Florida announces honorary Mr. Two Bits for 2026 season-opener
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Florida is continuing the honorary Mr. Two Bits tradition into a new era of Gator football.
Former Florida standout Ciatrick Fason will lead the cheer before kickoff of UF’s season-opener against Florida Atlantic on Saturday. Fason was a Gator running back from 2002-04.
Honorary Two Bits – Week 1️⃣
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) September 1, 2026
🐊 Ciatrick Fason '04
ℹ️ https://t.co/Ju1TmUzNWJ pic.twitter.com/dqxYgvv5Ed
Fason, the head coach at Neptune Beach Fletcher High, has some familiarity with Jon Sumrall. The first-year Florida head coach would rather forget the time they shared the field.
As noted by FloridaGators.com in-house writer Chris Harry, Sumrall was a Kentucky linebacker when Fason had a career game against the Wildcats. Fason rushed for 210 yards and a touchdown in a 20-3 victory over UK. Sumrall had a team-high 8 tackles for the Cats.
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These days, Sumrall and Fason share an orange-and-blue bond. Fason told Harry that he was impressed when Sumrall and linebackers coach Bam Hardmon found time to meet up with Fason on the way to the Jacksonville airport.
“They didn’t have a lot of time, but Coach Sumrall just wanted to say hello,” Fason recalled to Harry. “It just showed what kind of person he is. I think he’s an amazing guy.”
While their interaction was brief, Fason has been impressed by what he’s seen from Sumrall.
“Over the years, with the all the coaches that have come through here from Urban [Meyer] to now, everyone has talked about what the season is going to look like. We’ve been optimistic and we’ve put together a good season here and there,” Fason told Harry. “But hearing about how Coach Sumrall is doing his thing, watching him on Twitter and YouTube, and seeing him so hands-on, calling out the linebackers, calling out guys when he thinks they’re being soft … I like this guy at the helm. I like his attitude. He’s a competitor.”
Last season, Jadan Baugh became the first Gator since Fason to crack 200 rushing yards in a game when he ran for 266 yards over Florida State. Fason is a fan.
“I fell in love with that guy,” Fason said to Harry. “Run that Baugh!”
Baugh and the Gators face Florida Atlantic to open the 2026 season and kick off the Sumrall era. The game is set for a 7:45 p.m. ET kickoff, airing on SEC Network.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaign of Fred Taylor.
