6 transfers that will have the biggest shoes to fill for Florida this season

The Florida Gators had a ton of turnover from 2025. Besides almost an entirely new coaching staff, the roster saw nearly 30 players come into the program and nearly 35 players depart. 

There will be a lot of new names and faces in Gators uniform this year, but many of these players are familiar to Jon Sumrall and members of his staff. Some of the players that left Gainesville took a lot of experience with them and that is something that Sumrall hopes he was able to address with many of the incoming players.

But inevitably, there are players in positions where they will have big shoes to fill and here are six players that will try to make fans forget about their predecessors:

Regardless of what fans might've thought about DJ Lagway while he was struggling last season and whether they are rooting for him at Baylor or not, he was a seasoned quarterback with SEC experience and now Philo is presumably stepping into that role as a first-year starter. 

The good news is that he's a Buster Faulkner recruit and has been under the offensive coordinators' tutelage for a few years. So, understanding the offense won't be an issue. However, executing the offense, especially the downfield passing game, is still something we have to see. 

Jake Slaughter might have been the best center in the nation over the past couple of years, and now he's going to be an opening week starter for the Los Angeles Chargers. Moore, who also transferred from Georgia Tech, will be the foundation of an offensive line that has some new faces. 

There are big question marks all over the offensive line, so Moore has to be the stabilizing force with a year of being the starting center for the Yellow Jackets already under his belt. It would be nice if he were to become an All-American player like Slaughter was, but Moore's leadership should be able to guide this unit through some growing pains.

Coleman had over 1,000 snaps on defense for Baylor in the past three seasons, and now he'll step in for  Jordan Castell, who started 34 games for the Gators before transferring to Kentucky in the offseason. Castell was a steady presence in the secondary and was an All-SEC Freshman and recorded at least 50 tackles each season. Coleman brings plenty of experience with him, so the hope is that it will be a seamless transition into Brad White's defense.

Whereas Coleman comes in with plenty of experience as a starter and key reserve, Clark spent his first three years at UCLA as a reserve and struggling with injuries before getting a few starts for the Bruins in 2025. Right now he's the favorite to be the starter at the STAR position, replacing Sharif Denson, who started 18 games over three seasons in Gainesville. Clark came into Florida ready to compete and his strong efforts in spring practice and fall camp have paid off.

"He's got a little spark plug mentality. I like the way he plays, he gives you a little juice...a little bit of an edge, a little bit of a chip on his shoulder. I look forward to watching him grow," Sumrall said of Clark earlier in August. 

The next time the Gators see former three-year starting tight end Hayden Hansen, he will be on the opposite side of the field with the Oklahoma Sooners on November 7. Harpring got plenty of burn last season at Georgia Tech and the upside for the former four-star recruit is tremendous. He's athletic with great hands that will have to show more as a blocker. By bringing in Harpring to replace Hansen, it's a trade of proven production for a younger player with a high ceiling. 

Trey Smack hit over 80 percent of his field goals during his career as a Gator and was a weapon on kicks over 50 yards. Durkin, however, is no slouch. The 2025 American Conference Special Teams Player of the Year hit nearly 90 percent of his field goals last season with Tulane and was 4-of-6 on kicks over 50 yards. Durkin also had around an 87% touchback rate on kickoffs. 

He's got some skills, but will Durkin be able to perform in the pressure-packed SEC? Florida is expected to play some tight games this season and Durkin will be asked to make some big kicks in tough environments.

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