CFB overtime: Florida’s Jon Sumrall makes all the right calls, coaching pressure mounts, key takeaways from Week 4

In the middle of last season, in the middle of what would become the craziest training cycle of the decade, Florida had what appeared to be the inside position for Lane Kiffin.

Kiffin even asked Ole Mademoiselle defensive coordinator Pete Golding after a victory on October 25 Oklahoma: “Are you ready to go to Gainesville?” according to John Talty of CBS Sports.

A month later, LSU licensed Brian Kelly and the coaching carousel spun in a different direction.

Kiffin chose the Tigers. Florida had to pivot. They turned towards Tulane coach Jon Sumrall.

Facing Golding’s No. 4 Ole Miss team, the No. 21 Gators gnawed at the Rebels all afternoon en route to a 52-28 victory. Those 52 points represent the most the Gators have scored against a top-five opponent in program history. Florida, which never managed to collapse Billy Napieris 4-0 for the first time since 2019.

Florida made the right hire with Sumrall, a straight, energetic shooter who never won fewer than nine games in four seasons as head coach.

Since then, he has done all the right things.

Napier could never get out of his way in attack. He never hired a free-agent offensive coordinator. He insisted on calling plays before leaving town. Florida has never had a top-55 offense under Napier’s leadership.

Sumrall, a defensive coach by trade, went out and hired Georgia Tech OC Buster Faulkner to execute his attack. He did more with less every year Georgia Tech. With all the talent possible in Gainesville, the Gators have scored 214 points thus far, the second-highest total in program history through four games.

Florida didn’t spend a lot of money on a QB.

He added Aaron Philo from Georgia Tech. Faulkner knew what he had in the Yellow Jackets’ backup. He responded by completing over 70% of his passes with 917 passing yards.

This money went to retention. The Gators were able to keep the receivers Dallas Wilson And Vernell Brown.

More importantly, they managed to recover two players from the transfer portal.

First-year star defensive end Jayden Wood announced that he planned to transfer. Florida brought him back into the fold and he responded with four sacks so far this season, including one against the Rebels.

More importantly, Sumrall did everything he could to land an exceptional running back. Jadan Baugh House.