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Articles by Ryan Roddy
Wilson Speaks Up As Gators Face Adversity
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Dallas Wilson had a lot on his mind as he walked across Spurrier-Florida Field with his helmet in hand, looking down at the green grass and white stripes while those wearing black and garnet celebrated. After Florida's 38-19 loss to South Carolina, the sophomore wide receiver asked to say something after head coach Jon Sumrall finished addressing the team. "I felt like it was a good moment," Wilson said this week. "I just said what my heart felt.
No Punt Intended: Alec Clark Is Ready When Gators Need Him
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It is hard to evaluate talent on the other side of the globe. So, when it came time for Florida punter Alec Clark, an Australian, to show off his skills, he had to FaceTime special teams coordinator Jonathan Galante. Clark, like many Australian punters in college football and the NFL, grew up playing Australian football, a sport that requires many of the same skills as punting in American football.
Philo Showing Gators Who He Is
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Jon Sumrall knew who Aaron Philo was when the quarterback arrived at Florida in January. Four games into the season, he knows who Philo is. He's not the only one. Teammates, coaches and the media have a much better sense of Philo the player than when he announced his transfer from Georgia Tech to Florida last winter. Philo started just one game in two seasons at Georgia Tech, with production that reflected his limited playing time.
Baugh And Clark: Running Mates
Florida Gators Running back Duke Clark rushed for a career-high 126 yards to help the Gators run away from Ole Miss on Saturday. (Photo: Hannah White/UAA Communications) Baugh And Clark: Running Mates Saturday, September 26, 2026 | Football GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Duke Clark stood to the side of the team meeting room, on the steps leading to the locker room, surrounded by a handful of reporters for his media availability. Then an honorary reporter walked up and asked a question.
Tebow Sees Something Special Brewing Again At Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — He may not remember "The Promise" word for word, and as of Friday afternoon, he hadn't gotten in his lift with Jon Sumrall, but Tim Tebow has still bought into the Florida Gators. With a "contagious feeling in the air," the Heisman Trophy winner and two-time national champion returned to town with "SEC Nation" for Saturday's Southeastern Conference clash between No. 4 Ole Miss and No. 21 Florida in The Swamp.
Jackson To Jackson: 'Unc' Has A Moment
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — When Kahleil Jackson began his collegiate career at the University of Florida in 2020, some of his current teammates were still in middle school. It wasn't a lack of talent that kept the local product from Hawthorne off the field the past two seasons. It was a knee injury, uncertainty and a long road back. Jackson tore his ACL and MCL in the Gators' 2024 season opener against Miami. He missed the rest of the 2024 season and all of 2025 because of the injury.
Gators' Offense Responded To Challenge At Auburn
Southeastern Conference play had arrived. So did the first real test for Florida's offense under head coach Jon Sumrall. The Gators responded with a 44-39 victory over Auburn in front of a packed Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday night. "I had no doubt how we were going to play on offense," Sumrall said.
Same Game, New History For Florida's VB3
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It is the same game he has played since he was a little kid. "I've been playing the game since I was 5," Vernell Brown III said. "The game doesn't change. The levels change. The person across from you may change. I mean, I think my approach is so inward-focused that it doesn't matter who's in front of me, who I'm playing." So when you put the ball in his hands, he's been there before and done that before. But maybe there's a feat even he hasn't accomplished.
No. 1 for No. 1 — VBIII Finally Found End Zone in Opener - Florida Gators
First game, first win, first catch, first interception, first touchdown. But perhaps no first in Florida's 66-21 victory over FAU had been longer in the making than the one on the Gators' first offensive drive. Quarterback Aaron Philo dropped back near midfield, looked right and fired a screen pass to Vernell Brown III behind the line of scrimmage. Once Brown secured the ball, there was little hesitation.
The Baugh Show Returns
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Jadan Baugh left fans on a cliffhanger in the Gators' 2025 season finale. The last time he graced the green grass of The Swamp, Baugh pounced on FSU, rushing 38 times for 266 yards in an incredible Saturday night performance that helped Florida defeat its in-state rivals as Baugh surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for his sophomore campaign, which carried its own significance.
Gators Position Preview: Quarterbacks
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It was the story of Florida's offseason. The Gators needed a new quarterback, and the competition for the job became the center of attention under a new head coach and offensive coordinator. Months of practices and speculation followed, and then, two weeks before Saturday's season opener against Florida Atlantic, a starter emerged. "As we prepare for game one, Aaron Philo , we are preparing for him to be the starter for week one," head coach Jon Sumrall said.
Gators Position Preview: Receivers
The Gators lost a ton of production. Three of their top four receivers from a season ago are gone — one to the NFL, two to the portal. The Gators return just over 36% of snaps from the position in 2025. Next to quarterback and tight end, that's the third-least among their position groups. But the new coaching staff did not back down from the challenge of rebuilding the group. They kept key younger returners, added experienced players in the portal, and signed big-time high school recruits.
Gators Position Preview: Special Teams
Based on NFL rosters, Florida might be Special Teams U. Three specialists were drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft; two of them were from Florida: kicker Trey Smack and punter Tommy Doman. It is just the fourth time since the NFL-AFL merger that a college has had both a kicker and punter selected in the same draft. Long snapper Rocco Underwood also signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent and made their initial 53-man roster.
Gators Position Preview: Defensive Backs
It helps when a coach has worked in one, played professionally in one, and been born into one. This is the case for Florida cornerbacks coach Brandon Harris. A Miami native, Harris played collegiately at Miami and professionally in the NFL after being drafted by the Houston Texans and later signing with the Miami Dolphins. He was a grad assistant at FIU in 2019, a defensive analyst for Florida State in 2020, and returned to FIU in 2021 to coach cornerbacks.
Gators Position Preview: Running Backs
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Junior running back Jadan Baugh has a chance to make history for Florida this season. He capped off his sophomore campaign with a dominant performance against rival Florida State, rushing for 266 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the season with 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, along with 210 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
Gators Position Preview: Linebackers
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The linebacker position has always meant something special to Florida head coach Jon Sumrall. Sumrall himself was a linebacker in his playing days at Kentucky and likes to joke that he led the team in "trips" as a junior, before an injury ultimately ended his football career. His playing career ended early, but his connection to the position never left. Still, that instinctive mentality to make something happen never left him.
Gators Position Preview: Tight Ends
That's it. That is the returning production from Florida's tight ends, all on the heels of one player, Amir Jackson. Along with Jackson, Micah Jones stayed. The Gators lost four players at the position to the portal following the 2025 season. Fret not, however. They added six players in the offseason, four through the portal and two high school signees. New offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner has historically been unafraid to use his tight ends. Multiple tight end sets are not out of the picture.
Gators Position Preview: Defensive Line
Gerald Chatman. Florida's defensive line coach and assistant head coach is the lone holdover from a year ago as first-year coach Jon Sumrall revamped the organization. Chatman joined the Gators in 2024. Before that, he was at Tulane – where Sumrall was head coach the past two seasons. Chatman's decision to remain in Gainesville after overtures from the NFL provided a piece of continuity for UF's new staff. Why did Sumrall make it a priority to keep him?
Gators Position Preview: Offensive Line
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — First-year Florida head coach Jon Sumrall has been blunt when talking about UF's offensive line. He challenged the group publicly following the spring game in April and has continued to push them to improve, both on the field and in the weight room. Protecting the quarterback and creating running lanes are two of the most important ingredients in building an effective offense.
A Familiar No. 67: TJ Shanahan's Full-Circle Journey to Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It was a full-circle moment when TJ Shanahan Jr. landed in Gainesville over the winter. For Shanahan, the connection to Florida goes back to when he was in elementary school, visiting UF to watch his "godbrother," Jon Halapio, play for the Gators along the offensive line. Now, more than a decade later, Shanahan is wearing the same No. 67 jersey Halapio wore. "I just fell in love with being a Florida Gator," he said.
LJ McCray is Ready for His Return
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A year ago, LJ McCray finally got back on the field after missing most of preseason camp and UF's season opener with a knee injury. Four plays later, he was done again, suffering a season-ending injury in the home loss to USF. "It definitely hurt me a lot," said McCray, a 6-foot-6, 277-pound defensive lineman.
No Guarantees, No Problem for Kanye Clark
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — There are few stories in college football better than that of an accomplished walk-on. Some may have to wait years to see the field. Some may never see the field at all. For Florida defensive back Kanye Clark, the wait wasn't necessary. A native of Sacramento, California, Clark saw action as a true freshman after walking on at UCLA in 2023.
FBI 10 Most Wanted fugitive captured day after agency offers $1 million reward
HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. (WCJB/Gray News) - One of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives was arrested Wednesday in Florida. According to the High Springs Police Department, KaShawn Nicola Roper, 50, was booked into the Alachua County Jail just after noon on the charge of second-degree murder, among others. Authorities said Roper was pulled over in a vehicle and arrested after they received information about her being involved with an active federal fugitive investigation.
FBI 10 Most Wanted fugitive captured day after agency offers $1 million reward
HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. (WCJB/Gray News) - One of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives was arrested Wednesday in Florida. According to the High Springs Police Department, KaShawn Nicola Roper, 50, was booked into the Alachua County Jail just after noon on the charge of second-degree murder, among others. Authorities said Roper was pulled over in a vehicle and arrested after they received information about her being involved with an active federal fugitive investigation.
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