Jon Sumrall determined to 'wake the beast up' at Florida: How quickly can Gators become contender?

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Florida is one of college football's most iconic programs, but it hasn't been firing on all cylinders in recent years. Jon Sumrall, entering his first season as coach of the Gators, is confident he can restore the team's status as a perennial contender.

"We gotta wake the beast up," Sumrall said following Florida's spring game on Saturday. "We gotta wake this thing up. It's a sleeping giant. I'm telling you right now, it ain't a matter of if we're going to win here. It's how fast we're gonna win here. It's coming."

The Gators have been slumbering for a while now. They haven't cracked double-digit wins since 2019, when Dan Mullen was at the helm. Not only is Florida still waiting for its first College Football Playoff berth, but it hasn't even been bowl eligible in two of the last three seasons.

There's plenty of work to be done for Sumrall, but all the ingredients are there for Florida to reclaim its place atop the SEC -- and the college football world. Sumrall acquired a few impact players via the transfer portal, and his 2027 signing class is off to a strong start.

Throw in a 2026 schedule that looks relatively manageable, at least on paper, and Sumrall might be able to get Florida on a path to competing for championships in the near future.

Can transfer haul ignite offense?

Shortly after arriving in Gainesville, Sumrall got to work attacking the transfer portal. As is usually the case after a coaching change, Florida lost its fair share of talent. Thirty-four players left via the portal, but Sumrall and his staff were able to add 29, some of whom are expected to make big impacts right away.

The most notable pickup was former Auburn and Georgia Tech wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr., who played under offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner for two seasons in Atlanta. A four-star recruit in the portal, Singleton has 2,002 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in 36 career games. Singleton should be a dangerous weapon for Faulker this fall.

Aaron Philo, another former Yellow Jacket, gave Sumrall and his staff another option at the quarterback position. His familiarity with Faulkner's offensive scheme may give him the inside track against Tramell Jones, a three-star signee in 2025.

The Gators also revamped their offensive line via the portal, bringing in four players, including two expected to compete for starting jobs: Harrison Moore (Georgia Tech) and TJ Shanahan (Penn State).

Still, while Florida brought in a high volume of transfers, its class ranked No. 28 nationally and No. 12 in the SEC. Sumrall acknowledged that the Gators weren't going to bring in 29 starters from the portal, but he wants to see those players thrive in their roles.

"What you want to see is, as we shift to summer and into the season, everyone has to know their role, embrace their role and be a star in their role," Sumrall said. "It is nice to see some transfer guys make plays, elevate and validate what we thought. Certain guys flashed. Certain guys gotta do more."

If Philo wins the job, Singleton reaches his potential and the offensive line solidifies, Florida could take a big step forward on offense after averaging just 21.6 points per game last year.

Favorable 2026 schedule

One thing that's definitely working in Sumrall's favor this year is Florida's schedule. As far as a nine-game SEC slate goes, this one is pretty manageable. The Gators do have to visit Texas and meet Georgia in Jacksonville, but there is a bye week between those games.

Outside of those three weeks, Florida has plenty of winnable games on the schedule. Ole Miss and Oklahoma both have to come to Gainesville, as do Vanderbilt and South Carolina. The three non-Texas conference road games are Auburn, Missouri and Kentucky. That's not exactly a gauntlet considering the alternatives.

In nonconference play, Florida takes on FAU, Campbell and a Florida State team that might be led by an interim coach by the time that game rolls around on Nov. 27.

According to FanDuel, the Gators' win total is set at 7.5. It's not hard to see Florida exceeding that number if it's able to protect home field and take care of business in winnable games on the road. Neither of those things have been a guarantee lately, but perhaps Sumrall can turn the tide.

Hot start to 2027 recruiting

In the same breath with which he described Florida as a "sleeping giant," Sumrall said that he and his staff will work tirelessly to bring championship-caliber talent to Gainesville.

"We're gonna land some pieces in recruiting, and we're about to build a roster here that is gonna bring it back to where we all want it to be," Sumrall said.

It's still early, but so far, Sumrall has been able to back that up. Just last week, the Gators landed a commitment from five-star offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller, who is the No. 4 overall player and top-ranked lineman in the 2027 recruiting cycle.

If Florida can sign Hiller, he will be the fifth-highest-rated recruit in program history. Sumrall now has a cornerstone player around whom to build out his 2027 class, but even before landing the commitment from Hiller, the Gators were on a roll.

Over the last month, Florida has received commitments from three-star cornerback Aamaury Fountain, four-star quarterback Davin Davidson and four-star wide receiver Tramond Collins. Florida's 2027 class now ranks 17th nationally and should keep climbing if Sumrall continues to pull in talent at this rate.

Acquiring talent is just the first step in building a powerhouse program, and as we've seen at Florida and other programs, it doesn't always translate to wins. That said, this is an encouraging start for Sumrall as he tries to awaken the swamp-dwelling beast in Gainesville.