Gators Show Promise in Jon Sumrall’s First Spring Game

Forty-three new Gators made their debut in the Swamp for the 2026 Orange and Blue game, officially kicking off the Jon Sumrall era.

The game ended in a 45-45 tie between the offense and defense, after a missed field goal as the clock expired gave the defense the three points they needed to tie. 

Aaron Philo and Tramell Jones Jr. split reps in the first half, with Philo taking the first series. Philo went 21 of 28 for 193 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, while Jones went 13 of 17 for 210 yards and two touchdowns. 

Sumrall said postgame he would sit down with both QBs and give them the layout of how the spring went and what his visions going forward would be.

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The offense struggled early on in the first half. Philo was picked off twice, first by Baylor transfer DJ Coleman and second by Kentucky transfer Cam Dooley on a pass that came off the hands of Vernell Brown III. Coleman found himself down near the line of scrimmage as he leaped in the air to snatch Philo’s pass out of the air. 

“I thought DJ Coleman’s interception was a really nice play,” Sumrall said. “Just a great play by DJ.”

The Blue team was very run-heavy to start, with most passes being check-downs out of the backfield or over the middle. They found themselves down 25-10 with just two minutes left in the first half.

The offense picked it up during the two-minute drill, airing the ball out down the field to score three touchdowns before the half. Philo hit Brown for a 32-yard touchdown down the right sideline, and Jones hit Micah Mays Jr. on a double-move for a 75-yard touchdown on the next play. 

Philo then hit Mays Jr. on a post route for another touchdown on the last play before the half. The Blue team put up 22 points in a minute and a half to take a 32-25 lead at the half.

“We treat all those two-minute [drills] like it’s the end of the game,” Sumrall said at halftime. “I told Buster, ‘We ain’t taking a freaking knee right here, open this s— up.”

Jones took the first drive of the second half before handing the reins off to Aidan Warner and Will Griffin. Warner went 4-for-7 for 62 yards, and Griffin went 13-for-17 for 75 yards and one interception.

The offense built on the momentum in the last two minutes. The Blue team ballooned their lead up to 42-25 with around five minutes left in the 3rd quarter after Warner scrambled for a 19-yard touchdown. 

The defense anchored down after, getting stops and having some help from two missed field goals that resulted in three points each for the Orange team. Down 45-42 with four seconds left in the game, they forced a missed field goal out of the Blue team to end the game in a tie. Defensive coordinator Brad White was happy with how his defense played, apart from the two minutes before halftime.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do, but I do think we’ve made a step,” White said. “I think the step that was made is the confidence that’s in the guys in the system and coaches.”

The Gators’ wide-receiver depth was in full effect, even with Dallas Wilson out as a precaution. Mays was the leading receiver as he finished with 122 yards and two touchdowns on four catches, and transfer Eric Singleton Jr. finished with 92 yards on six catches and the first touchdown of the game from Jones. TJ Abrams had six catches for 56 yards, Brown III had four catches for 47 yards and one touchdown, and Bailey Stockton had four catches for 24 yards.

Tailback Jadan Baugh’s day was done after the first quarter, finishing with eight yards on four carries. Duke Clark and London Montgomery were the leading rushers with 30 yards, while Evan Pryor had 27 yards on the ground. Byron Louis was the lead receiving back with 45 yards on five catches. 

Florida rotated in a handful of linemen throughout the game. Sumrall said he still does not know who the best five are that will start for Florida in week one.

“Those guys have to have a freaking great summer, or we have no chance. Like no chance,” Sumrall said. “I think we have a chance and have guys in that room that can do it, but there’s got to be a lot of growth.”

Myles Johnson led the Orange team with seven total tackles, while Kanye Clark and J’Vari Flowers had five solo tackles each. Coleman, Dooley, and freshman Onis Konanbanny each had one interception. Joseph Mbatchou, KJ Ford, JaReylan McCoy and Emmanuel Oyebadejo had one sack each for the Orange team. The defense totaled 10 tackles for loss under Sumrall’s new spring game format.

“When it comes to the trenches, you’re going to have to have depth up front,” White said. “We’re going to have to continue to build that. It’s not just about being two deep at every position; you need to be 2-and-a-half/three deep up front because it’s going to wear on you.”

The Gators now prepare for summer and fall camp before the season opener against Florida Atlantic on Sept. 5 in the Swamp.

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