Jon Sumrall prepares for Florida Gators head coaching debut against Florida Atlantic

Jon Sumrall makes his coaching debut for the Florida Gators this Saturday as they host Florida Atlantic in their season opener. After a challenging stretch where the program recorded losing records in four of the last five seasons, the new staff hopes to shift the culture toward playoff contention. The team plans to start transfer Aaron Philo at quarterback, who brings experience from his time at Georgia Tech. Sumrall acknowledged the threat posed by the Florida Atlantic offense, citing their speed and the coaching of Zach Kittley. During his time at Tulane last season, Sumrall faced the same staff and observed how quickly they move the ball into the red zone. The Gators are now focused on a week-by-week approach to restore the program to its former standard, starting with the home crowd presence in Gainesville.

• 12:06 AMYahoo Sports — Jon Sumrall Counting on Florida Crowd to Bring Energy in Debut