During SEC Media Days, we gave a quick preview of each of Florida’s nine SEC opponents for 2026. When we talked about South Carolina, we commented that there is a chance it could litteraly be the last game Shane Beamer coaches for the Gamecocks.
But as Josh Pate points out, the Gamecocks do have a potential star at QB that most fans have forgotten about. It also got us to thinking: who are some other “forgotten stars” the Gators will have to face in 2026?
The following are five players who came to mind who haven’t been at the forefront of discussions about who Florida will face in 2026, such as Arch Manning, Ahmad Hardy, etc, but who could absolutely still be a thorn in the side of the Gators if Florida isn’t careful.
Five players who could cause problems for the Gators in 2026
LaNorris Sellers - South Carolina
The inspiration for this list, LaNorris Sellers, came into the 2025 season with every bit the dark-horse Heisman campaign that DJ Lagway had. Instead, Sellers took a noticeable step backward in 2025, with the biggest factor being the neutering of his ability to run. In a recent piece in The Athletic, one SEC assistant coach stated “I think last year they wanted to make him the first pick in the draft, so they just wanted to throw the ball with him.”
But if Sellers can recapture the magic from 2024, he has enough ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat and beat Florida by himself if the Gators don’t plan accordingly.
CJ Baxter - Kentucky
The former five-star running back out of Orlando had a decent enough freshman campaign in 2023, running for 659 yards and adding another 156 receiving yards while still with Texas. Then, in 2024, he tore his LCL and PCL during fall camp and missed the entire 2024 season. Last year, still with Texas, a hamstring injury knocked him out for a month. He finished with 54 carries for 196 yards.
So the classic question for everyone now that Baxter is with the Wildcats is: if he can stay healthy, can he regain his five-star rating? If so, Florida fans are hoping not to have flashbacks to recent meetings with Kentucky, where a running back has run wild over the Gators.
Donovan Olugbode - Missouri
In the case of Olugbode, this isn’t so much a case of him taking a dip as the previous two. He was a high four-star prospect who had 400 yards receiving as a true freshman. It is more a case where the headliners on Missouri’s offense take the headlines away from a potential breakout performer.
But especially if Ahmad Hardy isn’t back to 100%, Olugbode might just become the focal point of Missouri’s offense, and if he can get a connection with one-time Gator commit Austin Simmons, don’t be shocked if Olugbode turns into a 700+ yard receiver for 2026.
Junior Sherrill - Vanderbilt
Depending on how this season goes, there could be a discussion of who made who in Nashville between Diego Pavia and Junior Sherrill. Since most people seem to think Vanderbilt will be crashing back to Earth this season, Sherrill wasn’t even included in the All-SEC Preseason team, despite coming off a 784-yard season with seven touchdowns.
Is there a world where Sherrill balls out and gets to 1,000 yards? We shall see.
Tre Wisner - FSU
The second notable former Texas running back Florida will see in 2026, Wisner was a 1,000-yard rusher for Texas in 2024 when he took over for Baxter. He also had 311 yards receiving in 2024.
But he, too, took a major step backward in 2025, and there are questions about whether the former three-star running back was just a flash in the pan and whether he will even be the starter for FSU.
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