.
Now, the Gators still need to figure out quite a few things defensively before te can view them as championship-level contenders. However, this game was a step in the right direction, and Coleman played a big part in that.
