Jon Sumrall is keying in on the area that the Gators must improve immediately

Jon Sumrall is a pretty intense guy. We all see that, and it's a great change from the much more laid-back style of Billy Napier. The new Gators coach is putting an emphasis on improving nearly everything, but being strong and physical is the message that's heard day after day.

And that means Sumrall is making sure the guys get after it in the weight room. If there was one underlying issue that revealed itself during the Gators' disastrous Pro Day, it was that these guys weren't lifting to their potential and, in the SEC, if you can't lift, you can't win.

The numbers that were released from the Pro Day were embarrassing, and it's even more frustrating when you realize that the Gators have a really nice weight room. It's beautiful. I'd work out there every day if I could. So for the 350-pound guard to not even hit 15 reps on the 225-pound bench...it's head scratching. Like what were they doing?

Sumrall is setting new standards for work

Whatever the Gators were doing before is a question that might never be answered, but what Sumrall has them doing now is lifting, and he wants to see proof of it.

"We need to make sure our linemen are all hitting in the 20s [on the 225-pound bench]. Hell, our coaches need to be hitting 12. So, you know, it's a work in progress," Sumrall said. "That's not something that changes overnight. Like, the expectations there have changed overnight. The standards have changed overnight."

Now lifting alone isn't going to result in victories, but not having the strength to compete with your opponents will guarantee losses. And that's the point that Sumrall is making. The 2026 Gators are going to win on talent alone. They have to be willing to outwork their opponents. That hasn't been the case the past few years, but Sumrall isn't going to let it continue.