GAINESVILLE — New Gators’ coach Jon Sumrall inherited a four-win team with a roster in need of a massive overhaul.
The transfer portal, which opened Friday, allows programs to accelerate the rebuilding process and replace departing players — more than 20 in Florida’s case.
After signing a 2026 recruiting class ranked 16th nationally while he still coached the Green Wave to CFP berth, Sumrall and his staff turned their attention to the 15-day transfer portal window Jan. 2-16.
Here’s a look at who the Gators have signed:
S DJ Coleman
Vitals: 6-1, 210 pounds
Resumé: Coleman was a 3-star prospect out of Mesquite (Texas) Horn High School rated the nation’s No. 88 safety in the 2023 class.
Role: Coleman recorded 46 tackles, including 6.5 for loss, two interceptions, four pass breakups and two quarterbacks hurries during 12 games in 2025. He had 89 tackles and 13 pass breakups during 35 games in three seasons with the Bears.
Outlook: The Gators lost three-year starter Jordan Castell but re-signed senior Bryce Thornton, a two-year starter who recorded 56 tackles in 2025, second on the team to linebacker Myles Graham, along with a team-leading six pass breakups, five quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries. Drake Stubbs of Jacksonville was the nation’s No. 6 safety prospect in the 2025 class, but managed just three tackles in eight appearances. UF signed two 4-star safeties in the 2026 class, 2025 Under Armour All-American Kaiden “KD” Hall of Milton, on the Florida Panhandle, and Dylan Purter of Alabama, who flipped his commitment from LSU.
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com