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Florida Gators 2026 Spring Practice No. 10 Notebook

The Florida Gators held its first post-scrimmage practice of spring camp.
Cam Parker|
The Florida Gators held its 10th practice of spring camp on Tuesday.
The Florida Gators held its 10th practice of spring camp on Tuesday. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

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GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The Florida Gators on Tuesday hit the field for its first practice post-scrimmage, with the media invited to cover a 40-minute portion of warmups and on-air individual drills before a press conference after practice.

"Lot of good work," head coach Jon Sumrall said. "We're going to be pretty physical the rest of the way out to make sure this team's getting all the reps we need to get to continue to improve. From a physicality and toughness standpoint, a lot of work to be done.

"But solid day today, not our best and our worst, just excited about continuing to get back on the grass every day and get back in the meeting room and see our guys improve and take strides forward."

Florida Gators on SI was in attendance. Here is a participation report, some notes and clips taken during the viewing period.

Participation Report

Florida Gators on SI previously detailed the Gators' first spring injury report, which can be read here. Sumrall's updates on Myles Graham, Mason Clinton and Heze Kent can be read here.

Full Participant or With Group

  • DB CJ Hester (undisclosed) - upgraded from rehab in indoor
  • DB Javion Toombs (shoulder) - upgraded from non-contact

Orange non-contact jersey, participated in drills

  • DL Kamran James (shoulder)
  • LB Myles Graham (shoulder) - upgraded from rehab in indoor
  • DB CJ Bronaugh (hip) - upgraded from rehab in indoor *out for entirety of camp

Rehab in indoor/outside away from position drills

  • WR Dallas Wilson (foot - running work outside)
  • TE Heze Kent (lower body) - downgraded from full participant
  • OL Daniel Pierre Louis (hip) *out for entirety of camp
  • OL Fletcher Westphal (wrist - rehab work outside)
  • DL Kendall Guervil (knee) *out for entirety of camp
  • DL Jalen Wiggins (hip - rehab work outside) *out for entirety of camp
  • Jack Titus Bullard (undisclosed) - downgraded from full participant
  • K Liam Padron (undisclosed)

Absent from practice

  • OL Chancellor Campbell (knee) *out for entirety of camp
  • DL Mason Clinton (knee) - downgraded from full participant *out for entirety of camp

Sumrall Recaps Scrimmage

Florida held its first scrimmage of spring camp on Saturday. Sumrall gave a rundown of what he saw from the scrimmage after Tuesday's practice.

"I thought the quarterbacks operated well. I thought some give- and-take on both sides. It wasn't dominated by one side of the football," he said. "... I think you saw some skill guys flash... I thought the running back room as a whole gives me some hope. Receivers as a whole give you some confidence, too.

"Rolling a lot of different types of combinations on the offensive line. So, it's really hard for the offensive line to get in sync sometimes when you're mixing and matching. But just really trying to evaluate individual pieces and how will they work collectively as we move forward. The D-line flashed."

Sumrall also quickly pointed out redshirt freshman corner Ben Hanks III, who had an interception during the scrimmage. Other players of note from Sumrall, who did not divulge much detail, include running back Duke Clark, defensive lineman Brendan Bett, defensive lineman DK Kalu, defensive lineman LJ McCray and defensive back Kanye Clark.

Ben Hanks III had an interception during Saturday's scrimmage.
Ben Hanks III had an interception during Saturday's scrimmage. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

Overall, Sumrall said the scrimmage was a good opportunity to elevate the physicality while also providing opportunities for players to make plays that normally were not available in a traditional practice setting.

"There's a few times in scrimmage on Saturday when the guy on the perimeter did make the play that I don't think he would have typically," Sumrall said. "So you see who can finish, who will beat the ballcarrier the ground, who will bite and who won't give ground, who will play with sturdiness and strength and make the play, You don't always know who's going to make the play until you make it live."

Tight Ends Emerging

Undergoing a mass reset at tight end, Sumrall and position coach Evan McKissack have a mostly new room to work with behind transfers Luke Harpring (Georgia Tech), Lacota Dippre (James Madison) and Evan Chieca (New Haven), alongside returning players Amir Jackson and Micah Jones, true freshman Heze Kent and walk-on newcomer Tripp Brown Jr.

"They're all unique. They all have different, I think, skill sets that, strengths and weakness-wise, sort of job description type guys, if you will," Sumrall said.

Of note, Harpring has quickly stood out, with Sumrall saying he might be the most "all-around" tight end in the room, while redshirt sophomore Amir Jackson has been a "pleasant surprise" as a willing blocker. Sumrall added that Dippre is "super physical," while Chieca is versatile but will need to continue to "build upon his game."

McKissack added that Jackson's length has allowed him to become a strong blocker on the perimeter, while Dippre is a "swiss-army knife" who plays with a tough edge. Harpring also stands out due to his familiarity in offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner's system, but it's his coachability that will ultimately allow him to succeed.

"I think sometimes we can use that as a crutch, saying, 'Hey, this person has experience in the offense,'" McKissack said. "Here’s the deal. Harpring has been very coachable. That’s one thing I’ve enjoyed and you can coach them hard."

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Georgia Tech transfer Luke Harpring. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

While there are strengths in the room, there is also room for growth. McKissack said Harpring needs to make strides in run fits, Dippre needs to continue getting in shape, Chieca needs to improve his technique and Jackson needs to play faster in the passing game.

There's also Kent, who stands out due to his 6-foot-6, 313-pound size. He is currently out with an ankle injury, Sumrall said, with an unknown recovery timeline. Additionally, redshirt freshman Micah Jones needs a "switch that flips" when he takes the field, McKissack said.

"I think Micah’s got some really good traits. They show up sometimes, but then tired sets in. That’s where we’re getting to right now," McKissack said. "... The stamina has to improve there. Playing with great technique when you’re tired. Those things got to improve but Micah’s a joy to be around."

Overall, it is unclear exactly what the rotation will look like, but it appears that Jackson and Harpring are beginning to separate themselves with Dippre and Chieca not far behind. Only time will tell, though, where the unit fits in Faulkner's receiver-heavy offense.

“We have a long ways to go, I think this time, this phase, this spring phase, it’s about the fundamentals more than anything," McKissack said after practice. "I think there are some good things as far as execution but consistency is everything. You are starting to find out what guys can do and we obviously got to try to push the envelope in what guys can do more of, especially at the tight end position.”

Former HC Returns to Gainesville

Days after hosting former UF head coach Urban Meyer for his first coaching clinic, Sumrall also welcomed back another former UF head coach to practice: Ron Zook.

Zook, Florida's head coach from 2002-04, attended Tuesday's practice and spoke to the team afterwards.

"I found out this morning he was going to be here, I was like ‘Heck man, let’s go,'" Sumrall said. "A lot of people have invested a lot in this place for it to become what we have here. When you look around, Jeremy Foley, our former AD, and Scott Stricklin our current AD. But then all the coaches have invested time here, and we get to look around like, look where we are. Like, holy cow."

While Zook's time with the program on the field left a lot to be desired with a 23-14 record in three seasons, Zook's recruiting set the stage for Florida's 2006 national title by recruiting players such as Chris Leak, Dallas Baker, Brandon Siler and now-UF offensive line coach Phil Trautwein. Sumrall also pointed to Zook's success as Florida's special teams coordinator (1994-95) and defensive coordinator (1991-93) before his stint as the head coach.

Zook's history coaching special teams also led to a moment between Sumrall and Zook, where Sumrall saw Zook jotting down notes during Florida's special teams period in practice on Tuesday. Sumrall also emphasized that even though Zook may not have had the success necessary as a head coach at Florida, Zook is still someone he can learn from.

“I think it's valuable for me to learn from everybody I interact with, whether it be Urban Meyer, Ron Zook,  Jon Gruden, Liam Coen, or y'all, I want to learn something from you," Sumrall told Florida Gators on SI. "Like, you know, when I'm interacting with y'all, I'm always trying to figure out, what can I learn from anybody I interact with? Hey it could be, I go watch my son's middle school practice, what can I pick up here? So there's always something you can learn from everybody you’ve been around.”

Other Practice Clips

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Cam Parker
CAM PARKER

Cam Parker is a reporter covering the Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers and Clemson Tigers with a degree in journalism from the University of Florida. He also covers and broadcasts Alachua County high school sports with The Prep Zone and Mainstreet Daily News. When he isn't writing, he enjoys listening to '70s music such as The Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd, binge-watching shows and playing with his cat, Chester, and dog, Rufus.

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