Kirk Herbstreit, Rece Davis name surprise SEC team to watch in 2026
By Ethan Stone
Published:
While some Week 1 games are already underway or final, the majority of SEC teams kick off their 2026 season on Saturday.
On Friday night while presenting the 2026 preseason Herbie Awards, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit and Rece Davis named 4 surprise teams to watch for as we enter the new year: Virginia, Houston, Wisconsin and Florida.
The Gators are, of course, the lone SEC team on the list. Here’s why they deserve the nod, according to Herbstreit.
“We talked a lot already about the head coach Jon Sumrall, Buster Faulkner as the offensive coordinator from Georgia Tech, we saw what he can do with Haynes King, can he do that with Aaron Philo, who won the quarterback job in Gainesville?”
Florida has needed a personality like Jon Sumrall after a few bleak years under former head coach Billy Napier. Sumrall is nowhere near short on confidence, and now it’s time to see if it’s enough to unlock the talent on Florida’s roster.
As Herbstreit mentioned, the optimism starts with starting QB Aaron Philo and former Georgia Tech OC Buster Faulkner, whose absence was definitely felt by the Yellow Jackets after their loss to Colorado on Thursday night. Faulkner’s offense was a rushing powerhouse last season but flopped against the Buffaloes with Faulkner now in Gainesville.
While it’s a good sign, the Gators still have to go out and prove it. They get their first test of the season on Saturday against FAU, with a matchup to circle looming at Auburn in Week 3.
Ethan Stone is a Saturday Down South News Editor and an advocate for the return of the Seattle Supersonics.
