Prior to the season, we had framed Florida’s matchup with Auburn as an apples-to-apples test for Jon Sumrall. Whatever one thought of the state of Florida’s roster prior to the season, Auburn was in a similar situation with a first year coach from a G6 program.
Sumrall passed that test.
If one wants to excuse some of Florida’s recent results as growing pains that are a byproduct of trying to clean up the mess from the previous regime, there are some fair avenues to explore with that. But this Saturday against Kentucky is going to be another very similar apples-to-apples test for Sumrall as he takes on another first year coach who took over a team with a losing record.
Jon Sumrall to be juxtaposed with Will Stein on Saturday
Kentucky has been one of the success stories of the 2026 college football season. Currently ranked No. 11 with the final at-large spot in the playoffs, Kentucky’s seven wins already match the most they have had in a single season since 2021.
Kentucky, like Florida, has a first-year coach with Will Stein at the helm, and it’s why some of the narratives that have been in defense of Sumrall in recent weeks won’t hold as much water this week if Florida were to lose by double digits once again.
Stein made his mark as the offensive coordinator at Oregon, and he was a name we floated from time to time last year during Florida’s coaching search. This isn’t to say that Sumrall isn’t going to work out, but one of the early criteria we had said we wanted Florida to go after was a Power Four coordinator versus a Group of Six head coach.
Saturday will be that style's clash.
As we also pointed out this week, there is a narrative one could craft that Kentucky’s start is a bit of smoke and mirrors. Of the three ranked opponents they have played, two have ended in a blowout, and two of their wins have come in overtime. Only four of their seven wins have come against teams with a winning record, whereas all five of Florida’s wins have come against teams that currently have a winning record.
For all the frustrations Gator fans have had, a win over Stein and Kentucky could actually be viewed as a significant early checkmark in the Jon Sumrall Era.
Another blowout, however, and we will have some genuine questions.
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