Following a dispiriting season from Florida football — one that resulted in the team’s worst record since 2013 — Jon Sumrall signed a contract to become Florida’s next head coach.
Some of the biggest questions circulating the program are about recruitment and the transfer portal. The 43-year-old is a defensive-minded leader with over a decade of coaching experience, serving at Troy and Tulane, and is expected to bolster Florida’s roster on both sides of the ball.
“I'll recruit with my hair on fire,” Sumrall said. I'll recruit all the time.”
In his first press conference as UF’s head coach, Sumrall explained his recruiting philosophy of balancing strong support for the guys who are already a part of the program with constant recruiting. With Florida players including DJ Lagway, Dallas Wilson and Myles Graham in attendance, Sumrall took the time to recognize the group and assure they’ll have his full support — even more so than new recruits.
“Future Gators matter to me, current Gators matter more,” he said. “I'm going to give more to the guys in the back of the room that are on our football team than I'm going to give anybody that could become on our team.”
Ahead of his Monday flight to Gainesville, Sumrall took the time to coordinate Zoom and FaceTime calls with recruits. He spoke with his former commits and told them to sign with Tulane, saying he doesn’t want to “poach their class.”
Sumrall also took the opportunity to thank UF recruits for staying committed to Florida and not making any hasty decisions with the coaching change looming. He said he’d love to coach them all and hopes they give him a chance at leading the program.
“I told them to give me an opportunity,” Sumrall said. “They chose Florida for a reason. It was bigger than maybe one person … I think we got a lot of great players, and I think we really got high character in that class.”
In his Tulane office, Sumrall has a sign that reads “Coach the team,” highlighting his player-focused approach and personnel-first philosophy. When asked about his priorities in his first month as head coach, Sumrall made sure to pinpoint that the start of his tenure will be about bringing the right people to Florida and focusing on upgrading the roster and coaching staff to get the Gators moving toward success.
“Get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off, right, and get the bus going the right direction,” Sumrall said. “We've got to get the right people on the bus. I think we've got a lot of them here.”
David Caldwell was hired as UF’s general manager and looks to bring his NFL-expertise to a program vying for the same recruits and national dominance as every other school in the country.
He expressed faith in his partnership with Sumrall and explained that his position will allow him to streamline the recruiting process. With open communication between UF’s general manager and head coach, the pair can compare and contrast players and recruiting strategies to make the acquisition of players well-organized and efficient.
“The partnership is great,” Caldwell said about working alongside Sumrall. “When it comes time for us to focus on the main recruits or the main portal guys, its so seamless for him, where he’s like ‘I want that guy.’”
One of the biggest assets Caldwell’s NFL-experience will bring to Florida’s recruitment and player improvement is an NFL development program. With players like sophomore running back Jadan Baugh — who Caldwell referred to as a really good player with a tough mindset — making a major splash in the SEC and preparing to build draft stock, a program like this will help maximize the potential of UF’s top players and likely keep a number of elite players in Gainesville.
“We’re going to try to have a NFL development plan,” Caldwell said. “We think it’s going to be the best in the league and we’re going to carry them all the way to their draft days … When they get to the NFL, they’re going to be prepared and have great careers.”
Beyond his deliberate approach to recruiting, Sumrall took the opportunity to lay out his vision for Florida football, giving UF fans a clear sense of the program he intends to build upon arriving in Gainesville.
“We're going to attract a championship-level staff here at the University of Florida,” Sumrall said. “We're going to play with an edge, a blue-collar mindset, and a chip on our shoulder.”
Along with his plan to create a championship-level culture and foster a competitive mindset within the program, Sumrall looks to use his defensive prowess to build a scheme that will fit a Gators unit looking to reestablish itself as a daunting defense. He said he wants his Florida defense to be the most feared in the country.
Despite being “a defensive guy”, Sumrall hopes to transform Florida’s offense into a high-powered unit as well. While he said UF may play differently than other teams he has coached, he’s committed to learning how to cater his skills to best fit the team. According to Sumrall, when he thinks about Florida football’s offense, he envisions an aggressive, explosive attack that utilizes a mix of tempos to dictate the game.
The coach also stressed the importance of his offensive stars and retaining the talent Florida already has. Sumrall said “it all starts with the quarterback and the pieces around him,” and was adamant UF needs to keep its elite skill players. He also said with conviction that UF’s offensive line will be a strong force that will “play with a demeanor that’s nasty.”
Contact Curan Ahern at cahern@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @CuranAhern.
Curan is a third-year journalism-sports & media major who currently serves as the football beat reporter for The Alligator, now in his third semester with the paper. When not at his computer screen writing, Curan enjoys spending time outdoors, hanging with friends, family and pets, and watching the Patriots lose (no, he doesn't miss Brady).
