Josh Pate Names Program That Could Be the SEC's Biggest Surprise

The Florida Gators knew it was time for a change.

A once national contender, year in and year out, hasn't been able to find that same success in the College Football Playoff era. In fact, the team has had just three double-digit win seasons since the playoff was formed in 2014. The team has had nine head coaches, both permanent and interim, since then.

Florida Turns The Page

But they finally feel they have the right guy to get the team back on track in Jon Sumrall after firing Billy Napier during the season last year. Sumrall comes to Gainesville after going 20-8 in two seasons at Tulane, leading them to their first College Football Playoff berth in program history last season.

Sumrall has brought a fire to the program, and it has a lot of fans excited for the season. A big reason is that they added former Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, who has SEC experience after spending some time at Georgia.

Florida quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. (9) passes during the first half of the Orange and Blue game. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jon Sumrall Brings New Energy

Josh Pate revealed on his show, "Josh Pate's College Football Show," that he feels Florida could be the biggest surprise in the SEC next season.

"I look at Florida, and I'm not going to start them in the top 15," Pate said. "I'm not going to predict them to do anything. But that's my one that I say if there was this out of nowhere team that was right in the thick of it late November and it was Florida, that's the one where I'd go, you know what, that's not all that shocking to me."

There's a lot to like about Florida, but there is always a lot to like about the Gators. The team is always one of the most talented in the country, but talent can only get you so far. It's up to the coaching and the culture to get your team over the hump.

Talent Has Never Been The Issue

This year will be no different. The Gators will be extremely talented. The question is whether Sumrall is up to the task of getting them over the hump. He doesn't necessarily need to do that in Year 1.

It's unfair to judge a coach in their first year, especially in this era. Sonny Dykes led TCU to a national championship game in Year 1 in 2022, but hasn't gotten close since. Brent Venables led Oklahoma to its first losing season since 1998 in his first year. He has since led them to their first CFP since 2019.

So, it's unfair to judge a coach by his first year. But if he does lead them into contention, it will definitely raise expectations in Gainesville and might re-establish the Gators as a legit SEC contender. It might be as soon as 2026.

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