Jon Sumrall is facing questions from Florida fans after decision on Brandon Spikes

Jon Sumrall has pushed the right buttons for most of his first six months as the head coach of the Florida Gators, but the decision to remove Brandon Spikes from the football program is one that was met with some pushback.

Spikes, a two-time All-American linebacker at Florida from 2006-2009, had his position with the 'Gator Made' program removed as the athletic department began to restructure things. The three-time All-SEC linebacker helped with the program geared toward educating student-athletes about life after football.S Spikes, a former second-round pick of the New England Patriots in the 2010 NFL Draft, has also been a frequent visitor during recruiting events. 

The full details of the restructuring of the Gator Made program and the football program in general are still not completely known, nor the reasoning for the decision to remove the beloved linebacker. Spikes continues to be very active on social media and has continued to post on his X (fka Twitter) account all weekend, but did not mention this move and hasn't spoken about it.

Spikes continues to be active around the school. He's currently in his graduate program with the Warrington School of Business.

Brandon Spikes decision has Gator fans scratching their heads.

Spikes is a lot of things. He's been very outspoken during the struggles of the program under Billy Napier. He doesn't mince words when he feels like the play on the field or the effort was unacceptable. He wears his Gator heart on his sleeve and that's a big reason why fans love him so much. Spikes has also embraced his role with player engagement, both with the players currently in the program and recruiting targets, including top defensive line prospect Jalen Brewster.

Some fans are not happy with this move at all.

But other fans have suggested that there is a reason for this and the move isn't what people assume it is. It very simply could be that Spikes' course work is getting intense, and he didn't have time to do what he needed to do for the program on a full-time basis and finish up his graduate degree. It's very possible that Spikes will be part of the restructuring in the long run and take on a much different role. 

The timing is pretty odd. We're in the heart of the recruiting season with three weekends of official visits   and Spikes is so good with the player engagement aspect and the way he represents what it was like to be a Gator football player and the way the university has continued to support his education since coming back to complete his degree a few years ago and now his continued academic success in the school's MBA program. Spikes is a special figure among Gator players and a special player that fans gravitate to. There's no question in my mind that Spikes will continue to serve the football program and the university in some capacity and soon enough we'll know what that role is. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow