One of the reasons why Florida fans had skepticism as to whether or not the Gators would actually overhaul the roster as the transfer portal opened was because of what happened last year. A year ago, Florida swore up and down that they would be “aggressive” in the portal, and it was half the justification to keep Billy Napier around for one more season. The portal opened last year, and the rug was immediately pulled out from under the feet of Gator fans as Florida largely sat on its hands and claimed it was an “expensive” cycle.
So it has been refreshing to see Florida actually follow through with what they claim they were going to do, as the Gators have addressed almost every glaring need and then some in the portal.
Florida attacks the transfer portal
With the signing of Eric Singleton Jr., it’s clear there is a serious approach to the portal this offseason. Wide receiver wasn’t even a spot where it felt like the Gators would chase after someone, and yet here we are with the possibility of the best wide receiver room in the SEC residing in Gainesville.
Florida now has 20 players committed out of the portal, and unlike the previous era, one doesn’t have to squint to see the pathway for these players to contribute in 2026. Rather than take a bunch of random projects and hope they work out, the Gators have been taking Power Four players with proven expirence and the Group of Six guys they have grabbed have mostly been the higher-rated guys.
In the On3 transfer portal rankings, the Gators are up to 7th as a team. These rankings come with a grain of salt, as Auburn was 7th last year and NC State was 7th in 2024. But the alternative for Florida was to sit on its hands and have nobody for the 2026 season.
The Gators could still benefit from an interior defensive lineman, a cornerback, and even though they have grabbed two tackles out of the portal, they could still benefit from a proven guy at that spot.
But it is a complete 180 to be in the nitpicking stage compared to the five-alarm fire stage Florida was in last year.