![Director of Football Performance Rusty Whitt 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/213/01kzbq7kgc29mg7d12x4.jpg "Director of Football Performance Rusty Whitt speaks during Florida Football Fall camp availability at Heavener Football Training Center in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
As fall camp is underway, we’ll spend the next month psychoanalyzing clips from Florida’s practice and trying to read between the lines of things that Jon Sumrall and his staff say until the Gators take the field for real against FAU.
One of the talking points the Gators made sure to highlight was the top-end speed across the board with this roster. And while we are excited by the possibilities, we do have to give a slight word of caution if history is a guide.
Florida fans are excited for the speed on the roster in 2026
During his appearance in advance of fall camp, new strength coach Rusty Whitt highlighted the improvements Florida has made this offseason. In a recap on Florida’s website, it was noted that:
“In speed training, the Gators have two players who can run 23 mph, 15 running 22 mph, 43 running at 21 mph, and 63 who can run 20 mph. He said that based on input from those on the strength staff, the highest number of players they recall running 22 mph at anyone's previous job was five.”
And it is at this point that the word of caution comes in because that’s not actually from Whitt; that's taken from last year’s press conference recap to open fall camp. And people who paid close attention to Billy Napier’s press conferences over the years would note that “improved speed” was a constant theme.
We highlight these statements from the previous staff because during Whitt’s press conference, he noted that 56 players had hit at least 20 MPH, and what he actually said was:
“If you got a team full of 22-mile-an-hour guys at your corners and wideouts, you’re going to be in the mix.”
This isn’t to claim that Whitt is doing a poor job or that the previous staff knew what they were doing. Florida’s Pro Day this past year proved that no, the previous staff did not know what they were doing. And everything we have seen from Whitt to this point paints a picture that Florida should have more toughness and strength compared to previous years.
It’s more so a reminder that this time of year, one can make the numbers look and feel as good as they want to the public. And until we see it on the field for real, all we have to go on are numbers with no context.
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