Florida Gators dealt another damaging blow with the transfer portal, making it a top priority

Florida Gators DT Michai Boireau is planning on entering the transfer portal, and it’s a serious blow to Jon Sumrall’s defense.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Florida defensive tackle Michai Boireau (93) intercepts during the final seconds during second half an NCAA football game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, October 18, 2025.
Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun

Despite the Florida Gators not losing a single commit or player to the transfer portal between the firing of Billy Napier as head coach and the hiring of Jon Sumrall, the floodgates have opened over the last week.

It all started with quarterback DJ Lagway announcing his intentions to enter on Monday morning, and he is one of 16 players who have made their decision known. It was inevitable for the Gators to lose multiple players to the transfer portal, as it’s normal in today’s day and age.

Michai Boireau to enter transfer portal

Brad White’s defense is likely going to be good for Sumrall, especially with the talent they have coming in. That notwithstanding, they are losing talent, as defensive tackle Michai Boireau will reportedly enter the transfer portal.

Boireau was a constant on the Gators’ defensive line this past season and started all nine games he played this season. He recorded 20 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and one interception that sealed the Gators’ win against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during homecoming weekend.

Boireau played a significant amount of snaps for the Gators, and was impactful in the majority of games he played. His player bio on the Gators’ website highlighted his performance.

“2025: Started at defensive tackle in all nine weeks he played in. Accounted for 20 tackles and 2 sacks. Made a game winning interception against Mississippi State which was the first of his career.

  • vs. LIU: Logged a total of 15 snaps (11 on defense, 4 on special teams)… Totaled one tackle and registered a 75.9 defensive grade on Pro Football Focus (PFF).
  • vs. USF: Started and played a total of 44 snaps (39 on defense, 5 on special teams)… Racked up 5 total tackles.
  • vs. No. 9 Texas: Returned to action with a start logging 38 total snaps (33 on defense, 5 on special teams)… Made 2 tackles including his first sack of the season.
  • at No. 5 Texas A&M: Played a total of 37 snaps while starting on the defensive line as well as 6 snaps on special teams… Recorded one tackle.
  • vs. Mississippi State: Started and played 33 snaps on defense with 4 on special teams… Recorded one tackle and the game sealing interception which led to a Florida win. This was the first interception by a UF defensive lineman since Gervon Dexter Sr. had one against Kentucky on 9/10/2022. 
  • vs. No. 5 Georgia: Logged 38 snaps while starting on defense and 5 on special teams… Made 3 tackles, one of which was a sack.
  • at Kentucky: Totaled 31 snaps on defense and 6 on special teams… Logged 3 total tackles.
  • at No. 6 Ole Miss: Started and played a season high of 51 snaps on defense with 4 on special teams… Recorded 4 tackles and logged a PFF defensive score of 69.2 which was the 3rd highest on the defense. 
  • vs. Florida State: Recorded 23 snaps while starting on the defensive line… Made one tackle.”

With the Gators already losing edge rusher George Gumbs Jr., edge rusher Tyreak Sapp, and defensive tackle Caleb Banks, the Gators are now set to lose their starting four going into the 2026 season. They do have three high-end defensive line recruits with four-stars KJ Ford, Kendall Guervil, and JaReylan McCoy.

It’s frustrating to see Boireau go, but once the portal opens, the defensive line will be a major priority.

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