Florida is more or less done with locking in the roster for 2026. While there is the option to add a couple more players who may still be floating around in the transfer portal, the Gators are rolling into offseason workouts with the vast majority of their 2026 squad.
Jon Sumrall mused over the weekend about the fact that there isn’t a spring portal to fix any potential holes the roster may have if he realizes there are gaps. It’s with that in mind that these are some of the biggest wildcards on the roster who could make or break Florida’s season in 2026.
EDGE LJ McCray
We’ve highlighted LJ McCray a couple of times this offseason, given that it wasn’t known whether he would even return to Florida. If one doesn’t follow recruiting, then it’s understandable if you have zero clue who McCray is.
But he was one of the very real recruiting wins that Billy Napier had, and McCray was the headliner alongside DJ Lagway for the class of 2024. And while Lagway’s level of success in Gainesville will be debated for years, there is no mistaking that McCray has yet to live up to his five-star billing. Injuries and other factors have derailed his first two seasons in Gainesville.
The good news for McCray is that with the return of Jayden Woods and Kamran James, there won’t be the heightened spotlight for him to be “the” guy, but if he can emerge as “the” guy in 2026 alongside Woods, Florida could wind up with the best EDGE group in the SEC.
WR Davian Groce
Speaking of recruiting, Davian Groce comes to town as the headliner of the class of 2026. As we mused yesterday, Groce had a monster senior year with over 1,600 yards receiving and yet couldn’t get a rankings bump from Rivals.
On paper, like McCray, he isn’t going to have to be “the” guy starting out in 2026. Florida’s wide receiver room is set to feature Vernell Brown III, Dallas Wilson, and Auburn transfer Eric Singleton. Those three alone could be a top-three unit in the SEC.
But injuries were not kind to the wide receiver room in 2025, and this is where a potential playmaker like Groce may have a chance to create one of the most dangerous rooms in the country if he lives up to the top 50 billing that 247 and ESPN have given him.
RB Evan Pryor
After all the drama surrounding whether or not Jadan Baugh would return, it is worth remembering that Florida has seven other running backs on the roster. Cincinnati transfer Evan Pryor probably isn’t the guy who wants to be the lead back, but he has a ton of traits to be a fantastic complementary back to take the load off Baugh.
Pryor averaged 6.9 yards per carry off 79 carries in 2025 and 7.5 yards per carry off 56 carries in 2024. If he can keep up those numbers in Gainesville, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Pryor get north of 100 carries in 2026.
QB Aaron Philo and/or Tramell Jones
If we are being honest about Florida’s roster, it has all the playmakers needed to be one of the better offenses in the SEC in 2026. But to this point, one of the huge mysteries that will follow this team all offseason is at quarterback.
Even though Jon Sumrall claims there will be a fair competition, it’s not insane to assume that Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo is at least starting out with the inside track to be the starter in 2026. He was, after all, Buster Faulkner’s handpicked QB out of the portal, and he will have a grasp of the playbook better than Tramell Jones to open camp.
But both Philo and Jones are unknown entities. Both have made a couple of spot appearances, but neither has quantitative proof that guarantees success in 2026. The narratives so far have been “I think he’ll be up to the task.”
If either Philo or Jones takes the reins and runs, Florida will be just fine. If neither is able to step up, it will be a long year for the Gators.
CB Cormani McClain
It’s tough to classify someone who took 460 snaps in 2025 as a true “wildcard,” given we got an extended look at Cormani McClain last season, but given the state of Florida’s corners heading into th spring, there might not be a player who might determine Florida’s 2026 fate more than McClain.
On paper, Florida has McClain, Dijohn Johnson, Ben Hank III, and Javari Flowers back. They also added Jordan Lowery out of the transfer portal. This group alone one could look at and not immediately cover their eyes, but there also isn’t a true lockdown corner that has emerged.
This is where, if McClain can morph into the former five-star that Florida fans desperately wanted before he went on his extended odyssey prior to arriving in Gainesville, there are a ton of things Florida’s defense can accomplish in 2026.