Assistant Sports Editor Ava DiCecca is a third-year sports and media journalism student and is the Summer 2026 assistant sports editor. Now in her fourth semester at The Alligator, she previously served as sports editor, the Gators volleyball beat reporter and an enterprise writer. In her free time she watches Boston sports (Brad Marchand we still love you).
After months of a quarterback battle in The Swamp, Jon Sumrall announced Monday that he is preparing for Aaron Philo to be the starting quarterback Week 1 against Florida Atlantic.
The Alligator’s UF football beat reporters — Max Bernstein, Curan Ahern, Ava DiCecca and Riley Orovitz — ranked every team in the SEC from top to bottom, and the average ranking for each team determined our ultimate order.
For UF students, the Fall semester marks more than just the start of a new school year: It stamps the beginning of another football season in The Swamp. While the excitement is overwhelming, it can be hard for students to keep track of exactly who they will be cheering for on Saturdays and what kind of season they should expect the Gators to have.
The 2027 recruiting trail has been nothing shy of a commitment cycle chock-full of blue-chip prospects and touted talents.
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.
The Gators were given a total of 11 days to revel in their SEC Championship title before competition called yet again.
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.
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.
With the Gators season now over, several issues plagued UF in its defeat. Here are five areas that cost Florida a chance at the Sweet 16.
The sound of Selena Harris-Miranda sticking her landing on bars rang like more than just a 10.0 for Florida. It sounded like a conference title.
Solutions by The State News
