Florida hires Jon Sumrall as head football coach
SUMRALL AGREED TO A SIX-YEAR CONTRACT WITH FLORIDA NOV. 30
By Max Bernstein Sports Writer
After a nearly two-month search, Florida has its next head football coach: Jon Sumrall.
The former Tulane head coach was hired by the Gators Nov. 30. According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Sumrall signed a six-year contract with Florida. He will make $7.5 million annually, according to the report.
Sumrall will officially take over the Gators program following the conclusion of Tulane's season, per a UF statement.
“Jon Sumrall is a proven winner and an exceptional leader who has built successful programs at every stop,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said in the statement. “Jon fully understands the expectations at the University of Florida, including our expectations to produce championship teams that feature a dynamic offense, and we're excited to welcome him and his family to Gator Nation.”
Sumrall, 43, has recorded a 42-11 record in four seasons as a head coach, serving at Troy and Tulane. At Troy, Sumrall led the Trojans to back-to-back Sun Belt Championship titles in 2022 and 2023. He finished his tenure at Troy with a 23-4 record.
In two seasons at Tulane, Sumrall has led the Green Wave to a 19-7 record. In 2025, Tulane has a 10-2 overall record and a 7-1 record in American Athletic
Conference play, good enough to qualify for the AAC Conference Championship game.
The Green Wave are currently ranked No. 24 in the College Football Playoff rankings, the highest of any Group of Five program. Their path to the playoff starts with the AAC title game against 11-1 North Texas Dec. 5.
“The University of Florida is one of the premier programs in college football, and it's an incredible honor to serve as the head football coach," Sumrall said in the aforementioned statement. “I believe in building a team rooted in toughness, accountability and a relentless competitive spirit. Florida has everything necessary to compete at the highest level — the resources, the support, the tradition and the passion of Gator Nation. My family and I are excited to get to work.”
Prior to becoming a coach, Sumrall played as a linebacker at Kentucky from 2002-04. After leading the Wildcats in tackles in his junior season, his football career was abruptly ended by a spinal condition.
Following the injury, Sumrall became a graduate assistant at Kentucky before serving as an assistant coach at a handful of programs.
From 2007-11, he coached at San Diego, where he served in a number of roles including associate head coach and defensive coordinator.
Then, Sumrall served at Tulane as co-defensive coordinator from 2012-14, before taking the associate head coaching position at Troy from 2015-17.
After brief stints in the SEC as a linebacker coach
FOOTBALL, PAGE 10
the first half of an NCAA college football game
State, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in
Fla.
UF baseball coach investigated for alleged verbal abuse of his child, days before leave of absence
Social workers and law enforcement visited Kevin O’Sullivan’s home days before the coach stepped back from the team to address “family issues”
By Garrett Shanley Alligator Staff Writer
Florida Gators head baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan was identified in October by a state child-welfare investigator as the subject of verbal abuse allegations made by one of his teenage children, according to law enforcement records.
The records show that the state Department of Children and Families planned to remove the child from O’Sullivan’s home on Oct. 16 —
six days before UF announced that O’Sullivan, the most successful baseball coach in the university’s history, was taking an indefinite leave of absence to address “personal and family issues.”
The teen’s abuse allegations against O'Sullivan were described to state DCF investigator Elin Garavuso and three Alachua County sheriff’s deputies, according to a sheriff’s report obtained under Florida’s public records law. The report said sheriff’s deputies found no evidence of criminal activity, and court records show
O’Sullivan has not been arrested or charged.
In the report, deputy Teameika Trueluck wrote that the teen said O’Sullivan — who shares custody of his two children with their mother — had been verbally abusive and “is constantly yelling and screaming” at the teen. The teen “feels unsafe” at O’Sullivan’s home and “over the past few years” has wanted to discontinue visits to O’Sullivan’s home, the report said.
The teen told authorities at least four prior reports had been filed with
the state agency, according to the report. Deputy Trueluck wrote that the teen believed “no one is willing to do anything” because O’Sullivan is “a coach at the University of Florida.”
O’Sullivan, 56, told authorities he has not hit the teen but raises his voice during disputes involving the teen’s cell phone, according to the sheriff’s report. “Kevin stated he wished he dealt with the situation differently,” deputy Tyler Jovic wrote.
The six-page law enforcement report details separate interactions among O’Sullivan, his family and authorities over two days, from Oct. 14 to Oct. 15. Garavuso, the childwelfare investigator, said the state
BASEBALL, PAGE 4
The teen provided videos to Garavuso, the child-welfare investigator, showing O’Sullivan “screaming and cussing” at both children, according to the report. The teen played a video for Deputy Trueluck, who described the clip in the report as showing O’Sullivan “cursing” at both his children and “making threats to harm them.”
Noah Lantor // Alligator Staff Florida wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant (9) celebrates after a play during
against Florida
Gainesville,
Today’s Weather
Judge rules in favor of UF law student expelled for antisemitic social media posts
The university has until Dec. 1 to return Preston Damsky to normal standing
By Maria Avlonitis Alligator Staff Writer
A federal judge ruled Nov. 24 in favor of Preston Damsky, a former UF law student who was expelled from the university after posting antisemitic statements on X.
Damsky’s attorney, Anthony Sabatini, said the ruling signaled the U.S. Constitution won.
“It’s a big win for free speech,” Sabatini said.
UF has until Dec. 1 to return Damsky to normal standing, according to an order granting a preliminary injunction by Chief Judge Allen Winsor. UF did not show how “Damsky’s speech constituted a true threat or was otherwise proscribable,” according to Winsor.
A university spokesperson declined to comment on the grounds that UF does not comment on ongoing litigation.
UF Hillel posted a statement on Instagram in response to a “court ruling that disregards violent threats made toward the Jewish community.”
UF must be a safe space where Jewish students can live and learn free from threats of hateful and antisemitic violence, the post said. UF Hillel hopes the university will take all necessary legal steps to protect the campus from those who threaten to harm them, it said.
Damsky sued UF Sept. 14, arguing his expulsion violated the First Amendment. Both sides presented their arguments to Winsor in a preliminary injunction hearing Oct. 29.
Winsor was nominated by President Donald Trump in 2019.
UF argued Damsky’s online speech was disruptive, and, along with two seminar papers “promoting racist views,” he had caused students to fear him and disrupted the learning environment.
On March 21, Damsky posted on X to roughly 25 followers, “My position on Jews is simple: whatever Harvard professor Noel Ignatiev meant by his call to ‘abolish the White race by any means necessary’ is what I think must be done with Jews. Jews must be abolished by any means necessary.”
About a week after Damsky’s posted the statement, professor Lyrissa Lidsky, a Jewish member of the UF law faculty, replied and asked if Damsky would murder her and her family.
“Surely a genocide of all whites should be an even greater outrage than a genocide of all Jews, given the far greater number of whites,” Damsky wrote in response.
In responding to Lidsky, Damsky involved UF in his speech, UF’s lead attorney argued, and the exchange caused disruption on campus.
UF issued a trespass warning April 3, banning Damsky from campus for three years, citing the escalating rhetoric and threatening nature of his words. Until his expulsion was finalized Oct. 9, Damsky was still taking online classes as a law student.
Sabatini argued on Damsky’s behalf that his posts on X, made offcampus, were protected political
speech. Schools must protect views, even if they’re unpopular and made off-campus, he said during the hearing.
“Damsky has been a controversial figure at the law school since he enrolled,” Winsor wrote. “He seems to enjoy pushing boundaries and provoking others.”
But UF’s argument that Damsky’s X posts constituted substantially disruptive school-directed threats and were unprotected speech did not prove the university could punish Damsky for any of his comments, Winsor wrote.
Even if “ostensibly referring to violence,” an exaggerated, coarse expression of political opinion does not necessarily constitute a true threat, he wrote — Damsky did not indicate he would act on his statements of abolishing Jews.
“He is stating a view — even if a hateful and offensive one,” Winsor wrote.
Similarly, Damsky’s response to Lidsky wasn’t a “serious expression of a real intent to harm” either, he wrote.
Damsky’s March 21 post did not have a connection to UF at all, Winsor wrote, as it did not name any UF administrators, students or professors.
“Vindication of First Amendment rights always serves the public interest,” he wrote. “Conversely, the public has no interest in enforcing unconstitutional penalties or restrictions on speech … The public-interest and balance-of-harms factors favor Damsky.”
@MariaAvlonitis mavlonitis@alligator.org
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Juleidi Machuca // Alligator Staff UF has until Dec. 1 to return Preston Damsky, a UF law student expelled over
media posts, to normal standing.
Why did UF stop offering an eating disorder support group?
STUDENT-LED RESOURCES OPEN IN THE WAKE OF STAFFING SHORTAGES, LIMITED REQUESTS
By Madeline Herring Alligator Staff Writer
Liel Shachr has struggled with eating disorders on and off her whole life. Pressure from social media and society made her want the “perfect body.” Her mental health plummeted as a result.
But when the 21-year-old UF natural resource conservation senior looked for a support group to join when her struggle with eating disorders was at its peak last year, she found UF did not have one. Other community support groups were expensive, Shachr said, leaving her in a hard spot.
“I wanted to have an opportunity, for not just myself, but for other people in similar situations, to have that space. A safe space to talk about it, hear other people’s experiences and connect,” Shachr said.
The UF Counseling & Wellness Center offers support groups for students to talk about hardships they’re experiencing with their peers. Each one gives four to 10 students the chance to meet weekly and discuss topics like alcohol misuse and ADHD coping skills.
The university previously offered a group for students struggling with eating disorders, but it was shut down August 2024 because of a lack of support staff and few student requests.
Between 10% to 20% of females and 4% to 10% of males in college suffer from eating disorders, according to the National Eating Disorder Association. The numbers are continuing to rise.
A helping hand Ebony Okafor, the associate director for outreach and consultation at the CWC, said the eating disorders support group helped students
change their relationships with food and navigate healthy eating habits on a college campus.
Okafor said support groups are based on the volume of requests from students and the number of staff available to run the sessions. If staff are on sabbatical, it’s harder to form a support group. In this case, there were only a handful of staff who specialized in eating disorders.
Though the CWC does not currently have a specific support group for eating disorders, she said, it has a number of staff with expertise on eating disorders who are available to meet with students.
“The support group worked great, and people said they loved it, but when there isn’t enough people attending there’s only so much our doctors can do,” Okafor said.
Okafor said demand naturally fluctuates, but the number of the requests in years prior to the group’s closure dropped significantly.
If there was an increase in demand for an eating disorder support group in their referrals, Okafor said, the CWC would look into starting the group up again. Students can show their demand for support groups by submitting requests through emails and forms on the CWC website. The more requests the groups gather, the more likely they are to be formed.
Students can use CWC therapists, Okafor said, as well as RecSports dieticians and nutritionists, as a resource to promote a healthy relationship with food. If UF resources are unable to provide help, she said, students can still connect with the CWC to find ongoing long-term support through other CWC-referred providers.
The power of community
Hannah Allen, a Gainesville dietitian who provides nutrition therapy, said she has seen a spectrum in the amount and types of eating disorders in the UF community, from both students and employees.
Allen said the CWC offers treatments for stu-
dents and differing levels of support based on severity of the condition. The Student Health Care Center, she said, also offers programs and physicians who specialize in eating disorders. She said if the problem is severe, they refer out to dieticians like her.
Her job is to assess the situation, see if she can help, and make a plan. After deciding if the patients need to be referred to a different level of care, like daily treatments or hospitalization, Allen said she provides them meal plans by planning for the nutrients they need based on their lifestyle.
Support is the most important part of the recovery process, Allen said. Anorexia has the highest level of mortality out of any mental health disorder, she said, so it is extremely important to find treatment and support for patients.
“There’s so much stress around how someone eats, how someone looks, and it becomes a significant impairment on their life,” Allen said. “If we can alleviate that in any way, then it allows for their life to be more fulfilled.”
Allen said some of her former patients attended the CWC support groups and said they helped with their self-esteem and understanding others who have similar issues. When students started attending the groups, their mindsets would often shift from negative to positive, Allen said.
Dr. Ann Grooms, a UF Health Shands Hospital pediatrician, specializes in treating eating disorders, mental health and women’s health issues. She has seen many UF patients who struggled with eating disorders, and found the most successful recoveries happen when patients participate in support groups.
Grooms said she has seen several patients who struggled with a variety of eating disorders. In order to help them, she has to assess each of their needs and create a recovery plan. The recovery plan often includes joining a support group if there is one available, she added. Without the CWC eating disorder support group, she’s noticed a longer recovery.
“When patients see others are also struggling, they realize they’re not alone in what they’re going through,” Grooms said. “That’s really important for a strong recovery.”
When she discovered the lack of eating disorder support groups on campus, Shachr decided to start a club where students could have support groups for eating disorders and other mental health issues. She formed the Women’s Mental Health Alliance in September.
“[Eating disorders are] an invisible issue. It impacts a lot more people — students, specifically — than is actually known,” Shachr said. “Especially at our age, we’re very impressionable with social media and the pressures of general society.”
The Women’s Mental Health Alliance started hosting a support group at the beginning of November, Shachr said. The group forms a community, she said, and allows others to feel seen and heard.
@m_herring06 mherring@alligator.org
ART AFTER DARK
Sip + Shop
Thursday, December 4, 6 – 9 pm
Indulge in delicious bites and champagne cocktails while holiday shopping for jewelry, gifts made by local artists and more in the Harn Museum Store. Enjoy live music by The Gainesville String Quartet, special discounts, games and prizes.
Museum Nights
Thursday, December 11, 6 – 9 pm
Out of this World
Join us for tours, art making, light bites and fun activities that revolve around The Harn at 35: Recent Photography Acquisitions
Focusing on 24 vintage NASA photographs of unprecedented heroic space travel, this evening will be out of this world!
Juleidi Machuca // Alligator Staff Writer
Who is Charles Canady, the new director of the Hamilton School?
Canady to be paid $500,000 in the role
By Swasthi Maharaj Alligator Staff Writer
UF Interim President Donald Landry announced Nov. 17 Florida Supreme Court Justice Charles T. Canady will serve as the next director of the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education.
Canady is a prominent Florida justice and former politician best known for his conservative judicial philosophy and influence on constitutional interpretation. He’ll earn a base salary of $500,000 in his new role, almost double what he made on the court.
The Hamilton School, founded in 2022, is the newest school at UF. Its mission is to teach students “how to think, not what to think,” according to its website.
Canady announced his retirement from the court to take on his new role at UF in a press release.
“I will always deeply value my years on the court,” he wrote, “But the time has come to move on to another position of public service.”
Canady wrote he was “eager to begin [his] work” at UF’s Hamilton School.
Canady will follow Robert Ingram, a longtime humanities professor who taught
for two decades at the University of Ohio. Ingram served as associate director of the Hamilton School from 2022 until starting his role as interim director this August.
His appointment as interim director was explicitly for a one-year term, and there was no mention of Ingram’s formal statement of resignation.
Canady is a former attorney and judge, and he first became a justice of the Supreme Court of Florida in 2008. Appointed by former Gov. Charlie Crist, he went on to hold the position of Chief Justice three times, from 2010 to 2012, in 2018 and again in 2020.
Throughout his career as Chief Justice, Canady adhered to originalism, the idea that a legal text’s meaning is fixed at the time of its creation, and consistently ruled in favor of state executive and legislative power.
In the 1990s, Canady authored federal legislation, which introduced the term “partial-birth abortion,” a late-term procedure that was banned in 2003 in conditions other than being life-threatening to the mother. He argued the term made the practice more understandable to the public.
On the Florida Supreme Court, Canady’s opinions often reflected his view that courts
should avoid stepping into the responsibilities of lawmakers. He built a record centered on the separation of powers and constitutional clarity.
In 2019, Canady rejected a nearly decadelong lawsuit challenging whether the state had properly carried out the 1989 constitutional amendment, which called for ensuring a “high quality” education in public schools. The majority, including Canady, argued that there was no definition for a “manageable standard” by which courts could rewrite education funding or policy. Instead, they said such decisions belong with lawmakers, upholding the separation of powers.
Canady has received public support from Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Jay Collins. He also received the support of Sen. Jeb Bush, whom he previously worked with.
Jeffery Collins, a UF professor and interim associate director of the Hamilton School, also expressed optimism about the selection, praising Canady’s expertise in legal and constitutional questions.
“Justice Canady has the profile, temperament and experience to build on and advance Hamilton into its next phase,” he wrote in an email.
Baseball coach accused of verbal abuse
BASEBALL,
from pg. 1
agency would remove the teen from O’Sullivan’s home “for the time being” on Oct. 16 and place the child with O’Sullivan’s ex-wife, who lives nearby. It is unclear whether the removal ultimately occurred.
After each meeting, authorities wrote they found no evidence of a crime — citing an absence of violence during interviews; a lack of visible marks on the teen accuser, who was wearing long pants and a sweatshirt; and that the teen’s sibling contradicted statements from the children’s mother, who told deputies O’Sullivan had “threatened the kids” and “put hands on kids” within the previous two weeks.
“I have found no reason to believe a crime has occurred,” deputy Dale Cruse wrote on Oct. 17.
UF announced O’Sullivan’s indefinite leave, effective immediately, five days later. In a same-day statement, O’Sullivan attributed the decision to “some personal and family issues that need my full attention at this time.”
In the statement, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said, “Coach O’Sullivan has our full support as he takes the time he needs to focus on personal matters. We appreciate his openness in communicating this decision, and respect his need for privacy.”
In a separate statement on Tuesday, the University Athletic Association said “we have not seen” the sheriff’s office report, adding “it was not the basis for his [O’Sullivan’s] decision to take a personal leave of absence.”
O’Sullivan did not respond to a voicemail and an emailed list of questions sent on Tuesday. O’Sullivan’s current wife, Minde, declined to
speak on the record Tuesday.
A lawyer for O’Sullivan sent a cease-and-desist letter to The Alligator late Tuesday, demanding the student-run newspaper refrain from “publishing any article regarding any report of the abuse of a minor child.”
In the letter, O’Sullivan’s attorney wrote, “As you should know, no matter how or from whom you received the information upon which you wish to report, reports of child abuse are protected under Florida law, such that any disclosure is a crime.”
“You should not write, publish or disseminate in any way any article involving any complaints made by or about a minor child who is the subject of DCF investigations, all of which have been or are in the process of being closed as unfounded,”
O’Sullivan’s lawyer wrote. The letter cited state statutes governing the confidentiality and release of records relating to allegations and investigations of child abuse and neglect.
The Alligator’s decision to report the allegations contained in the law enforcement records was made because O’Sullivan is a high-profile public figure who oversees and mentors college athletes only a few years older than his eldest teen. As head coach, he represents one of the top SEC baseball programs as well as Florida’s flagship public university. This reporting does not name O’Sullivan’s children or include other personal details about them and their relationship with their father that appear in public records, which The Alligator obtained through requests made under Florida’s Sunshine Law.
The status of the state’s investigations — including whether they have been completed or whether O’Sullivan has been exonerated — are unknown. DCF spokesperson
Anna Archambault declined to comment.
Under Florida law, child abuse investigations are confidential unless a child dies. No court records indicate O’Sullivan has been arrested or charged in relation to any such investigation, and in June, a family court judge affirmed there was “no history of domestic violence.”
According to the law enforcement report, the teen who filed the DCF report told Deputy Jovic that O’Sullivan punched a shelf off a wall in his home and struck the teen’s bedroom door hard enough to break the lock. Jovic documented the damage to the wall but could not confirm its cause. When deputies arrived on Oct. 15, the teen was hiding in a locked bathroom within the bedroom, the report said.
During a separate interview with the teen held the day before, on Oct. 14, Deputy Trueluck asked if O’Sullivan had “physically abused” the teen “in any way since the last DCF report was taken” and the teen said he had not, according to the law enforcement report. The report did not clarify which DCF report Trueluck was referring to or when it was filed.
The abuse allegations were also the subject of a 911 call placed Oct. 14 by Garavuso, the state investigator, who requested law enforcement backup before meeting with O’Sullivan’s ex-wife, Barbara Jo Stoner, and the children. On the call, Garavuso said the teen who reported O’Sullivan to DCF was “worried about physical abuse because it’s happened in the past.” She also said she was looking into reports that O’Sullivan screamed profanities and shouted an expletive repeatedly in the teen’s face.
The investigator identified both teens as “victims,” although most concerns centered on the child who
Some students at the Hamilton School share the same confidence.
Fabian Sanchez, a 20-year-old UF economics and philosophy sophomore, said he thought Canady was a good choice for the role because of his expertise as a justice. Sanchez is pursuing a minor in politics, philosophy, economics and law, one of two minors the Hamilton School offers.
Sanchez said he thinks Canady’s selection will boost the school’s popularity across UF’s campus.
“People around UF … they’re not aware there’s a new major,” Sanchez said, “So I would hope that he would make [the school] more involved in UF.”
The Hamilton School currently offers two majors and two minors. Last summer, 1,340 students were enrolled in the school.
Following the rejection of candidate Santa J. Ono as UF President earlier this year, three Republican lawmakers called on UF to embrace a more public process for presidential searches moving forward. They expressed concern over a 2022 state law allowing the shielding of the presidential selection process, saying it is “being abused by creating an unfair system.”
There was no known transparent search for the Hamilton School’s director position.
made the abuse allegations. When the 911 dispatcher asked Garavuso to identify the suspect in the abuse investigation, she replied, “The name of the suspect is Kevin Michael O'Sullivan."
Stoner, the ex-wife, told authorities during the Oct. 14 meeting that O’Sullivan had “threatened the kids” and “put hands on kids” within the previous two weeks, according to the law enforcement report. O’Sullivan’s other child, who did not make the abuse allegations, told deputies O’Sullivan had never hit either of his children but had threatened a “whoopin,” the report said.
Under Florida law, felony child abuse is described as inflicting physical or mental injury on a child; mental injury means impairing the child's ability to function normally as determined by experts. Harsh speech and non-injurious physical discipline — such as spanking that leaves no lasting marks — are generally not crimes in Florida.
Striking a child with a closed fist or with objects, such as belts or sticks, hitting a child in the face or head, or causing bruises or welts is widely recognized as unacceptable and can be considered criminal abuse under state law.
O’Sullivan earns $1.84 million annually under a head coach contract extended last year by UF to run through 2033. He lives less than 2 miles from his ex-wife’s Gainesville home.
UF’s baseball season begins Feb. 13 at home against the University of Alabama at Birmingham. O’Sullivan had already been suspended for the first three games following his profanity-laced tirade directed at site administrators during a June 1 NCAA regional at Coastal Carolina University. A video of the outburst went viral online.
In it, O’Sullivan used an expletive
@s_maharaj1611 smaharaj@alligator.org
at least a dozen times in 47 seconds — the same one that the state investigator later accused him of shouting repeatedly in the face of his child. O’Sullivan apologized publicly the following day, saying, “I let my emotions get the best of me and channeled that energy in a way I should not have.”
Since taking over the program in 2007, O'Sullivan has become the winningest coach in Gators’ history, compiling a 756-371 record over 18 seasons. The three-time SEC Coach of the Year has led Florida to 17 NCAA regionals, nine College World Series appearances and the program’s first and only national title in 2017.
After O’Sullivan stepped away in October, UF named Chuck Jeroloman interim head coach. Nine days later, Jeroloman left to become Tennessee's associate head coach after six seasons in a similar role with the Gators. Florida subsequently hired Tom Slater as acting coach in O’Sullivan’s absence.
O’Sullivan’s divorce, filed by Stoner in 2016 after six years of marriage, has remained contentious, with ongoing disputes over custody and medical decision-making. O’Sullivan remarried in 2022. Their shared-custody agreement includes a detailed schedule, including provisions that accommodate O’Sullivan’s desire for the children to attend the College World Series if the Gators were to play.
The two continue to litigate aspects of custody. In an April deposition, part of a dispute over health care decision-making, Stoner testified that they rarely speak and communicate mostly by text or email. Over the summer, a judge ordered both parents to better coordinate their children’s medical care.
@garrettshanley gshanley@alligator.org
www.alligator.org/section/the-avenue
FOOD & DRINK
Bagels & Co. Gainesville opening draws hundreds of bagel lovers
THE PHILADELPHIA-BASED BAGEL SHOP OPENED NOV. 20 WITH SPECIALTY BAGELS AND SCHMEARS
By Summer Johnston Avenue Staff Writer
UF students and community members lined up expectantly along University Avenue last week, drawing attention from passersby as they waited for Gainesville’s newest bagel installment to open its doors.
The Philadelphia-based chain, founded in 2022, serves made-to-order Brooklyn-style bagels with 21 flavor options and 26 homemade cream cheese schmears. Its latest branch, in Gainesville under the Hub on University apartment complex, opened Nov. 20-21.
Company director Matthew Driscoll, 36, said the brand is aiming to provide Gainesville with a quick-service breakfast option, including great hospitality and fair prices.
He said the first day of the opening brought in about 350 orders, and the second brought 475.
“This has been one of our best soft openings we’ve ever had,” Driscoll said. “University of Florida is an amazing school, so [we] take a lot of pride in that.”
He said he’s excited to be in Gainesville and to partner with different groups like the UF Health Shands Hospital, sororities, fraternities, UF athletics and other local businesses
STUDENT LIFE
for events.
Jessie Stoloff, a 20-year-old UF biology sophomore, grew up in Lower Merion Township, right outside of Philadelphia. She remembers visiting the city during summer, where she tried Bagels & Co. for the first time.
She said she needed to try a new bagel on Friday without meals at Delta Phi Epsilon sorority house. The Oreo cream cheese is one of her favorite menu items.
“They have a lot of fun flavors,” Stoloff said. “I ordered a french twist bagel with
Why do UF students dress the way they do?
FACTORS LIKE
PERSONALITY,
PRICE AND POP CULTURE INFLUENCE FASHION CHOICES
By Isabel Kraby Avenue Staff Writer
For many students juggling academics, exercise, extracurriculars and more, fashion isn’t top of mind. But for others, campus is a runway, beckoning students to say what they want through style.
Nethumi Ratnayake was eager to start expressing herself the second she no longer had to wear a uniform after elementary school.
Her school outfit on Nov. 20 consisted of cowboy boots and micro shorts borrowed from her friends, a thrifted T-shirt and arm-length assortments of bracelets thrifted from Flashbacks Recycled Fashions, which she wears every day.
Ratnayake, a 21-year-old UF advertising junior, describes her style as girly, maximalist and outside-ofthe-box. Her closet is full of eccentric items thrifted from local shops like Grove Galleria and pieces borrowed from her friends.
Though she draws outfit inspiration from Pinterest and TikTok, her style is specific, and the most important factor when curating her wardrobe is how pieces fit. Ratnayake spends a lot of time out shopping, getting a feel for what cuts and patterns best suit her.
She doesn’t care what others think of her style but enjoys standing out and being noticed by fellow fashionistas.
“It’s a good way to make conversation with people,” she said. “It’s like, ‘Oh, you really like fashion? That’s something I’m really interested in.’”
Price also makes a difference to Ratnayake when clothes shopping. Her rule of thumb is buying shirts
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cranberry pecan crunch cream cheese.”
Nia Davis, a 22-year-old UF public relations senior, is from New Jersey and grew up enjoying bagel shops in the Northeast. In Gainesville, she ordered the turkey, bacon, egg and cheese sandwich to see if it could compete with the ones she always eats back home.
“This is my go-to order. This is what I would get all the time when I was little,” she said. “I’m ready to give this one a try.”
Bagels & Co. also serves specialty coffee, Red Bull refreshers and tea alongside its allday breakfast and lunch sandwiches.
Francisco Escalante, a 20-year-old Santa Fe political science junior, is among Bagels & Co.’s new Gainesville hires. When he worked at Starbucks, he could only eat the international chain’s bagel options due to his egg allergy.
He said he is excited for the change of pace and better food, and his go-to bagel flavor is the french toast bagel.
“I like the customer connections and just making friends with the employees,” Escalante said.
He said he’s excited to see the business football game days will bring.
The store is offering wintertime seasonal flavors, including a cranberry oat maple bagel and cranberry pecan crunch cream cheese. The new location will be open every day from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
@summerajohnston sjohnston@alligator.org
for no more than $15 and dresses for $20 or less.
Like Ratnayake, Victoria Hickox wore a uniform at her private school. Despite now having more freedom in terms of fashion, she still understands the importance of looking proffesional.
Hickox, a 19-year-old UF mechanical engineering sophomore, has maintained a visible presence throughout her academic career via her many leadership positions. Her mom always instilled in her to look presentable.
“People will take you more seriously if you put more effort into what you’re wearing,” Hickox said. “Opportunities are walking around you 24/7. You never know who might approach you.”
Having visited France recently, Hickox noticed many French students wear slacks and button-down shirts to class.
Style isn’t as significant to Tyler Diaz, an 18-year-old UF public
health freshman. Still, social media influenced him to hop on one of the latest trends in menswear: the quarter-zip sweater. His friend Andrew Heise argued the popular knit sweaters that only zip a quarter of the way down are the latest display of “performative male-ness.” Polo shirts are another item they’ve noticed are popular among fraternity brothers and a staple of “guy culture.”
But Heise, an 18-year-old UF business management freshman, isn’t too concerned about fashion himself.
“I care less about what other people think I’m wearing,” he said. “Don’t sweat style too much.”
Fashion is of more importance to Lexi Ernce and Xena Machin, however.
Ernce, a 21-year-old UF astrophysics, physics and mathematics junior, started developing her fashion sense during the pandemic. She styles her outfits around individual pieces, whether it be fuzzy knee warmers or 2000s high-quality denim jeans.
While self-expression isn’t Ernce’s goal, fashion gives her the confidence and drive to tackle her academics.
“If I’m like, ‘Oh, I need to study today,’ and I want to have motivation for studying, then I put on a cute outfit, and I feel good,” Ernce said. “It gives you energy.”
Her friend Machin, however, feels style is important in communicating identity.
Machin, a 22-year-old UF astrophysics and physics senior, said many of her peers prioritize comfort and resort to wearing the same clothes every day. Dressing uniquely, she added, doesn’t expend any more effort.
“If you get the right pieces, it’s the same amount of effort to put on sweatpants that it is to put on a skirt,” she said. “I think everything that you choose to have in your life says something about you. … Your fashion really represents who you are.”
@isabelgkraby ikraby@alligator.org
Summer Johnston // Alligator Staff
Customers wait in line at Bagels & Co. off University Avenue, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. The shop opened on Nov. 20.
www.alligator.org/section/opinions
Four years at The Alligator, told in diary entries
Aug. 22, 2022
I don’t want to be covering SG … I’m trying to go into it with an open mind, but at the moment, it’s feeling pretty bleak. At least I get to cover the concert though!
The call came at my parent’s house. I’d made it onto The Alligator’s staff, and I’d be covering Student Government. “Don’t worry,” they said. “You’ll get the hang of it.”
That month, I left South Florida and learned the best path from Hume Hall to the Reitz Union Senate Chambers. I listened to Joey Bada$$’s entire discography before my first day of college, so I could identify and write about the songs he played at the Student Government Productions concert.
To Alan, Makiya and Isabella: Thanks for knowing better than me. I thought SG was the hazing beat — the one editors gave to unassuming freshmen who didn’t know better than to take it. But SG grew on me, and so did UF.
Jan. 30, 2023
I think Christian and I are getting closer, which is nice because I needed a friend. Same with Claire. I’m just happy I found people here.
A bike malfunction meant I was 15 minutes late to my first Alligator meeting. Aurora, my editor, met me at the Gainesville Sun’s side door, back when our office was a skinny
Goodbye column
first-floor room lined with tight desks and not enough seats. I sat on one of the few open squares on the floor and marveled at a room full of people who shared my love for journalism.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of the people I met in this room. Yes, friends for life. But also peers, colleagues and mentors — people I know will be a phone call away as we take parallel paths through the industry.
To Aurora, Claire and Christian: Thank you for teaching me everything I know. More than likely, The Alligator won’t be the last publication we share.
Jan. 7, 2024
Just got home from my first official day as an editor! Yay!! It’s really fun. I love the people on it already … I love that feeling of taking pride in the whole desk, not just my stories.
The night of the Valentine’s Day party, the university desk met at my apartment and made friendship bracelets. It’s lucky the beading kit, which SJ found in the trunk of her car, contained just enough letters for us all to match. U-N-I.
Editing is the hardest yet most rewarding job I’ve done. If I’m lucky, I’ll get to do it for the rest of my life.
To Delia, Annie, SJ and Sydney: I’m so proud of you. Not that you need my support
— you all are exceptional at what you do. If you need anything, I’ll be there.
July 28, 2024
You’re looking at The Alligator’s Fall 2024 Engagement Managing Editor…! I’m so, so, so happy … I think it only just set in today. I had a 2+ hour call with Siena and Ella (which, dream team, right!) and we are largely on the same page. Selfishly, I’m excited to get closer with them as friends. But I know we’re about to get this paper into great shape. I’m just so excited.
I got the call in Orlando, in the secondfloor apartment I called home that summer. I cried so much that my roommate, Lauren (who I also met at The Alligator), couldn’t tell if they were happy or sad tears.
I remember worrying about what type of leader I’d be. I remember sitting next to Siena and Ella at the front of the conference room for our first meeting, a far bigger space than the one I started in, and thinking I didn’t deserve to be there.
It became quickly apparent that even if I didn’t know what I was doing, they did. To Siena and Ella: Thank you for your guidance, mentorship and friendship. I want to be both of you when I grow up.
July 25, 2025 I am so happy. It’s happening!!! … they
The most fun I’ve ever had was in The Alligator’s office
My time with The Independent Florida Alligator was defined by love and laughter.
Yes, I spent countless early mornings, late nights and short-lived weekends stressing, complaining and sometimes crying over looming deadlines, a brutal news cycle or unedited drafts. But this newsroom gave me the community I needed when I reluctantly moved to Gainesville in Fall 2022, and it fostered friendships that will last until the end of time. I had the honor of spending six semesters with the most comical, cool and creative people I have ever met. Despite our differences and disagreements, we shared the common purpose of keeping student journalism afloat. I like to think we had fun while doing so.
Something special happens when you put a horde of student journalists into a newsroom office together. It’s a sort of magic that you can’t find anywhere else. Being a student journalist is exhausting. This industry requires sacrifice and thick skin. Blood, sweat and tears are inevitable. But the people make it worth it.
To my partners in crime, Alissa Gary and Zoey Thomas, you made me feel loved and supported when I needed it the most. From the moment we broke out into our first round of giggle fits during staff interviews, I knew we were in for a good semester together. Being your digital managing editor was everything I
ever wanted.
Alissa, I look up to you so much. Your constant composure, even in the face of panic and problems, is remarkable. If your dream was to be The Alligator’s editor-in-chief, my dream was to serve by your side.
Zoey, my brilliant data prodigy, thank goodness for Norman Lewis’ classes. The best thing to come out of that class was this friendship. Empathy is one of the world’s most powerful tools, and you wield it with grace and strength. The Alligator is in good hands.
Corey Fiske, even though you didn’t remember me after living in the same freshman year dorm hall and studying abroad together in Italy, I hope you know how excited I was to become your friend this semester. Your laugh is infectious, and your one-liners are always on point. And thank you for the homemade brownies. I really needed those.
Juliana DeFilippo, if you were a “My Little Pony” character, your cutie mark trait would be candor. I’ll miss the quizzical look you give when I say something that doesn’t make any sense.
Shaine Davison, our resident DJ and tea dealer, you might be widely recognized for your humor, but I’ll remember you for your resilience and musical talent. Ben Platt better watch out. Noah Lantor, please never change. Your ambition and go-
gave me the job!!! I am editor-in-chief of The Alligator!!!
The best part of this semester was knowing I could change the paper for the better.
The first few days of my editorship were teeming with hope and anticipation. I got to work immediately, making spreadsheets and building a powerhouse staff. I consulted the notes app document dating back to freshman year I had filled with ideas for the paper.
The worst part of this semester was knowing it would end.
To this semester’s editors — Maria, Megan, Corey, Luke, Mandy, Sydney, Noah, Juliana, Pristine, Shaine and Vera Lucia: You are incredible. Don’t leave journalism; it needs people like you. I hope The Alligator leaves as much of a mark on you as it did on me.
To Sophia and Zoey: Thank you for being the best teammates and friends I could ask for. You are the embodiment of tenacious reporters and thoughtful editors. I’ll miss our Dancing with the Stars watch parties.
To The Alligator: Thanks for giving my college years a purpose. I’m honored to be part of this paper’s legacy.
Alissa Gary was the Fall 2025 editor-in-chief.
getter attitude will take you far. Hopefully down the road our paths will cross again, and we can split a Twix bar. Shoot for the stars, my friend.
Sydney Johnson, you define what it means to be a girl boss. You ran our multimedia desk like the Navy. Our photographers, videographers and designers were lucky to work under your tutelage. I hope they know that.
Vera Lucia Pappaterra — oh, how far we have come. Watching you grow as a reporter and now as an editor has been among the highlights of my college career. You are fearless. After three semesters working with you, I am happy to say you no longer scare me.
Maria Avlonitis, you are a powerhouse, and we thrived because we had you on our team. You are the superhero who answered our cry for help, and your commitment to your reporters and to this paper inspired us all to work harder.
Pristine Thai, our resident cat lady and AP style sorceress, I love you dearly. Thank you for your strange commentary, which is forever preserved in the quote bag. No matter where we go in life, I know you will always be stalking my iPhone location.
Read the rest online at a lligator.org/section/opinions.
Sophia Bailly was the Fall 2025 digital managing editor.
Alissa Gary opinions@alligator.org
Sophia Bailly opinions@alligator.org
An uninterrupted year at the Alligator
There is a common saying (at least among my best friends) that a girl can only work at The Alligator every other semester. You see, I used to take breaks from The Alligator. In my first two years at the paper, I’d take an “off semester.” I would tell everyone I knew I needed a break from the workload or the lack of suitable payment. In all honesty, I wasn’t staying away for any of these reasons.
For the longest time, I never felt I belonged at The Alligator. Though I spent every Sunday afternoon there, I was terrified of anyone knowing too much — which is ironic when you work with a group of people who want to know everything.
On Sundays, I’d sit in the corner of meetings, only speak when spoken to and quietly wait to share my pitch and walk back to my freshman dorm.
After meetings, I’d cry to my mom about how I felt I had let my editor down when my (few) stories needed intense editing. Christian Casale, your toughness made me a better writer and person. Alissa Gary, I’m sorry for ghosting you during my bad luck semester. Bonny Matejowsky, thank you for your friendship and patience.
I would skip meetings, parties and final prints, knowing I would have no one to talk to.
In Spring 2025, after working at the paper since Spring 2023, I would attend my first final print. For those of you who do not know, at the final print, non-returning staff give speeches about how the paper has changed them, and you get to go upstairs to watch the paper come off the printing press.
At this time in my Alligator career, I was the assistant multimedia editor to Madilyn “Madi” Gemme, a woman I admire endlessly. That night, I watched Nicole Beltran, a friend I made outside of the paper who joined the same semester I did, who was resigning her role as engagement managing editor, give a speech that made me realize all I had been missing as a passive Alligator staffer.
On the drive home, I promised myself not only to see an entire year through, but to ac-
tively participate in the social aspects of The Alligator.
Freshman me would be shocked, but I can now confidently say this past year at The Alligator has fundamentally changed me.
Sydney Johnson opinions@alligator.org
To everyone who has ever been on my multimedia desk — Henry A. Moore, Dylan Speicher, Del Halter, Morgan Waters, Jea Nace, Libby Clifton, Jordan Klucharich, Juleidi Machuca, Ryan Friedenberg, Bayden Armstrong, Daniela Peñafiel, Rohit Paranjape, Reagan Bresnahan, Caroline Walsh, Alexandros Theodossis, Sonaiya Brown and Mike Goston: Let your creativity continue to guide you through this life. Do not let anyone water it down (unless they are your editor and have meaningful edits). Thank you all for giving me a place to belong.
To my assistant editors, sharing this responsibility with you has been the highlight of my college experience. Kade Sowers, thank you for applying after I basically harassed you to. Your laughter made my Gainesville summer less painful, and you helped figure out how to lead this desk. Noah Lantor, you have taught me so much. You are the embodiment of passion for what you do. I don’t have to tell you to stick with it because I know you will. Go change the world.
On the multimedia desk, we have a tradition. If it is your first time with a photo or graphic on the front cover of the newspaper, you get to climb those steps up to the printing press and watch your work come to life.
If you’re lucky enough, you’ll meet Jason, the man in charge of the printer. If you’re luckier, you’ll see your name and your work materialize — and realize this is right where you belong.
Sydney Johnson was the Fall 2025 multimedia editor.
Goodbye column
Plans changed, and I reluctantly became the University Desk editor
Iswore I wouldn’t come back to The Alligator.
I didn’t know about The Alligator’s accolades before I transferred to UF last year, and a mix of lack of experience, missed applications and a rejection kept me from stepping foot into the Gainesville Sun building until this summer, when I got the email telling me I would be the university administration reporter.
I wanted to be a part of the hard-hitting and impactful coverage The Alligator had on the Gainesville community, and I was excited for the opportunity to effectively cover a beat and more than triple the number of my published bylines.
But spending my summer months covering a presidential search, ICE contracts, protests, UF office closures and a return-to-work mandate wore me out. With staff members dropping like flies and the pressure to write front-page stories every week, alongside taking 13 credit hours, I was convinced one semester of The Alligator was enough. Maybe I would come back in the Spring, but I had some reporting opportunities in the Fall I wanted to go all in on.
I told several people I was done with The Alligator, so I was a bit hesitant when a few days into my two-week break after Summer staff’s final print, I received a text asking if I would consider coming back to be the university desk editor.
“Editing can’t be that bad,” I thought. “I’m not doing any of the reporting.”
I agreed, and suddenly I was in charge of five reporters to cover UF’s affairs, including a new interim president, First Amendment battles, more office closures, student protests and political interference in academic affairs.
Maybe if I had known that managing five reporters, four of whom were reporting for the first time, would take more time each week than my summer reporting had, I would have passed on the opportunity. But
Swasthi, Leo, Duda, Angie and Maddie made it all worth it, and seeing each of them grow and get recognition for their work canceled out the assignments I missed and questionable grades I earned.
You all were the best desk I could ask for to do this final hurrah with. Eighty stories later, I am so proud to see who each of you have become, and I can’t wait to see what you each do in the future.
Constantly sniffing out stories, developing sources and persistently working to get questions answered highlighted the best parts of working in a newsroom. Stepping into an editor’s role tapped into a part of me that wants to see my reporters max out their potential and develop the skills they need to be great journalists.
I’m grateful to Alissa Gary, Sophia Bailly and Zoey Thomas for giving me this opportunity. I’m also super thankful for a wonderful staff of editors and reporters who made the paper run every week.
I came into this semester feeling like the newbie, but you all welcomed me with open arms.
I can’t say I’ll miss spending 15 hours a week in the Gainesville Sun or losing sleep to edit late-night briefs, helping my reporters source or combing through administrative agendas. But I’ll hold onto the laughs, the victories and the experience forever.
I’m thankful and proud to have been part of history here, and I hope I left a positive impact on my uni warrior reporters and the community.
Goodbye — for real this time.
Maria Avlonitis was the Fall 2025 university editor.
Maria Avlonitis opinions@alligator.org
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5. FOOD & DRINK: What is the origin of popcorn?
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Trivia Test Sports Quiz
is tied for the second-most career Olympic gold medals with how many?
2. What did federal agents discover hidden underneath a ticket booth at Middle Georgia Raceway in 1967?
3. Name the singer, actor and philanthropist who was the owner of the 1969 American Basketball Association champion Oakland Oaks team.
4. He's a Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver who won Super Bowl XLI with the Indianapolis Colts. His son was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Who are they?
5. What mountaineer completed the first-ever ski descent of Mount Everest's Hornbein Couloir on the north face in October 2025? (Hint: He shares a name with a "Light My Fire" singer.)
6. Dancer/actress Janet Jones married what NHL hockey star in 1988?
7. The Baku City Circuit, which first hosted a Formula 1 Grand Prix race in 2016, is located in what country?
2025 King Features Synd., Inc. © 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
1. Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, who competed from 1956-64,
MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2025
www.alligator.org/section/sports
Gators hire new head coach
at Ole Miss in 2018 and linebacker coach and co-defensive coordinator at Kentucky from 2019-21, he was hired by Troy.
Sumrall will assume leadership over the Gators, who went a disappointing 4-8 in 2025 after starting the season ranked No. 15 in the AP Top 25 poll.
Former Florida head coach Billy Napier began the season at the helm for UF, but was fired Oct. 19 following the Gators’ 3-4 start. He finished his tenure with a 22-23 record, the worst record of any Florida head coach through 30 games since Raymond Wolf, who went 13-24-2 from 1946-49.
From there, wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales served as interim head coach for Florida’s final five matchups, in which UF went 1-4.
Sumrall’s hiring ends the saga that began following Napier’s mid-
season firing. In his statement announcing the coaching change Oct. 19, Stricklin said the focus for UF would be to hire “an elite football coach who will embody the standard we have at the University of Florida.”
Former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin appeared to be Florida’s primary target, but the Gators reportedly dropped out of the race for Kiffin on Friday. He later announced Nov. 30 via X that he would be taking the LSU job.
Florida then pivoted to Sumrall, who was reported to be the “clear favorite” to assume the vacancy.
Sumrall was heavily pursued by Auburn, but he reportedly removed his name from consideration for the Tigers’ head coaching job Nov. 29.
Tulane also reportedly offered Sumrall an extension that would have made him the second-highest paid Group of Five coach in the country, but he opted for the Florida position instead.
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A defensive-minded head coach, Sumrall made it clear he would not be calling the offensive plays.
“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!” Sumrall wrote.
Sumrall’s hiring received rave reviews from some Gator greats — Danny Weurfell, Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer — who made their positive feelings known about the 31st head coach.
“What a special day for Gator Nation,” Meyer wrote. “Jon is one of the top young coaches in the game. I've studied Coach Sumrall and have gotten to spend some time with him. His teams are tough, physical and he creates a competitive environment. I look forward to getting to know him even more and the special things he will do at Florida.”
@maxbernstein23 mbernstein@alligator.org
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Goodbye Column
The Alligator isn’t perfect. But it’s home.
Inever thought I’d be writing a goodbye to The Alligator.
Everything — good and bad — comes to an end. My relationship with this paper was messy. It chewed me up and spat me out. It built me up and broke me down. And honestly, it’ll take time before I can fully process what this place meant to me.
Luke Adragna Sports Editor
There were some incredible moments: Seeing my name in print for the first time, getting to travel all around the country and the chaotic, but memorable, print nights.
But it wasn’t perfect.
I was let go in Fall 2024, and as much as I wish I could erase that chapter, it ended up being the catalyst for everything that followed.
I took a much-needed break the following Spring. I spent hours reflecting on what I could’ve done better — really
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coming to terms with my shortcomings and figuring out who I wanted to be, not just as a writer, but as a person.
I don’t know why they took a chance on me, but I owe everything to Delia Rose Sauer and Bailey Diem for hiring me as assistant sports editor a semester later. Without you two, I wouldn’t be the person I am now. Since then, I’ve put my heart and soul into trying to better this paper and build up our desk. I’ve worked with some amazing people, and every writer on the sports staff has shown me pieces of themselves. To all of you — and to anyone who hopes to join The Alligator one day — keep writing, keep reading, keep chasing stories. This field needs people who care.
Read the rest online at alligator.org.
For updates on UF athletics, follow us on Twitter at @alligatorSports or online at www.alligator.org/section/sports.
FOOTBALL
Jadan Baugh becomes first Gator in a decade to rush for 1,000 yards
THE SOPHOMORE IS THE FIRST FLORIDA RUNNING BACK SINCE KELVIN TAYLOR TO REACH THE MARK
By Curan Ahern Sports Writer
Florida running back Jadan Baugh made program history Nov. 29.
Baugh eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards against Florida State, making him the first Florida running back to exceed the four-digit rushing mark in a single season since Kelvin Taylor in 2015. Baugh surpassed the total on a 4-yard run in the second quarter.
Midway through the second quarter, Baugh had already totaled 16 carries for 96 yards against the Florida State Seminoles. He kicked off the game with an explosive 21yard run and never took his foot off the gas. By the end of the first half, Baugh had 103 rushing yards and UF was 6-8 on third down.
However, at the start of the season, 1,000 rushing yards on the year was far from Baugh’s mind.
“I’m not going to lie, I didn’t too much think about it,” he said. “I was more focused on becoming a better leader, being a great teammate for the guys surrounding me, understanding the game a lot more.”
Baugh continued to bulldoze defenders in the second half against the Seminoles and reached 210 yards on 30 carries. He eclipsed the mark of most rushing yards against FSU in program history, passing Jimmy DuBose’s 204-yard game against the Seminoles in 1975, and rushed for a
Florida running back Jadan Baugh walks to the locker room after an NCAA college football game against Florida State, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.
22-yard touchdown in the final minutes of the third quarter.
In the fourth, Baugh kept pushing. He finished with 266 yards on 38 carries and added another rushing touchdown in the final minute of the game, extending Florida’s lead to 40-21. Despite head coach Billy Gonzales’ plan to run out the final minute and finish the game 34-21, Baugh took it upon himself to push for the goal line and add a 12-yard touchdown to cap his historic performance.
“Coach told me, ‘Don’t score.’ He told me to slot,” Baugh said. “I’m
like, ‘Coach, don’t do me like that. We don’t like them guys.’ I feel like it was good for our team to just score at the end of the game.”
In a year where Florida football struggled to find its footing on offense, Baugh has been one of the Gators’ few bright spots. The sophomore carried the ball 220 times for 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns. He also added 33 catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns through UF’s 12 games.
Against FSU, Baugh tallied the second-highest single-game rushing total in UF history. His 266-yard,
two-touchdown performance is runner-up to NFL Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith’s 316-yard performance against New Mexico in 1989. Baugh’s 1,170 rushing yards on the year is the seventh highest total in a season by a Gator, narrowly behind Ciatrick Fason’s 1,267-yard rushing season in 2004.
“I love him as a person, I love him as an athlete, I love him as a man,”
Gonzales said of Baugh. “He’s just an exceptional football player. One of the best players in the country, in my opinion. All-purpose yards, rushing yards, he’s elite. It was fantastic to see the performance that he had today.”
Baugh had arguably his best game against Mississippi State, where he rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown. Florida won every game the sophomore running back eclipsed 100 yards. He tallied at least 46 yards in each game this season.
Baugh quickly emerged as an important element in the Gators’ offense during his freshman year. He earned his first start against Kentucky on Oct. 19, 2024, and ran for five touchdowns, tying a program record set by Trey Burton and Tim Tebow.
Eventually, he finished the year with 133 carries for 673 yards and seven touchdowns.
“Easy day at the ballpark having a guy like him, man,” sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway said. “He comes in every single day and works. I’m so excited for him and his future. It’s going to be great.”
The last time a Florida Gator rushed for 1,000 yards in a season, Jim McElwain was head coach of a 10-4 UF team, quarterback Will Gri-
er was suspended, Gators defensive lineman Dante Fowler Jr. was selected third overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL Draft and the Gators took down Georgia 27-3 on Halloween.
With Jon Sumrall entering Gainesville as UF’s newest head coach, one of the biggest questions surrounding the program pertains to the transfer portal. With UF hauling in top talents to produce a 4-8 season, speculation looms about whether players will stick with Tulane’s ex-head coach or test their luck in the portal.
“I’d love for every individual here to stay at the University of Florida,” Gonzales said. “The University of Florida is special. To me it’s special. Holds a place close to my heart because I’ve spent a lot of time here. It’s home.”
Following Florida’s last game, some players, like Lagway, expressed their gratitude for and loyalty to the university, alluding to the idea they will remain at Florida. However, when asked about next season, Baugh stressed a present-focused approach, saying he hasn’t worried about what next season has in store.
“I ain’t too much thought about it,” Baugh said about the coaching change. “It was more finishing the season, being with my guys … Again, I’m never focused on future things. I’m always focused on the moment. Life is short. Focusing on the moment, just enjoying everything that’s in front of me, I feel like that’s the way to go.”
@CuranAhern cahern@alligator.org
Tyreak Sapp reflects after his final victory in The Swamp
THE GATORS DEFEATED RIVAL FLORIDA STATE 40-21 SATURDAY
By Max Bernstein Sports Writer
Moments after the clock hit zero and before the alma mater was sung, Tyreak Sapp sat in the middle of the Florida Gator head at midfield.
He looked around, taking in the moment. It was his final time suiting up for the Gators and playing at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
After UF’s 40-21 victory over Florida State to cap off its 2025 season, Sapp said the emotions were finally starting to hit him.
“I’ve just been trying to soak in every moment, make the most of every moment and kind of just enjoy everybody,” Sapp said post-game. “I’ve been through a lot, and I’ve seen a lot, and I’ve seen this place go through a lot, so it just means a lot to me.”
It was a culmination of the edge rushers’ journey from a kid from Fort Lauderdale idolizing Gator greats to becoming a UF defensive lineman to heading toward the NFL.
“I was a dude up front, and I just wanted to be one of those guys,” Sapp said. “I knew the tradition, I knew the history and I knew the standard … I wanted to be a part of this. I knew it was something special.”
Alongside 19 other seniors, Sapp, who spent five years at UF, was celebrated for Senior Day before the game began, coming out through the tunnel with his daughter sitting on his shoulder. He walked out to thunderous applause before greeting the rest of his family at midfield.
When reflecting on that special moment post-game, Sapp spoke about how his family has made him the man he is today.
“I owe them nothing but so much gratitude,” Sapp said. “Through this whole process, through all my years of college, [they] did nothing but support me and help me become better.”
Sapp committed to Florida after his sophomore season in late 2018, well before his arrival in Gainesville in 2021.
He recalled the time he quickly spoke to former Florida head coach Dan Mullen on the phone during his freshman year of high school.
“Coach Mullen said, ‘What we doing?’ And I said, ‘I commit,’ and I hung up the phone,” Sapp said. “So I’ve always been a Gator.”
Sapp has been a constant force on Florida’s defensive front since his redshirt freshman season in 2022, playing 49 of UF’s 50 games in that time span.
He finished his Gators’ career with 124 total tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and four forced fumbles. Thirteen of his tackles for loss and seven of his sacks came in 2024, where Sapp led UF in both categories.
While he and the Florida pass rush have not been as effective in 2025, they came out with a vengeance on Saturday, sacking FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos four times en route to the blowout victory.
For Sapp, there was no better game for him and his fellow seniors to go out.
“The tradition of that game is special, and it runs deep,” Sapp said. “We didn’t just have to win that game for us, but for the past Gators that have come and laid the foundation.”
Sapp is not the only leader on the UF defensive line to potentially depart to the pros. His close friend Caleb Banks also played his last game as a Gator on Saturday, finishing a 2025
season in which he only played in three contests.
After suffering a foot injury against LSU Sept. 13, Banks was out of the lineup until Nov. 22, when he returned against Tennessee. While his draft stock as a highly-touted player was already set, Banks decided to return to suit up alongside his teammates one last time, helped by some encouragement from Sapp.
“We can’t play at UF anymore after this,” Sapp said. “So, you don’t want to look back and say, ‘dang, I wish I did it.’ … That’s what I told him. I said, ‘you only get to do it once, and I’d love to do it with you again.’”
Banks and Sapp will join the list of former Gators to make their marks on the next level. Sapp mentioned Brandon Spikes and Dante Fowler Jr., both first-round picks out of UF, as guys who made him want to come to UF when he was a recruit.
Sapp departs Florida just as the Gators announced Jon Sumrall as its next head coach Sunday. The former Tulane head coach will become the 31st head coach in program history.
“It’s about true love,” Sapp said. “Do you really love where you are, and do you love the people around you? … And if not, there’s always a place that will obviously take you in and who will love you.”
And while the game of college football might be over for Sapp as he makes his next steps in his career, he had one mission.
“Forget tomorrow,” Sapp said. “Tomorrow isn’t promised. So what would you give for today? … Because you don’t know what tomorrow holds, and all we’ve got is just one moment right here.”
Noah Lantor // Alligator Staff
