Two Transfers Setting the Tone for Florida's Revamped OL

As Florida looks to establish its starting offensive line, two transfers are setting the tone ahead of fall camp.

TJ Shanahan Jr. is one of four transfers Florida added to its offensive line this offseason. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

The Florida Gators approach fall camp with plenty of question marks on its roster, including the offensive line. After shuffling through multiple combinations during spring camp, head coach Jon Sumrall said there has been tremendous growth from the group since he first arrived on campus.

"The biggest thing that that group has done this summer has gotten stronger. I was very underwhelmed with our strength when I got to Gainesville with our offensive line," he said at last week's SEC Media Day. "The weight being moved wasn’t up to the standard of what I’m comfortable with. The guys in that room, they’ve gotten real comfortable with pushing heavy weight. Like, they’ve improved, their bodies look different.

"There’s certain guys that still have maybe some body things we need to work on comp-wise. Some guys it’s weight gain, some guys it’s weight loss, everybody’s different."

In particular, two newcomers are standing out in Sumrall's eyes: center Harrison Moore and guard TJ Shanahan Jr.

"I think we got great leadership in that room. Two transfers that have really set the standard how we work. Harrison Moore, offensive center from Georgia Tech, and TJ Shanahan, offensive guard from Penn State have both kind of elevated maybe the rhythm that that room marches to,” Sumrall said.

#Gators newcomers TJ Shanahan Jr. and Harrison Moore pic.twitter.com/ksqj3WsI85

— Cam Parker (@camparker25) March 10, 2026

It is not a surprise to see those two, in particular, stand out.

Moore transferred to Florida after two seasons at Georgia Tech, where he appeared in 21 games with nine starts under now-Gators offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner. In 2025, he was named a Joe Moore Award Semifinalist after starting eight games as the Yellow Jackets' center. Last February, Faulkner explained that Moore is very similar to All-American Jake Slaughter.

"He’s a throwback. Tough guy. Played through everything and coachable," Faulkner said. "So it was good for us, but again he’s going to have to come in here, compete and earn everything that’s out there. But we’re excited for him and excited that he’s here. He’s a mentality type of guy.”

Shanahan Jr., meanwhile, transferred to Florida after a stint at Penn State under now-Gators offensive line coach Phil Trautwein after transferring from Texas A&M. He played in all 13 games for the Nittany Lions, with five starts while playing at both guard spots. His 75.1 PFF pass block grade was among the top 100 for FBS guards.

After transferring to Florida, Shanahan Jr. garnered significant praise for bringing intensity during offseason workouts and spring camp.

“Iron sharpens iron. Every time we have pods or one-on-ones, I’m always going against him because I know he’s going to be a guy who makes me better, and he knows that as well," defensive lineman Brendan Bett said of Shanahan Jr. in March. "He’s always asking, ‘Hey, let me get a rep with you at 3-tech on a pass rush,’ and I’ll go get it. But for the most part, he’s really been getting me better. After practice, there are times when I’ll come up to him and say, ‘Hey, you hit me with this—what did you see?’ Just trying to pick his brain, pick the offensive line’s brain, just to see what they see and help elevate my game, while also giving him pointers to help elevate his game as well.”

While those two appear to be favorites to land two of the five starting positions on the offensive line, with Moore competing with Jason Zandamela at center and Shanahan Jr. with several players at right guard, the other three appear to be wide-open. Eagan Boyer and Caden Jones are competing at left tackle, while Jones is also cross-training at right tackle and competing with Stanford transfer Emeka Ugorji.

Knijeah Harris, a staple on Florida's offensive line over the past three seasons, is a strong contender at left guard.

Nonetheless, all five positions are wide-open heading into fall camp.

"I don’t know if we’re settled on the best five, no. I think we’ve got who’s in contention," Sumrall said. "There’s kind of an above the line maybe in the competition right now. It’s mixing and matching, and we’re not done. We’ll go through training camp and continue to work different groupings."

Florida opens fall camp on Aug. 5, with the season set to open on Sept. 5 at home against FAU.

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