Jon Sumrall is going to have some work to do to win over Florida's fanbase ahead of the 2026 season. Beyond the fact that he is not Lane Kiffin, Gator fans are scarred from the fact that the previous coach in Gainesville was also a Group of Five hire from Louisiana.
There are very real reasons to have concerns, and the data paints a picture of similarities, but Florida is banking on Sumrall having the correct mindset and demeanor to make it in the SEC.
Jon Sumrall knows what Florida fans want
In Florida's official announcement of Sumrall, they included some quotes from the new coach talking about what he plans to do in Gainesville.
One quote in particular made Florida fans take notice:
"One of my first priorities will be to assemble an incredible staff, including an offensive coordinator who understands that, at Florida, having an explosive offense isn't optional – it's mandatory!"
Scared Money Don't Make Money
The fact that Sumrall, who is a defensive guy, already knows he needs an explosive offensive guy is an encouraging sign. One of the real concerns with Sumrall is that he plays in far too many one-score games and tends to grind games out, which makes work in the Group of Five but is not a good indicator of future success in the SEC.
So if Sumrall can find himself a top-level OC given the resources he will have to work with at Florida, there is a pathway he can make this work.
But Gator fans are correct to feel skeptical given the catchphrases they were fed by Billy Napier. When he was hired at Florida, Napier famously said, "Scared money don't make money," only to play scared for four years.
Even prior to this season, Florida tried to rally around "Spot the ball," only to come out of the gates flat and lookdisinterested.
What we envision is an offseason where Sumrall is going to say all the correct things because he does come off as a charismatic guy one can rally around.
Whether or not that is going to translate onto the field is still to be determined.