Florida reportedly loses top pass rusher to transfer portal after 1 season
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The Florida Gators‘ football roster and coaching staff are going through a transition with the hiring of Jon Sumrall. In this era of college football, that’s to be expected. However, that doesn’t make the departure of a player who tied for the Gators’ lead in sacks last season any easier.
On Monday, Zach Abolverdi of Gators Online reported Florida edge defender Jayden Woods was entering the transfer portal. Woods, a rising sophomore, matched Kamran James (3.5 sacks) for the most on Florida’s defense in 2025. He also tallied 28 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and an interception.
Woods entered college football as the No. 142 overall prospect of the 2025 recruiting class, per 247Sports Composite rankings. At 6-foot-3, 240 lbs. with a year of solid production in the SEC under his belt, he’ll attract a lot of attention in the transfer portal.
Prior to committing to Florida, Woods was a Penn State — and James Franklin — commit for more than 6 months. Franklin’s presence at Virginia Tech, and the relationship one would presume they have, could make the Hokies a logical destination for Woods. Woods also took official visits to Purdue, Wisconsin and Tennessee before joining the Gators, making them teams to watch in his sweepstakes as well.
