Three days. Seven rounds. Two hundred and fifty-seven picks. Seven Gators. At the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, hundreds of collegiate players’ lifelong dreams came true as they were selected by one of 32 organizations.
The first Florida player off the board of this year's NFL Draft isn't any surprise.
After months of apprehension surrounding Florida football’s new-look defensive scheme under Brad White, the Gators took to the field to display their progress and in the annual Orange & Blue Spring Game.
However, Saturday's exhibition proved to have far more substance, as many players emerged on the offensive front. The flashes from some in particular provided a priming glimpse into the Gators’ first fall under Jon Sumrall and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner.
With many question marks revolving around Buster Faulkner’s offensive scheme and how Brad White has developed his defense through 14 spring practices, the Orange & Blue Spring Game gave Gator Nation a way to gauge whether Florida has become a cohesive unit on both sides of the ball.
For the first time under Jon Sumrall, the Orange and Blue Spring Game is taking place at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Stay tuned for updates.
Fourteen practices and two scrimmages later, Florida football has arrived at the endpoint of Spring ball: the annual Orange and Blue Spring Game.
One day after landing blue-chip five-star offensive line recruit Maxwell Hiller, Florida football earned a commitment from one of the top quarterback recruits in the 2027 class: Davin Davidson.
The No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the 2027 recruiting class committed to Florida Wednesday. Maxwell Hiller, a 6-foot-5 high school junior, sported offers from Alabama, Tennessee and Ohio State before committing to the Gators.
Tradition. History. Coaching. Three things senior safety DJ Coleman harped on in explaining why he transferred to Florida. Following UF’s 13th practice of the spring, the former Baylor standout noted what drove him to play in Gainesville and what he hopes to prove in 2026.
Arguably no part of the Florida football roster has more top-end talent or quality depth than the wide receiver room. And throughout Spring practice, they have proven a strong case to back up that argument.
Not only has Baugh taken on a leadership role, but he’s gotten stronger, faster and leaner through his offseason work at Florida. He said the urgency the new coaching staff demands is a major difference from that of Napier’s regime, and that UF’s disheartening four-win season has driven him to work even harder.
Chemistry is crucial on the football field, and the connection between a quarterback and his receivers is arguably the most important. But very few quarterback-reciever duos are as close as the one that’s made its way to Florida for the 2026 season.
From Manchester, England, to Gainesville, Florida, from hopes of becoming a doctor to dreams of competing in the NFL, Emmanuel Oyebadejo’s journey to play for the Gators has been anything but conventional.
UF’s rising senior defensive lineman Kamran James embodies the spirit of grit. James tore his right labrum in fall camp and was injured before he ever took a live snap in 2025. Despite the injury, James played in all 12 games for UF.
Under the gaze of 68 personnel from all 32 NFL teams, 13 Gators returned to Gainesville for Florida Football's 2026 Pro Day.
Through Florida’s six spring practices, quarterbacks Tramell Jones Jr. and Aaron Philo have jumped ahead as frontrunners for this year’s starting spot. However, Sumrall has made it clear that the quarterback room will remain in competition up until – and even into – the 2026 season.
While Jon Sumrall has made his home at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, he has surely not been confined to the football field. Seen at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center and in the stands at Condron Family Ballpark and Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, he has wasted no time taking advantage of the premier athletics found in Gainesville.
Just two weeks into Florida football’s spring practice regimen, head coach Jon Sumrall and offensive line coach Phil Trautwein have highlighted the importance of a “player-led team.”
Less than six months ago, Gators fans across the country grimaced as third-year defensive back Dijon Johnson went down with an injury to his right knee in the second half of UF’s 26-7 loss to Miami on Sept. 20. Johnson underwent surgery to repair his meniscus just two days later, a procedure that sidelined him for the remainder of his redshirt sophomore campaign.
Solutions by The State News
