There's a lot of good talent expected to leave Gainesville via the transfer portal, leaving Jon Sumrall with a lot of work to do over the next two weeks.
Beyond the recent loss of tight end Hayden Hansen, there are a lot of former Gators on the updated transfer portal rankings from Nicholas Rome on Saturday Blitz. This includes edge rusher Jayden Woods, who appears at No. 2 on the edge rankings.
BREAKING: Florida true freshman standout EDGE Jayden Woods plans to enter the @TransferPortal, his agent tells @On3Sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 29, 2025
This season he appeared in all 12 games, totaling 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 INT, 5 TFL, & 1 PBU
Earned Freshman All-SEC honors https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/5kN954DQ4j
It almost makes you wonder how Billy Napier couldn't do more with a group that had so much potential. But that's in thew past now and it's on Sumrall to put together as competitive a roster as he can for a schedule that includes Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma and Ole Miss among others.
There are certain losses that will hurt more than others and Woods is that guy. He's a productive young player with NFL upside at a premium position. What makes the loss hurt even more was that the Gators made retaining him a high priority and there was nothing they could offer to make him stay.
So what happens next?
The good news is that the Gators have been able to retain some pieces, both young and experienced and most of the 2026 recruiting class stayed intact through the coaching change. There are some blue-chip prospects on the defensive line like edge rusher K.J. Ford and defensive end Kendall Guervil that could be part of the rotation out the gate. And returning sophomore LJ McCray is a former five-star recruit, so the cupboard isn't totally bare.
But all things will start with the quarterback position and expect Sumrall and new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner to find their man behind center immediately and start working on other targets after that. The primary name to replace DJ Lagway is Georgia Tech's Aaron Philo, who is ranked No. 9 QB in the portal. Philo has plenty of familiarity with Faulkner's offense and the transition should be easy.
Beyond that, there are a lot of names that have been linked to the Gators, but no commitments will be announced until the window opens on January 2.