The transfer portal is set to open this Friday, and Florida will have a lengthy wish list of guys to go after to help plug holes on the roster ahead of the 2026 season. One of the position groups that could probably benefit from at least one addition will be at EDGE.
But even without the portal, the unit will have some options to play with as is, and on Sunday got news that another key returner would be back in Gainesville for the 2026 season.
Kamran James is returning in 2026
Kamran James took to social media to announce that he would officially be coming back to Florida in 2026. James took 402 snaps in 2025 and had 3.5 sacks to go along with 44 total tackles. He was also credited with eight QB hurries, two batted balls, and one forced fumble.
Of players who took at least 100 snaps, James was graded by PFF as Florida’s 10th-best player on defense in 2025.
James came to Florida as part of the class of 2023 and was a top 200 overall prospect at the time. He played 77 snaps as a true freshman as a rotational EDGE before seeing a massive increase in 2024 when he took 360 snaps and had 13 QB hurries.
James hasn’t quite lived up to the top 100 overall billing that 247 had graded him as, but he has been a solid presence along the defensive line, and his return shores up the potential for a plus unit in 2026 even if Florida doesn’t land a big fish in the transfer portal.
Jayden Woods is also set to return, coming off the heels of a solid true freshman campaign. Woods was the 3rd highest rated defender on Florida’s defense, according to PFF. The wildcard for this group is going to be former five-star prospect LJ McCray, who played seldom as a true freshman and was riddled with injuries during the 2025 campaign.
But if McCray takes any kind of step forward, and the EDGE group of James, Woods, McCray, and one more guy (whether it’s from the portal or already on the roster) could give the Gators a needed strength along the defensive line for 2026.