Gators Announce Captains for LIU Game

Three seniors will take the field first for the Florida Gators' season opener on Saturday.

Florida Gators edge George Gumbs Jr. will be one of three captainst on Saturday. | Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The Florida Gators on Friday announced its three captains for Saturday's season opener against Long Island.

Taking the field for the coin toss will be a trio of seniors in edge rusher George Gumbs Jr., running back Ja'Kobi Jackson and long snapper Rocco Underwood. Traditionally under head coach Billy Napier, Florida has three different captains each week.

"I think we have lots of guys that are capable," he said Wednesday. "You know, we allow the players to vote at the end of the year. That's our thought process is to observe the group within competition, within the adversity of the season, the ups and downs, and then over time, their body of work as a leader. We got, probably had more votes last year, you know, it was spread out. So I think that's a good thing.

"We have some signature leadership on this team. There's some individuals that I think are really historically good at it. It will be a tough decision each week."

Game 1️⃣ Captains

🐊 @rocco_4015
🐊 @GeorgeGumbs
🐊 @24JJACK pic.twitter.com/a9MGodRxHu

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) August 29, 2025

Gumbs Jr. and Jackson are each coming off breakout seasons after transferring into the program.

Gumbs Jr., a 2024 transfer and former walk-on receiver at Northern Illinois, set new career highs last season with 35 tackles and five sacks. He is expected to be the starting Jack linebacker this season.

"I try to bring the energy every day. Uphold the standard," he said on trying to bring a championship-caliber defense back to Florida. "I try to tell guys I want communication, effort, flying around, that is kinda my big thing. I want guys to talk and have fun.”

George Gumbs Jr. will look to build off his breakout 2024 campaign in his final season of collegiate eligibility. | Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrate

Jackson, meanwhile, took a little longer to blossom with the Gators. A former JUCO back, he enrolled at Florida in 2023 but did not appear in a game until last season. He finished 2024 with 509 yards and seven scores.

"I would say my confidence is pretty much the same. I'm just trying to do whatever I need to do as a team," he said. "As a team, I would say it's pretty much steady. I think we're mainly focused on execution and doing the little things now."

From JUCO to Florida, running back Ja'Kobi Jackson is part of a one-two punch for the Gators' rushing game. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Underwood, last year's winner of the Patrick Mannelly Award for being the nation's top long snapper, rounds out the three captains. He has also been on the team longer than both Jackson and Gumbs Jr. as a member of Dan Mullen's final recruiting class in 2021.

Since his arrival, Underwood has seen a complete culture change within the program.

"I feel like last year was the first year, I really felt like there wasn't like cliques. I feel like everyone's a team," he said. "That's really what brought us together toward the end of the season, when we weren't having a great time. Like when we really can have each other's backs, we talk about being a fox hole guy, like, if you were down in a little bunker with one guy, would you have the other guys back. That's just good to see."

Florida Gators senior Rocco Underwood was the nation's best long snapper in 2024. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Florida's season opener against Long Island begins on Saturday at 7 p.m. Streaming coverage from inside The Swamp can be found on SEC Network+.