Florida Gators Transfer Portal Winners: Jon Sumrall left no doubt who the team is built around
Here are the Florida players who are the biggest winners after the transfer portal window closed.
When the transfer portal opened on Jan. 2, there were fears that the Florida Gators would once again ignore it. Former head coach Billy Napier barely used the transfer portal, which was a significant source of frustration among the fanbase.
Under new head coach Jon Sumrall, that hasn’t been the case, as they have done extensive work in the transfer portal. So far, they have secured a whopping 28 commitments, with the latest being cornerback Jordy Lowery from East Carolina.
It’s not just about the additions to the roster, but also the players returning. Some of them came across as big winners throughout the transfer portal.
Winner No. 1: WR Dallas Wilson
Wide receiver was a major focus for the Gators during the transfer portal window. First, they needed to re-sign Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III. They retained both, while picking up Eric Singleton as the star of their wide receiver additions. Even though the Gators added four players at the position in the transfer portal, one thing that was made clear is that Wilson will be a major focus.
Of all the additions made to the position, none of them play X like Wilson does. Now, there was some speculation about landing Cam Coleman via the transfer portal from the Auburn Tigers, possibly following his old wide receivers coach, Marcus Davis, but he committed to the Texas Longhorns. Wilson will be the likely centerpiece in offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner’s offense, and he has the talent to elevate it to the next level.
Winner No. 2: QB Trammel Jones Jr.
The vibes weren’t great on Dec. 15 when quarterback DJ Lagway announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal. He was one of the Gators’ top priorities to retain, but he decided against it. He ended up committing to the Baylor Bears.
While the Gators did bring in Aaron Philo at quarterback, he’s not at the level where he’s guaranteed to be the starter. Jones decided to stay with the Gators, and it’s likely because he was told he would get a chance to compete for the starting job.
In his first in-game action against Long Island, he looked decisive, accurate, and his arm popped enough that many were calling to see him more. That didn’t happen until the Gators got blown out by the Kentucky Wildcats, and it was garbage time by then. Spring practice will be a really interesting time for Jones.
Winner No. 3: CB Cormani McClain
One position on defense that needed some attention was cornerback. They do return Dijon Johnson at outside cornerback, but Devin Moore is off to the NFL, and they didn’t make any major additions to the position in the transfer portal.
The former five-star, McClain, is still in line to be a starter on the outside, mainly because the Gators did not bring in serious competition. He displayed some impressive parts to his game as a redshirt sophomore, and it could be a huge benefit to the Gators in 2026.