Florida Gators Crack Preseason Coaches Poll

They are one of nine SEC teams in the poll. Additionally, seven of their opponents in 2025 were included in the top 25. 

They will see four in a row from Sept. 13 to Oct. 4. This stretch begins with back-to-back road games against the No. 9 LSU Tigers and the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes. Then, they host the No. 1 Texas Longhorns before traveling to the No. 21 Texas A&M Aggies. 

After all this, their next test against a ranked team comes against Georgia. They face the No. 4 Bulldogs at the start of November. The last two teams from this poll that they will face off with are Ole Miss and Tennessee. They get the No. 15 Rebels and No. 18 Volunteers in back-to-back weeks near the middle of November as well. 

Florida will be led by star quarterback DJ Lagway, who is entering his second season in Gainesville. Lagway had a solid debut season with the Gators, throwing for 1,915 yards and 12 touchdowns across 12 games in 2024. Heading into the upcoming campaign, he is rated as one of the best quarterbacks in the entire country. 

The Gators have a bevy of talent on both sides of the ball, too, outside of Lagway. 

Defensively, edge Tyreak Sapp, edge George Gumbs Jr. and defensive tackle Caleb Banks look to be the leaders in the clubhouse. Offensively, running back Jadan Baugh, offensive lineman Jake Slaughter and wide receiver Eugene Wilson III are some of the more notable names. 

All in all, Florida has the talent in the building, but the players need to prove it on the field, says head coach Billy Napier. 

“I like the people that we have in our building. I think, look, you can have a phenomenal off-season,” he said. “I think reality is that we've gotta go earn it on the field. And I think ultimately I'm focused on getting this team ready to do that.”

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