Gators Expected to Add Second WR Coach from Georgia Tech

Jon Sumrall is expected to add one more coach to his first staff with the Florida Gators.

New UF head football coach Jon Sumrall is expected to make one more coaching hire. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Jon Sumrall's first coaching staff with the Florida Gators was seemingly finalized with the hiring of Chris Foster as the running backs coach. Instead, he is expected to make one more staffing hire, reportedly bringing over Georgia Tech wide receivers coach Trent McKnight.

CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz on Sunday reported Florida was targeting McKnight, who was originally rumored to be the Gators' next tight ends coach, to coach the inside receivers alongside primary receivers coach Marcus Davis.

Florida is expected to hire Georgia Tech wide receivers coach Trent McKnight, sources tell @CBSSports.

Likely to work with inside receivers. Was at GT the last two years with new Florida OC Buster Faulkner and coached multiple All-ACC receivers. Before GT, was OC at Georgia St. pic.twitter.com/ozwtOFzOq2

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 28, 2025

While Florida is expected to hire McKnight, who spent the last two seasons with the Yellow Jackets under now-Gators offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, Georgia Tech is still working to retain him, according to On3's Kelly Quinlan.

At Georgia Tech, McKnight became best known for his recruiting and development, particularly that of Eric Singleton Jr. and and Malik Rutherford. In 2024, the duo combined for 118 receptions, 1,456 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Before his stint at Georgia Tech, McKnight was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Georgia State for two seasons (2022-23) after a five-year stint as the Panthers' wide receivers coach (2017-21). There, he coached three of the program's top five reception leaders and nine all-conference players.

He also coached at Samford as a run game coordinator and tight ends coach (2015-16), pass game coordinator and receivers coach (2014), tight ends/inside receivers coach (2012-13) and student assistant (2009-10), at Georgia Military College as the receivers coach (2011) and at Oak Mountain (Ala.) H.S. as an assistant (2008).

He began is coaching career as a recruiting intern at Alabama in 2007 in Nick Saban's first year leading the Crimson Tide.

If hired, McKnight would round out a diverse coaching staff under Sumrall that includes two retentions from former head coach Billy Napier's staff, multiple carry overs from Tulane, coaches Sumrall previously worked with at other schools and outside hires with no overlaps.

Faulkner will lead the offensive staff that comprises of offensive line coach and former Gator Phil Trautwein (Penn State), receivers coach Davis (Auburn), running backs coach Foster (Duke) and tight ends coach Evan McKissack (Tulane).

Defensively, former Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White headlines the staff with defensive line coach Gerald Chatman (Florida), safeties coach Chris Collins (Kentucky), corners coach Brandon Harris (UCF), nickles coach Dae'one Wilkins (Florida), linebackers coach Greg Gasparato (Tulane) and outside linebackers coach Bam Hardmon (Tulane), another former Gator.

Sumrall has tabbed former Tulane staffers Rusty Whitt and Johnathan Galante to lead the strength and conditioning program and special teams unit, respectively.