Gators Legend Emmitt Smith Reacts to Florida Hiring Jon Sumrall

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Only the Alabama Crimson Tide have more SEC Championship Game appearances than the Florida Gators. But Florida isn't exactly close to being back in the big game.

The Gators haven't posted a winning record in the conference since 2020. Over the past five years, Florida is 14-26 in the SEC, which includes a 2-6 mark during the 2025 campaign.

That's left even the most loyal alumni, such as Gators legendary running back Emmitt Smith, questioning how quickly Florida can get back to SEC dominance. But while speaking in an exclusive interview in T-Mobile's Club Magenta before the 2025 SEC Championship Game, Smith suggested the Gators have taken an important first step -- hiring a quality head coach in Jon Sumrall.

"I'm excited about the new coach," Smith said. "What he's done in Tulane has been great. Tulane played well [Friday night]. I'm excited to see what he's going to bring to the University of Florida."

Sumrall led Tulane to an 11-2 record during the 2025 season. On Friday, Tulane capped off its conference schedule with a 34-21 victory against No. 24 North Texas in the American Championship Game.

Emmitt Smith Urges Jon Sumrall to Maximize Florida's Talent at CB, Skilled Positions

Sumrall largely won his introductory press conference as Gators head coach on Dec. 1. Of all the things Sumrall said, though, one thing appeared to impress Smith the most.

"He said it right, Florida's offense has got to be very explosive and our defense has got to be very, very aggressive," Smith said. "The only way you build teams like that is to build them inside out. That's being able to run the football, pass block, solid defensive run, stoping the run and being able to play man-to-man coverage."

But clearly, it isn't just about talent. The Gators landed a top five SEC recruiting class in two of the past three years according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

Smith stressed that Florida's coaching has to be better to take advantage of that talent.

"We got great cornerbacks and have had great cornerbacks and great skilled guys. But, coaching is paramount. It's a premium."

As of Dec. 8, 247Sports has the Gators 2026 recruiting class ranked eighth-best in the SEC.

Smith Greets Fans at T-Mobile's Club Magenta at SEC Championship Game

The Gators legendary running back came very close to watching his son, E.J. Smith, play in the 2025 SEC Championship Game with Texas A&M. But even without his son on the field, Emmitt embraced attending the big game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Smith partnered with T-Mobile to help give college football fans an even more unique experience than a conference championship game alone can offer.

"This is all about the customer base experiencing T-Mobile right here at the SEC Championship Game," Smith said before kickoff. "I'm going to get an opportunity to meet a lot of folks, shake hands, take pictures with them, give them a different level of experience of what it's like to be at the SEC Championship Game. But not only that, also what it's like to be a T-Mobile customer.

Emmitt Smith at Club Magenta in Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Former running back Emmitt Smith met fans at the 2025 SEC Championship Game. | Lizzie Potocsky, T-Mobile Account Manager

Smith met with dozens of fans in Club Magenta, a VIP fan hub for T-Mobile customers, which made its debut at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday. The former running back took pictures and talked to fans for about an hour before the Georgia-Alabama showdown.

In addition to the Club Magenta debut, T-Mobile also hosted an SEC fanfare and pregame concert featuring Ludacris for customers.

Smith ran for 3,928 yards while averaging 5.6 yards per carry during his college career at Florida. He remains the NFL's all-time leading rusher with 18,355 rushing yards at the professional level.

A four-time first-team All-Pro, Smith is also first in NFL history in rushing touchdowns (164), rushing attempts (4,409) and touches (4,924).