![Florida Head Coach Jon Sumrall speaks during Florida Football Fall camp availability at Heavener Football Training Center in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5000,h_2812/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ReutersImages/mmsport/213/01m1cj2dw9hek375yxj8.jpg "Florida Head Coach Jon Sumrall speaks during Florida Football Fall camp availability at Heavener Football Training Center in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
Not that anyone needs to be reminded, but Florida’s lack of attention to detail during the Billy Napier era was among the reasons why he drew the ire of Gator fans. The inability to get 11 players on the field with any regularity became a meme and took on a life of its own.
Heading into Saturday’s opener against FAU, Jon Sumrall is well aware of the follies from the previous era, and he is trying to make sure that procedural issues are not why Florida loses in 2026.
Jon Sumrall knows Florida needs 11 players on the field
Sumrall was asked about the mock game that Florida had over the weekend. He had stated going into the exercise that the main goal of the mock game was to go over unusual situations and just make sure everyone knows where they are supposed to be at all times during the game.
Sumrall went on to explain that he did keep an eye on the Week 0 games that took place on Saturday and he pulled some plays that he hopes Florida doesn’t replicate:
“I showed our team all the Week Zero games. I showed 20 plays this morning. There was one game, there were 12 guys on the field on field goal block three times in the same game on Saturday. I'm not going to act like we're perfect, but I'm going to dang sure try to make sure we get 11 guys in the field.”
For those keeping score at home, there is a good chance Sumrall is referencing FSU’s slog against New Mexico State, where the Seminoles were in fact flagged three times for an illegal substitution penalty.
But he is also well aware of the issues that plagued Napier, and this doesn’t feel like an accidental reference that he is making. The sad part is that getting 11 guys on the field is the bare minimum we should expect from a team. Even a high school team isn’t getting a pat on the back for getting 11 guys on the field.
That’s how low the bar and the standard got over the past four years. But it is a notable comparison point to keep an eye on this Saturday, as the quality of the opponent has nothing to do with the quality of a team’s organization.
Florida takes the field against FAU on Saturday at 7:45 PM, hopefully with 11 players on the field.
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