Jon Sumrall says he won’t poach Tulane commits as he builds out Florida’s recruiting class
By David Wasson
Published:
Perhaps the first task new Florida coach Jon Sumrall has in front of him is building out and shoring up the Gators’ 2026 recruiting class – though Sumrall promised Monday that he won’t be poaching his old program at Tulane to do so.
“I told the commits at Tulane to sign at Tulane,” Sumrall said at his introductory news conference. “I don’t want to steal their class.”
Sumrall has plenty of work ahead of him, as Florida’s 2026 class is ranked 13th in the 247Sports Composite with 19 overall commitments and 14 4-star pledges. Florida’s 2027 class is even weaker, as 247 Sports Composite ranks the Gators 32nd nationally with just 1 4-star pledge onboard.
Tulane currently has 17 commits in the class of 2026. The Green Wave’s highest-ranked commit is 3-star offensive lineman Tylan George, who is the No. 598 player in his class, per 247Sports Composite rankings.
Sumrall inked a 6-year, $44.7 million contract with Florida on Sunday, which equates to $7.45 million per year through December 2031. Should Sumrall be terminated without cause, UF would owe 70 percent of the total remaining annualized compensation in equal monthly installments through the remainder of his term.
Sumrall’s buyout is subject to offset should Sumrall accept an NFL or Division I coaching or front-office position after a termination by the school. Should Sumrall terminate the contract himself to take another job, Florida would be entitled to damages of $10 million in 2026, $8 million in 2027, $3 million in 2028, $2 million in 2029 and $1 million in 2031.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
