The Orange and Blue Game — Florida football’s annual intrasquad scrimmage that marks the end of the spring practice season — is set for Saturday, and the Gator Nation is brimming with anticipation to see its favorite gridiron gang back in action.
ESPN’s Harry Lyles put together a preview of what to expect on the field this weekend, including the storyline, position of intrigue and the player to watch. As for the first point, he notes that Jon Sumrall’s revamped staff headlines the story in the Swamp on Saturday.
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“Sumrall has been a head coach for four years, two at Troy and two at Tulane, and he made the conference championship game in all four years, winning the title in three,” he begins. “He knows football, but he also has a great sense of place, as he referenced upon taking the Florida job.”
Sumrall previously stated, “One of my first priorities will be to assemble an incredible staff, including an offensive coordinator who understands that, at Florida, having an explosive offense isn’t optional — it’s mandatory.”
As for the position of intrigue, everything begins under center at quarterback, a position in flux this offseason after the departure of DJ Lagway.
“Sumrall talked about how important offense is at Florida, and the Gators have seemingly put pieces in place to give themselves a shot at delivering. Sumrall hired former Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner and brought in transfer quarterback Aaron Philo, also from Tech,” Lyles notes.
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“The Yellow Jackets finished No. 12 nationally in total offense with QB Haynes King and felt great about Philo as their backup. The OC/QB transfer duo has worked for teams in the past, and the Gators will give it a go with Faulkner and Philo.”
And the player to watch on Saturday will be wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. after transferring from the Auburn Tigers. He has previously worked alongside Philo and Faulkner with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, which should help gel the offense early on.
“He’s a talented receiver who had a bit of a down year last season after a monster freshman season in 2023 that carried over into 2024 before his transfer to Auburn. He should be a main target for the Gators heading into 2026.”
Florida football’s returning leaders
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RB Jadan Baugh: 1,170 rush yards, eight rush TDs
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WR Vernell Brown III: 40 catches, 512 receiving yards
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DL Kamran James: 44 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks
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EDGE Jayden Woods: 28 tackles, 5.0 TFLs, 3.5 sacks
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S Bryce Thornton: 56 tackles, six PBUs, 3.0 TFLs
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ILB Myles Graham: 76 tackles, 7.0 TFLs, four PBUs
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Florida football’s notable additions
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ILB Malik Morris: No. 190 overall recruit and No. 2 ILB in SC Next 300
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WR Eric Singleton Jr.: 58 catches, 534 receiving yards, three receiving TDs (at Auburn)
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QB Aaron Philo: 373 pass yards, one pass TD (at Georgia Tech)
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IOL TJ Shanahan Jr.: 11 blown blocks on 412 total block attempts (at Penn State)
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WR Bailey Stockton: 21 catches, 233 receiving yards (at Georgia Tech)
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WR Micah Mays Jr.: 18 catches, 302 receiving yards, two receiving TDs (at Wake Forest)
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DE JaReylan McCoy: No. 19 overall recruit and No. 3 DE in SC Next 300
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ATH Davian Groce: No. 52 overall recruit and No. 2 athlete in SC Next 300
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QB Will Griffin: No. 135 overall recruit and No. 6 Pocket Passing QB in SC Next 300
How to follow Florida football’s 2026 Orange and Blue Game
The 2026 edition of the Orange and Blue Game kicks off at noon ET from inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The game will not be televised or live-streamed, but will be broadcast via audio stream at FloridaGators.com. Gators Wire will be live-blogging the events — check back for coverage right here or follow @AdamDubbin on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football’s Orange and Blue Game: Preview, players, storyline
