Jon Sumrall now has all of his focus on his new team in Gainesville since Tulane was knocked out of the College Football Playoff in the first round by Ole Miss. That means that it is time for him to not only finish building his staff, but to start building his team.
The Gators certainly have taken a hit with players entering the transfer portal. Some of the biggest names have included quarterback DJ Lagway, running back Jadan Baugh, and wide receiver Tre Wilson III.
As it usually happens when a new coach takes over, this team will look vastly different next season, and one thing Sumrall must make sure he does is attack the transfer portal. There are many players he could go out and get, but one thing he must do is make sure he builds an elite offensive line for whoever he chooses to play quarterback next season.
There is already one player in particular that Sumrall has a connection with that he absolutely needs to go out and bring back to Gainesville.
Jon Sumrall must find a way to get former Tulane OL Shadre Hurst in a Florida uniform in 2026
Just like Florida, Tulane also had a mass exodus of players with their head coach leaving. Some of those players might even choose to come to Gainesville and continue their career with Sumrall as their head coach. There is one player that Sumrall absolutely needs to try to get in order to build an elite offensive line around.
Saturday Blitz released its transfer portal rankings for each position, and one former Tulane player made the Top 10. Left guard Shadre Hurst intends to enter the transfer portal, and he is a player that Sumrall absolutely needs to bring to Gainesville with him.
Hurst still has three years of eligibility left, and having the backing of a strong program like Florida could certainly help his development in that time. The young guard was great in pass protection this season, allowing just six QB pressures; however, his run blocking could use some work.
By the looks of it, Hurst has a lot of upside for his future, and having him to build the line around in Gainesville sounds like a perfect scenario for Sumrall.