Jon Sumrall is riding a hot streak in terms of retaining the major pieces from the 2025 Gators roster. He has already gotten the biggest piece of the puzzle, running back Jadan Baugh, to agree to return for another season in Gainesville.
Now that Sumrall has wrapped up all the key pieces on the offensive side of the ball, it's time to focus on the few remaining pieces of business on defense. One name that Florida has been working hard to get back in the fold is freshman edge rusher Jayden Woods and recent reports seem to indicate that Woods might be on the verge of returning.
It’s becoming a real consideration for Florida EDGE transfer Jayden Woods to withdraw from the transfer portal and stay with the Gators, sources tell me and @chris_hummer.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 7, 2026
Florida has been pushing to retain Woods, who’s a top 10 ranked portal player, and met with him last night. pic.twitter.com/RgPb8NDwNw
Zenith's report is supported by additional updates from On3/Rivals' Pete Nakos, who said that Sumrall went to Kansas to visit with Woods in person and was flanked by defensive coordinator Brad White and outside linebackers coach Bam Hardmon. The context of that discussion will probably stay private, but there's no doubt that Sumrall and the defensive staffers put the full press on Woods to stay with the Gators and be part of their efforts to build a championship roster. Woods announced he was entering the portal on December 29 after recording 28 tackles and 2.5 sacks in his freshman year at Florida.
If Woods decides to return to Gainesville, and all indications suggest that he will, it's another major win for Sumrall and, through these efforts, he has made it clear that he isn't going to stand pat and let things happen around him like the last regime. From the time he announced his first staff additions, to the way he has aggressively attacked the portal and retained the top players from last season's roster, Sumrall has made it clear that he wants to win big and do it immediately.
When does the transfer portal window close?
As Sumrall and his staff try to wrap up business with Woods, they continue to work the portal with a little more than a week remaining in the window. The transfer portal opened on January 2, and it will close at the end of the day on January 16.
The Gators already have a dozen pledges from the portal, including quarterback Aaron Philo (Georgia Tech), who is expected to be the starter next season, and running back Evan Pyror (Cincinnati), who will provide a nice balance to Baugh in the running back room.