Paul Finebaum Names Struggling SEC Program That Could Have a 'Really Good Year'

SEC Nation analyst Paul Finebaum looks on prior to the game. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Florida Gators were one of the best programs in the SEC in the 1990s and 2000s. However, they haven't been able to recapture that success since 2010.

Florida Hopes to Recapture Dominance

The Gators had 12 double-digit win seasons from 1990 to 2009. They've had four since then, and none since 2019. They've also had six losing seasons since that time span, including four in the last five seasons.

The program has gone through nine head coaches since 2010, both interim and full-time. They are now on their 10th coach, Jon Sumrall, hoping he's the answer to getting Florida back to being a dominant program in the SEC.

Sumrall went 43-12 in his four seasons coaching the Troy Trojans and the Tulane Green Wave. He's won double-digit games in three of the four seasons, with the one season he didn't win double-digit games being a 9-5 season in his first year at Tulane. His best season came last year, when he led Tulane to an 11-3 season and made the College Football Playoff.

Florida Head Coach Jon Sumrall speaks during Florida Football Fall camp. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Now, he takes over a Gators program predicted to finish No. 9 in the SEC, according to ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI). The. FPI has them going 7-5 for the year. That would be a promising season, given Florida's recent performances.

Jon Sumrall Has One Early Game That Could Define 2026

ESPN's Paul Finebaum revealed on "The Paul Finebaum Show" that he thinks Florida can be pretty good this year, but it's key for them to beat the Auburn Tigers early in the season to gain that momentum.

"I think if he can beat Auburn early in the season, that's the third week, I think they've got a chance for a really good year," Finebaum said. "But that is going to be a bellwether game."

Florida Is Trying to Escape a Decade of Mediocrity

Florida's recent history makes Sumrall's arrival particularly important. The Gators were once a program that expected to compete for SEC and national championships, but they have spent much of the last decade trying to find their way back to that level.

Sumrall brings a résumé that gives Florida reason for optimism. He consistently won at his previous stops, developed programs quickly and most recently took Tulane to the CFP.

But rebuilding Florida is a much different challenge. The Gators play in the SEC, where there is little room for a slow rebuild, and the program needs to start showing progress quickly.