Florida football fans have long been yearning for a top-tier offense – a trait the program hasn’t had since the dominant trio of Kyle Trask, Kadarius Toney, and Kyle Pitts. This very desire played a pivotal role in Florida’s aggressive pursuit of now LSU Head Coach Lane Kiffin – as Gator fans envisioned his fast, high-scoring offenses making history in Gainesville. Though the “Lane Train” didn’t make a stop at Florida, there’s still some life in Florida’s hunt for a desirable offense.
Earlier this week, FootballScoop named expected Florida offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner as the Offensive Coordinator of the Year for his efforts with the overachieving Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech.
Why Buster Faulkner took the crown
Football Scoop's Zach Barnett dove into why Faulkner won the prestigious award, including some information that'll be sure to excite Florida fans.
"In 2025, no team did a better job of crafting an offensive identity out of its talent and getting the most out of said talent than the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets," Barnett wrote.
"For starters, consider that seven FBS teams finished among the top 20 nationally in rushing offense and passing efficiency.
"On the ground, the Yellow Jackets were confusing to prepare for and bruising to play against. Led by quarterback Haynes King, the Ramblin' Wreck averaged an even 203 yards per game on 5.6 yards per carry, a number that ranked 11th nationally. The Jackets popped 22 rushes of 20-plus yards and 10 of 30-plus, both of which ranked among the top 30 nationally but were not so astronomical to imply that Georgia Tech did its damage on the grounds by hitting a few home runs and then striking out otherwise. No, the Jackets simply pounded out consistent gains over and over and over again, grinding its opponents into dust in the process. Georgia Tech ran for multiple touchdowns in 11 of 12 games, exceeded 300 rushing yards twice, and averaged at least six yards per carry in half of their games.
"With all that was required to stop the Georgia Tech run game, Faulkner then did an outstanding job of layering the passing game on top of the omnipresent run threat. King connected on 230-of-321 passes for 2,697 yards with 12 touchdowns against five interceptions. He averaged near or above 10 yards per attempt in a string of four consecutive games from mid-October to mid-November, including a 304-yard, 3-touchdown effort in a win over Syracuse, a 408-yard outing against NC State, and a 371-yard game in a shootout win over Boston College. Senior Eric Rivers led the club with 42 receptions, and six Jackets caught between 19 and 42 balls, while seven players tallied between 556 and 212 yards. Additionally, seven different Georgia Tech pass-catchers found the end zone.
"As a team, Georgia Tech finished 12th nationally at 466.3 yards per game on 7.09 per play. That figured tied for seventh nationally and, more importantly, represented a near yard-per-play improvement from 2024. After averaging 28.5 points per game in 2024, the Jackets scored 33.1 points per game this fall."
Sumrall: flipping the script?
It's no secret Florida's hiring of Jon Sumrall erupted some displeasure from the Florida faithful. The program fired Billy Napier less than 50 days prior, and Athletic Director replaced the now James Madison Head Coach with Billy Napier 2.0?
That's at least how a large chunk of Florida fans interpreted the situation, bringing excitement surrounding a coaching hire to an all-time low in Gainesville.
But less than one week into the job, Sumrall poached one of the best coordinators the sport has to offer from another power conference program.
If there was any move to change the tide with the Florida fanbase – hiring a fiery, driven offensive coordinator would be the one. And Faulkner's award recognition will give more reason to get excited for Florida fans.