Former Gators Coordinator Raves About Sumrall, Faulkner

While 11 games remain, former Florida Gators defensive coordinator Geoff Collins has already seen enough from new head coach Jon Sumrall and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner to stamp them as great coaches after an impressive display against FAU.

“I want to talk about the best offensive coordinator you’ve never heard of yet, Buster Faulkner,” Collins said during an episode of the Geoff Collins show. “One of the top play-callers in the country… [he] is a hell of a football coach.”

The stats for every team Buster Faulkner has called plays for have exploded when he gets there.

It is no coincidence that in his first game with Florida, the gators broke a 36 year old record.

This is why he is the best Offensive Coordinator in the country you likely have not… pic.twitter.com/rcm5q1YOWY
— Coach Collins (@CoachCollins) September 7, 2026

This strong review from Collins comes after the Gators posted 66 points in the season opener against the Owls, the most by the Gators to begin a season since 1994. Moreover, the offense produced 624 total yards, with 343 coming through the air and 281 on the ground.

Looking at these numbers, Collins could only speak glowingly of the new Gators offensive coordinator.

“I’ve had a Game One in the Swamp, and it was nowhere near the performance that Buster Faulkner put on display last night,” Collins said.

A big reason Faulkner’s system is so effective is because of how unpredictable he makes his offense. While he uses similar motions, shifts and formations, defensive coordinators will see several different plays from it.

“The motions, the shifts are all complementary, and he will package those all together,” Collins said. “So if you see a counter, you’re going to see a play action off of it. If you see a counter and a play action, you’re going to see a screen off of it. Counter read, power read, jet sweep, layered deep routes — all of those things exist, and as a defensive coordinator, it is an absolute pain to deal with.”

As for Sumrall, Collins raved about him during a separate live appearance on The Next Round. It started with an offseason practice that Collins watched, in which he first saw what Sumrall was like.

“I went to a Florida Gators practice, and I was impressed. I was impressed with that dude and how he ran a college football practice,” Collins said. “The way he runs a practice was awesome. Disciplined, detailed, there was not a lot of wasted time; it was physical.”

However, the biggest takeaway for Collins was how Sumrall ended the practice.

“At the end, normally there is a ra-ra speech, something sexy for social media during preseason camp,” Collins said. “Jon Sumrall, at the end of it, ripped them for about three minutes and then just walked off the field. It was the greatest thing I have ever seen.”

Count @CoachCollins among the growing list of Jon Sumrall fans pic.twitter.com/mTwCNbFouk
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) September 8, 2026

And that is what Collins saw once again this past Saturday.

“Well, then you watch the game and his presser; he didn't candy-coat anything,” he said. “He kept it 100 with them and was real. ‘Here is my assessment. I'm not going to candy-coat it for social media. I’m not going to try to put some cool spin. I’m just going to tell it like it is.’ I thought it was a breath of fresh air just listening to him talk about his team, being honest, being direct, not being mean-spirited.”

Sumrall has already earned thousands of supporters since he was hired in December, thanks to several decisions that look like the right ones so far. His most important one, though, appears to be hiring Faulkner to take play-calling duties for the offense.

If these two continue their coaching displays like they did last Saturday, the Gators will be in good hands for the rest of the 2026 campaign.

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