Greg McElroy Warns SEC About College Football Powerhouse Ahead of 2026 Season

Florida football hasn't been part of the national conversation in a long time. Well, in a positive light. The Gators went 4-8 last season and have posted just one winning season in the past five years.

Former head coach Billy Napier was fired in October, and the program handed the job to Jon Sumrall, who came over from Tulane after leading the Green Wave to their first College Football Playoff berth.

Most people expect Florida to have another underwhelming season this fall as it goes through growing pains under new leadership. Don't count ESPN's Greg McElroy as one of them.

Greg McElroy says Florida could surprise the SEC in 2026

Speaking with ESPN's Christine Williamson from SEC Media Days in Tampa, McElroy was asked how the Gators can turn things around, and he said the roster already has enough.

"Well, they just have to live up to their potential," McElroy said. "If you look at their roster last year, when the stars aligned and they actually played to what they were capable of, they went and knocked off Texas in relatively convincing fashion. That was something we just didn't see very often throughout Billy Napier's tenure."

That Texas win happened in October, when Florida beat the seventh-ranked Longhorns at home. It came during a stretch in which the Gators lost to South Florida, LSU, Miami and Texas A&M. The talent showed up once and then disappeared.

McElroy then pointed to Sumrall's record. "If you look at his four years as an FBS head coach, he's been to four conference championships. He's taken Tulane to the College Football Playoff. Had tremendous success at Troy before that. There is a level of accountability that he expects within the program, not just from the players, but from the coaches as well."

Sumrall went 23-4 at Troy with two Sun Belt titles, then 19-7 in two years at Tulane. He has reached a conference title game in all four of his seasons as a head coach.

"So I think this team, by the way, I think they're a lot more talented than people realize. I think they're going to be great, potentially elite at wide receiver. I think they're going to be really good at running back, and they have depth at that position as well. If they get quarterback right and the offensive line comes together, they're going to be good at all three levels defensively. They could really surprise some people in the SEC this year."

Florida Gators outlook under Jon Sumrall

The pieces McElroy named are real. Running back Jadan Baugh rushed for 1,170 yards last season, becoming the first Gator to top 1,000 since 2015. He capped it with 266 yards and two touchdowns against Florida State. Baugh turned down interest from Texas and signed a new deal to stay in Gainesville. Behind him, Florida added Evan Pryor from Cincinnati and London Montgomery from East Carolina.

The receiver group got a full rebuild through the portal. Auburn transfer Eric Singleton Jr. headlines a group that also includes Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III. Singleton played under new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner before, which matters for a group learning a new system.

Who will be the starting quarterback is unresolved. DJ Lagway transferred to Baylor. Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo and redshirt freshman Tramell Jones Jr. are competing for the job, with true freshman Will Griffin behind them. Sumrall gave no timeline at media days and said he could use both.

Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh — Florida running back Jadan Baugh (13) will be a key piece of the Gators' offense this season after rushing for 1,100+ yards a year ago. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"None of them need to be Tim Tebow," Sumrall said. "They need to be somebody that just manages a game and operates the right way at the line scrimmage and doesn't turn the football over. We've got decent skill players around the quarterback position with Jadan Baugh and the receiver group."

Florida will have its hands full in conference play, including road trips to Auburn, Missouri and Texas, plus home dates with Ole Miss and South Carolina.

Florida opens the regular season at home on Sept. 5 at 7:45 p.m. ET against Florida Atlantic at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

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