Florida Gators wide receiver Vernell Brown III (8) makes a diving catch during a football game between the Long Island Sharks and the Florida Gators on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. See more Gators football in Sportson pg. 11.
UF DECREASED FUNDING FOR RTS BY 28%, LEADING TO LIMITED AND CROWDED BUS ROUTES
By Leona Masangkay & Alexa Ryan
Alligator Staff Writer
During the first few days of school, student frustration with UF’s funding cuts for the Regional
Transit System was clear as people squeezed into crowded — and often late — buses.
The number of available bus routes decreased just a few weeks before thousands of UF students arrived on campus, who are the first to see the effects of the funding cuts when the university is at its most crowded.
UF reallocated funds from RTS, which serves a large portion of Gainesville with 39 routes, to campus-specific transportation,
mainly the Campus Connector, in May.
Route adjustments went into effect June 30, eliminating four routes: Routes 16, 34, 35 and 711. Additionally, Route 126 will run with reduced service.
Those routes provided almost 271,000 passenger trips — about 9% of RTS’s total trips — since October 2024 to March 2025, according to the bus service.
Who is UF’s new
A Columbia physician and longtime academic leader stepped into the role Sept. 1
By Swasthi Maharaj & Maria Arruda Alligator Staff Writers
UF’s Board of Trustees has chosen a scientist to represent the school as interim president while it continues to search for a permanent hire.
The board unanimously approved Dr. Donald Landry, a professor of medicine at Columbia University, on Aug. 25. He comes with support from both his former colleagues and Florida’s political higher-ups.
Landry, a graduate of Columbia and Harvard University, served as the chair of Columbia’s Department of Medicine for 16 years, raised the Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s research rankings, and won the Presidential Citizens Medal under former President George W. Bush.
During Landry’s tenure, the department of medicine saw a faculty growth spurt; the department’s National Institutes of Health funded research tripled. It also climbed in national NIH rankings from the top 15 to the top five, according to a Columbia Irving Medical Center staff announcement.
Landry’s duties were set to
begin Sept. 1, and his position is pending approval from the Florida Board of Governors, which is set to meet Sept. 10.
Professional reputation
Barry Honig, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics at Columbia University, has known Landry for 20 to 30 years. He said Landry is a fitting choice for interim president, and UF is “lucky to have him.”
“I think Columbia is losing somebody who, frankly, I wish was…our president,” Honig said.
Honig said Landry has the highest possible standards in judging others’ accomplishments without political motivations.
Landry is also president of the American Academy of Sciences and Letters, an organization recognizing scholarship and research. His work there demonstrates his ambition to apply high standards to university accreditation “independent of political views,” Honig said.
According to Honig, Landry had been active in organizing a society at Columbia to help undergraduate students who were a minority at the school, and asked him to be an advisor for the club.
The ‘little kitty-cat’ was found with a deep cut on her tongue Aug. 8
By Madeline Herring Alligator Staff Writer
UF students can usually find Tenders the cat sunbathing near Tolbert Hall or wandering in nearby woods. Judging by her bright eyes, swaying tail and playful jumping, it might seem like she doesn’t have a care in the world.
But just a few weeks ago, Tenders was facing her own battle.
The beloved UF community cat, named after her love for chicken tenders, returned to her home on campus Aug. 21 after healing from a cut in her mouth.
Tenders is well-known by students, faculty and the Gainesville community, as shown by her 7,000 followers on Instagram. The brown-andwhite tabby almost received an honorary degree when the UF Student Government passed a bill in September 2024 to make it possible.
Theresa Sumrall, a UF College of Medicine clinical data manager, said she was the first to discover the laceration, or deep cut, on Tenders’ tongue. Sumrall saw a post on the Gatorcats Instagram page in early August saying Tenders was showing signs of illness, which sparked her concern.
Another post about Tenders hiding in the woods and not coming to her caregivers for food sparked action. Sumrall said she went to look for Tenders after work Aug. 8.
Sumrall has been involved with Operation Catnip, a trap-neuter-
release program, or TNR, since 2008. She has been the caregiver of the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions cat cohort since 2008, and she said she has extensive experience with community cats and TNR rescue.
“I was confident enough that if I went out there I could take a look at [Tenders] and see if I could tell her caregivers what I thought might be happening,” she said.
Sumrall said she found Tenders at her “usual spot” by the Riker Hall office. It was her first time meeting the community cat, but Tenders was calm and let Sumrall handle her.
She noticed drool on Tenders’ lips and chin from a distance, which can indicate a cat has pain or discomfort in its mouth.
After a little coaxing, Sumrall was able to gently open Tenders’ mouth, and she saw a big, red cut straight across the end of her tongue.
“It was very deep and was obviously very painful,” she said.
Sumrall said her first guess was that Tenders had cut herself by licking the sharp edge of a can of cat food, but it was so deep and inflamed she wasn’t sure if something worse caused the injury.
Armin Niknam, a 38-year-old UF English graduate student and one of Tenders’ caregivers, said he noticed several people feeding Tenders wet cat food over the summer. Niknam was concerned that the hot weather would cause the food to get moldy, but he said he never thought the can itself could be dangerous. After
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further examining the injury, her caregivers came to a consensus that a can was the cause.
After keeping Tenders in its care for a few days, Operation Catnip let Sumrall foster Tenders as she made a full recovery from the cut.
Sumrall kept Tenders in a spare bathroom, and she watched the cat closely and bonded with her for five days. She let Tenders explore her house and watch birds and mice on TV. Tenders was demanding in a sweet way, Sumrall said, and she was not afraid to let her voice be heard.
“She wanted to be out, she wanted her freedom, but she didn't understand why I'd taken her away from her home,” she said.
Tenders is an inquisitive cat, Sumrall said, with “more personality than any 10 humans you could find in a room.” She recalled Tenders going straight for a sack of cat food left on the floor and sticking her whole body in it as soon as she had freedom to explore the house.
Tenders was outgoing and cuddly, she said, even though Sumrall “was the bad guy.”
“She's mad at me,” Sumrall said. “I’m the guy who grabbed her and stuffed her in a towel and took her away from her home and poked in her mouth. But, I was in a position to help.”
Tenders declined to comment after The Alligator visited her at her usual spot near Tolbert Hall on Friday.
Niknam collected Tenders from Sumrall's home and released her back to Tolbert so she could greet all the incoming students. When she returned, a poster welcomed her back and expressed everyone's excitement for her health. The poster also explained her injury and recovery.
Ines Aviles-Spadoni, a research coordinator at the UF College of Engineering who runs the @campuskittiesfl Instagram account, said it was touching to see so much concern for Tenders and all the help the cat received.
“A lot of people came together to take care of this one little kittycat who’s a favorite of a lot of people here in town,” she said.
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LANDRY, from pg. 1
“Especially in a place like Columbia, there was a minority in students who are more conservative, for example,” he said.
The Columbia University club, called the John Jay Society, is a debate organization for political and moral philosophy, dedicated to exploring Western intellectual tradition through discussion and debate.
Landry was a terrific Chairman of Columbia’s Department of Medicine, Honig added, and he’s “really upset” Landry is leaving the university.
“Don has more experience than most in handling very different issues,” Honig said. “I think he covers all the bases.”
Meeting GOP approval
Landry’s appointment swiftly gained political approval from conservative leaders, even as Columbia itself has faced criticism from Gov. Ron DeSantis and others for being “sad and pathetic” in its handling of pro-Palestinian protests in May 2024.
DeSantis congratulated Landry on social media, calling him a candidate with a “stellar record” and praising the Board of Trustees for securing “such a strong candidate.”
Conservative activist Christopher Rufo also gave “kudos” to the Board of Trustees on social media, describing Landry as a “principled leader who will reverse ideological capture and restore truth-seeking” at UF.
Alan Levine, vice chair of the Board of Governors, publicly showed support for Landry, calling him a “serious leader” on X.
“Dr. Landry is an excellent nomination, and I look forward to having the opportunity to offer my formal support at our next BOG meeting,” he wrote in a text message to The Alligator.
Landry’s appointment as interim president came after an unprecedented presidential search for UF’s 14th president. GOP politicians criticized the UF Board of Trustees for its top choice, Santa Ono. The former president of the University of Michigan was rejected by the Florida Board of Governors after facing backlash for his past support of DEI initiatives and for being, as Donald Trump, Jr. put it in an X post, a “woke psycho.”
Critics said the search that produced Ono as a sole finalist was not transparent. Sen. Rick Scott, Rep. Byron Donalds and Rep. Greg Steube, all Republicans representing Florida in Congress, sent a letter to the Board of Trustees June 18, urging them to be fully transparent in their search for UF’s next president.
Levine publically opposed Ono, questioning him for nearly 40 minutes over his past support for DEI initiatives and his handing of pro-Palestinian protests at the University of Michigan. He ultimately voted against Ono’s confirmation.
During the Aug. 25 Board of Trustees meeting, Landry said he would place the freedom to learn and teach at the forefront of his leadership.
“Freedom of speech…is a right, but so is the right to learn, the right to teach,” he said. “That’s when we have time, place, and many restrictions on the speech,
RTS, from pg. 1
Other routes had to change to cover areas the eliminated routes once serviced, leading to confusion and longer wait times for riders.
Even though the number of bus riders continues to increase, UF decided to decrease RTS’s operating budget by 28%, according to a June press release from the City of Gainesville.
“If UF will participate at the level they used to participate in, we can go back to the level of service that we used to provide,” Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward said.
UF’s contributions to the system made up almost half of RTS’s operating budget before the university decreased its funding, Ward said.
“The changes to RTS, the inconveniences that you see to the system, are a direct result of cuts that UF made,” Ward said.
The cuts impact a large portion of the UF student population, and UF students have expressed frustration as available routes have decreased and the ones that are available can be overcrowded.
Many students express their disappointment through social media platforms, such as Reddit and YikYak, where users have posted photos of crowded buses and described their experiences with long wait times.
Melissa Castellano, a 21-year-old UF health education senior, began using RTS services this past summer. The transition from the summer to the fall semester was “shocking,” she said.
“Now, when I ride the bus, I have to stand among other students,” Castellano said. “We skipped several stops, because there’s not enough space.”
Interim UF President nominee Dr. Donald Landry responds to questions about his medical leadership roles at Columbia and Harvard. Dr. Landry testified in front of the Board of Trustees at the Emerson Alumni Hall on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025.
on the expression. And that’s a very rational approach.”
He emphasized he would support freedom of speech and expression to maintain stability, but he would not “allow destruction” at the cost of learning.
Landry has been involved in public debate over free speech and online content moderation.
In a 2024 Supreme Court case, he submitted a brief supporting Florida and Texas attorneys general in their challenge against NetChoice LLC, a case against censorship on social media platforms.
“It is difficult to think of a more compelling governmental interest than protecting open debate,” Landry wrote in the brief.
In his statement, Landry listed
the dangers of suppressing what he titled “scientific dissent.” Social media platforms, he argued, shouldn’t censor claims solely because they are controversial.
“Science depends on the freedom to question any existing scientific theories,” he wrote.
UF communities weigh in
The president of UF’s chapter of the United Faculty of Florida union, Meera Sitharam, said in an email statement she feels relieved Landry was chosen for the role.
Unlike at least four other state university systems around the state, she wrote, “we did not end up with a political appointee as interim president.”
Sitharam praised Landry’s aca-
Castellano initially planned on using the bus as her primary form of transportation for the fall semester. However, she recently purchased a parking decal because she felt RTS was no longer reliable.
Syvvie Riffle, an 18-year-old UF exploratory freshman, is new to Gainesville and said part of why they chose UF was because of public transportation. But, for their first week of classes, they felt “scared” to use RTS due to route changes.
Of the 39 remaining routes offered by RTS, only two stayed the same: Routes 10 and 52.
To help with the confusion, the City of Gainesville created the “Find My Bus” number, which allows riders to text the bus stop ID at any stop RTS services to receive real-time updates on the status of their bus. This shows the “city is reaffirming its commitment to community mobility,” according to a City of Gainesville press release.
During the first week of classes, RTS staff members were also stationed at popular bus stops throughout campus to answer questions about how to navigate the new system.
“As a first-year student, I was really underwhelmed with the RTS here,” Riffle said. “There needs to be more funding to the system to make Gainesville the high public transport city that it was said to be.”
The Gainesville chapter of the Sunrise Movement, a UF student organization focused on sustainability, has been closely following the RTS funding cuts. Currently, it's spreading a “Help Save RTS” petition through social media.
Ana Ferreira, the 21-year-old Sunrise Movement president, said the purpose of the petition extends further than just collecting signatures. The petition is meant to connect students and raise awareness about RTS changes.
“I don’t really think many people know now what’s happening,” said Ferreira, a UF sustainability studies and
demic background and said his reputation is “encouraging, if we ignore one or two questionable actions.” She declined to comment further as to what actions she was referencing.
During the Aug. 25 Board of Trustees meeting, Board Chair Morteza “Mori” Hosseini emphasized the need for UF’s next president to continue the university’s campaign against antisemitism.
“That is the kind of leadership we expect at the University of Florida,” Hosseini said during the Board meeting.
@s_maharaj1611 smaharaj@alligator.org @mariazalfarruda marruda@alligator.org
anthropology senior. “They just kind of know that suddenly their buses are really full and they're taking forever.”
Another UF student organization, the Young Democratic Socialists of America, has been advocating for RTS funding restoration in collaboration with the Alachua County Labor Coalition.
In June, the organization launched a campaign to “phone zap” UF administration. According to 21-year-old UF aerospace engineering senior Bryan Garcia Ramos, who directs the YDSA’s RTS campaign, “phone zapping” is when an increased number of students call a single office at once.
“It was really good to let them know that what [they’re] doing is having a really, really detrimental effect on students,” Garcia Ramos said.
YDSA members also sent emails to university staff members, such as Interim President Kent Fuchs, Vice President of Business Affairs Brandi Renton, Associate Director of Transportation Jeremiah McInnis and Vice President for Student Life Heather White. Garcia Ramos said that an estimated 2,000 emails were sent to UF administration over the summer.
Both the YDSA and Sunrise Movement have been involved in monitoring RTS funding since 2024, when UF first announced proposals to cut RTS funds. Members have since then taken part in protests and negotiations with Gainesville and UF to decrease funding cuts.
“We’re going to escalate our campaign,” Garcia Ramos said. “We’re going to leverage the student power that we have now on campus to pressure the university into giving more money to RTS.”
@leo_amasangkay lmasangkay@alligator.org aryan@alligator.org
By Maria Avlonitis Alligator Staff Writer
UF closed its Office of Sustainability after almost 20 years of service Aug. 4, citing a focus of efficiency.
The university argues sustainability is already embedded in its practices. But not everyone is buying it.
Three employees were fired due to the office’s closure. The office was responsible for implementing sustainable practices across UF, including following green building standards, advising the UF Procurement Department and tracking sustainability metrics for national rankings. It also offered biodiversity and communications student internships positions.
The Office of Sustainability was absorbed into UF Facilities Services, but it’s unclear who will enforce some of the office’s responsibilities, like implementing UF’s Climate Action Plan and tracking sustainability efforts.
UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldán said in an email the office was closed due to a 5% budget cut in administrative expenses starting July 1. The cut saved the university $20 million, she said, and approximately 75 positions were eliminated across affected departments.
“While these decisions were difficult, they were critical to minimizing the impacts to the campus community to the greatest extent possible,” Roldán wrote.
Provost Joe Glover, in a Faculty Senate meeting Aug. 21, said he understood the office could close and “not lose any of the functions that it had historically been providing.”
The office, he added, had few core functions left, by his understanding.
“It seemed like a reasonable cost containment effort at that point with no loss of functionality,” Glover said.
But Stephen Mulkey, a UF biology professor, said he feels the decision was politically driven more than anything else.
“ It’s not necessarily the efficiency of the office,” Mulkey said. “They don’t want this office there.”
If there is an efficiency justification for closing the office, Mulkey said, then there should have been an audit. That’s when leadership could step in, make a plan to renovate and address issues to make the office more relevant and efficient, he added.
“ But none of that happened,” Mulkey said. “The choice was, ‘we’re just gonna close this f-ck-r, we’re just gonna shut it down.’ I’m sorry, that makes no sense to me.”
The functions
Meghan Fay Zahniser, the executive director of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, said the nonprofit works with higher education institutions that are interested in learning about or working on sustainability.
UF has been a member of AASHE for almost 20 years, she said. It’s fair to say UF has been deeply committed to sustainability, Zahniser said, but the Office of Sustainability’s closure was concerning to her.
“This is a first that I’ve heard of, to my knowledge, where an institution has eliminated their Office of Sustainability,” she said.
Not every institution has an office for sustainability efforts, she said, but the past two decades have generally shown growth in sustainability staff positions. Zahniser said she’s hopeful UF can continue to build off the Office of Sustainability’s impact and
legacy.
“I am curious to see what that looks like without this office,” Zahniser said.
UF’s history with sustainability goes as far back as 1994, when it joined 310 universities worldwide in signing the Talloires Declaration, pledging support to reduce environmental degradation and natural resource depletion.
It continued with efforts like creating a Sustainability Task Force jointly with the current UF president and Faculty Senate in 2001. It established a Sustainability Committee in 2004 to oversee and develop policies with the Office of Sustainability, and assess the progress of UF’s sustainability efforts.
UF geological sciences professor Andrew Zimmerman has been a member of the committee for nine years.
When he heard the Office of Sustainability closed, Zimmerman said, he reached out to the whole committee encouraging them to fight for the office’s reinstatement. The university didn’t consult with the Sustainability Committee or faculty governance before shutting down the office, he said.
“ This was, in a sense, done behind everybody’s back,” he said.
The office ran UF’s recycling program and gathered data about UF’s greenhouse gas emissions, he said. It also had a representative in various UF committees and departments to advise on sustainability.
It’s not clear who will be responsible for continuing to submit data to AASHE, he said, and he thinks initiatives like gas reduction and carpooling will “fizzle away.”
“ I mean, there’s nobody who can devote themselves that kind of time and effort,” Zimmerman said. “ Certainly there’ll be a bigger need for what we do, but we’re just all faculty with other jobs, so it’ll be difficult.”
The Sustainability Committee, in large part, made suggestions to the Office of Sustainability, he said. The office’s closure takes away a huge chunk of the committee’s role.
“We don’t have any facilities. We don’t have any budget,” Zimmerman said. “So nothing will get done sustainability-wise anymore.”
UF’s sustainability future in question
Dave Newport, the director of the Office of Sustainability when it was originally
review and approval, UF has not wavered in its commitment to building and operating a more sustainable campus, Roldán said.
In February 2024, the Alachua County Board of City Commissioners sent a letter to former UF president Ben Sasse encouraging the university to adopt the new CAP and to “take proactive measures in line with its position as a leader in climate science.”
Grace MacEwan, director of Unlitter UF, a sustainability-focused student organization, said she was disappointed to see UF decide to close the Office of Sustainability.
UF has several sustainability degree programs, and the 21-year-old UF sustainability senior said she thinks shutting down the office shows the university doesn’t understand the importance of what it’s studying. It’s a disappointment for students like herself who were thinking of continuing at UF to get a masters in sustainability, she added.
“Who knows if that major is even gonna be around in a few years,” MacEwan said. “This could just be the first step if they shut down the office of sustainability.”
She said Unlitter UF will continue to do cleanups around campus and try to make both the university and Gainesville a more sustainable place.
founded, said he was heartbroken to find out about its closure.
“ To see it pulled for no good reason in the dead of night when nobody’s on campus, like students and faculty, just [portrays] that the university is not really proud of this,” Newport said. “And I understand why. They shouldn’t be.”
The Office of Sustainability worked with the UF president to make sustainable practices a priority, Newport said. The office worked to embed sustainability concepts and practices into UF’s curriculum, he said.
According to Newport, it’s essential the office works as an administrative entity and is “close to the top.” And without being embedded institutionally, he added, it’s a signal that it’s not important to the university.
The highest UF’s sustainability metrics have been rated according to AASHE standards is a silver STARS rating, the third highest an institution can get, he said. The key process indicators like recycling, energy, transportation use and curriculum shows UF still has room for improvement, he said.
“ UF is not a leader like some schools are in this,” Newport said, “and this is a place where UF should be a leader and can be a leader.”
The Office of Sustainability was in charge of implementing UF’s Climate Action Plan, or CAP, which it adopted in 2009 at the recommendation of a group of UF staff and faculty. The plan focused on infrastructure energy efficiency, expanding greenhouse gas emission monitoring and reduction campaigns, according to previous Alligator reporting.
The CAP was supposed to be revised and updated every three years, but its second edition, CAP 2.0, wasn’t drafted until 2021. The new plan aimed to improve university’s energy consumption, promote low-carbon transportation and establish guidelines for sustainable building.
CAP 2.0 adoption and implementation was paused in 2023 to allow the incoming president to review and evaluate institutional priorities, Roldán, the UF spokesperson, said in an email.
“No one department or division is tasked with implementing sustainability principles because they have already been integrated into the institution’s regular business practices,” she said.
While CAP 2.0 has not received formal
Several UF sustainability clubs publicly condemned the Office of Sustainability’s closure in an Instagram post. The office was critical to UF’s climate response, it read, and it served the community through multiple environmental initiatives and student programs.
“While this closure may serve UF’s short-term fiscal objectives, it undermines long-term savings, community needs, and the university’s reputation,” the post read. It’s more important than ever to support sustainability efforts, and it’s now up to the community to represent sustainability on campus, it said.
Alexander Hoff, a 21-year-old sustainability and the built environment senior, said he wasn’t surprised when the Office of Sustainability was closed.
“The board’s been a little bit more, you know, kind of stingy on what they wanna spend money on and the messaging of what they wanna spend money on,” Hoff said. He thinks the office’s closure is going to impact awareness about sustainability. The Office of Sustainability had partnerships with different organizations, he said, and it put on sustainability-centered events.
UF closing the Office of Sustainability because of “fiduciary irresponsibility” isn’t enough of a reason to close the office, he said.
“ I think wording like that kind of associates the idea or the concept of sustainability as also being irresponsible in the eyes of this board,” Hoff said.
Summer Smith, a 20-year-old natural resource conservation junior and the outreach director of Unlitter UF, thinks the university has done a lot of work to involve students in the process for decisions that impact them, and Smith thinks it was intentional that UF didn’t involve students in this one. Smith said she thinks it was so people wouldn’t have an influence on the decision.
“ You learn this in economics, but everyone values the present more than they value the future,” she said, “so you’re willing to pay more for now than you are to pay less for later.”
Closing the Office of Sustainability might be a way of solving financial problems in the short term, she said, but UF needs to focus more on the future.
“ It’s important that it’s protected so it can protect us,” Smith said.
By Teia Williams Alligator Staff Writer
UF’s Norman Tunnel has become a rainbow-infused battlefield.
In the days since Gainesville removed its rainbow crosswalks at the state’s demand, rainbow murals have popped up across the city in response, including on UF’s campus. What followed was a spray-paint battle to claim Norman Tunnel’s walls.
On Aug. 20, about 20 people painted two rainbow pathways at both entrances of the Norman Hall Tunnel.
About a week later, an unknown individual spraypainted over the rainbow with the Greek letters for Phi Delta Theta — a fraternity on campus. Later that night came “Trump 2028.” The following day, the rainbows were covered with an American flag, and black paint crossed out the words “Support LGBT+” on the tunnel’s walls.
In response, UF’s chapter of Planned Parenthood Generation Action, or PPGUF, hosted an event Aug. 31 called “Won’t Back Down” to restore the rainbow mural — this time, bigger, stretching across the length of the tunnel.
“LGBTQ community in Gainesville is not going anywhere no matter what they do,” PPGUF president Amanda Hiatt said. “That is not something that we stand for, and we’re gonna keep repainting it until that point gets across.”
Art in the Norman Tunnel is typically temporary, and Hiatt said she expected that parts of
the rainbow would get covered, eventually.
A few hours after the event, the rainbow was defaced once again, painted over with crosses, lines of Biblical scripture and other religious ideals.
UF’s chapter of Phi Delta Theta doesn’t support the action and is taking steps to correct the issue, the fraternity said in a press release.
UF College Democrats and Alachua County Democrats raised supply funds for the second rainbow mural. The groups gathered about $430, according to UF College Democrats spokesperson Olivia Belinc — enough to afford spray paint through the entire tunnel.
“I think majority of it will be maintained for a pretty long time, more so than other messages would be, just because I think it’s much bigger this time, it’s hard to miss,” Belinc said.
It took 30 minutes and 40 people to complete the tunnellong rainbow. People also painted words and designs such as “pride” and “protect the dolls” along the walls of the tunnel in reference to the LGBTQ+ community. The words “Support LGBT+” were also repainted.
Lucas Nadeau, a 20-year-old UF political science junior and student senator, said the paint covering the rainbows were “just sad, but honestly not shocking.”
PPGUF said it is determined to find a “more permanent way to support LGBTQ+ visibility in our city” after the week’s events.
@teia_williams twilliams@alligator.org
By Sofia Alamo
Arrests made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Alachua County have increased in recent weeks, jail records show.
ICE arrested 28 people in the county during the month of August, with 25 of those arrests occurring over the past two weeks. The highest single-day total for arrests occurred Aug. 25, when six people were detained in Alachua County Jail. By contrast, there were no ICE arrests in the entire month of July.
The surge occurred amid a weeklong, statewide operation that led to 1,120 immigrant arrests throughout Florida — the largest number in a single state in ICE’s history, according to a press release.
Records show several people arrested share last names and were arrested the
same day. County officials, however, have not yet confirmed relationships or specific countries of origin.
Records identify about half of those arrested as Hispanic, and a large majority, about 87%, as male. Ages range from 19 at the youngest to 57 at the oldest, with a median age of 33. All have the Florida Highway Patrol listed as the arresting agency, rather than the county sheriff’s department.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office declined to identify the federal agents involved. The office emphasized the arrests were conducted by ICE agents, not local deputies.
“This increase isn’t relative to us, but to ICE and the federal government,” said Capt. Chris Sims, a sheriff’s office spokesperson, in a statement.
The jail cooperates with ICE under
federal authority, Sims said. Florida leads the nation in the number of 287(g) agreements, which allow ICE to delegate certain enforcement powers to local law enforcement.
“Yes, we have to do it. We don’t have a choice,” Sims said, adding that deputies must report encounters with immigrants without legal status to ICE.
Rafael Ramírez Solórzano, a UF Latin American studies professor, said the increase is part of a broader political strategy across the South. Programs such as 287(g), he said, have strengthened cooperation between ICE and local authorities in Florida.
The impact of these policies, Solórzano said, is growing distrust among immigrants toward government institutions. Fear has become an essential tool of public policy, he said, normalizing discrimination and
the persecution of immigrants.
“There is no trust anymore,” Solórzano said. “When something happens in your community, you won’t go to the police because you’re afraid the police will report you, because you’re afraid the police might also be acting as immigration agents. And now, who are we supposed to trust?”
That fear is shaping daily life for some Gainesville residents. Maia Canessa, an 18-year-old UF industrial engineering freshman and international student, said local immigrants are even avoiding basic routines.
Many won’t leave their homes to go to work or take their children to school due to the paranoia of being detained, she said.
“They don’t want to be the next ones arrested,” Canessa said.
Alligator staff contributed to this report.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2025
www.alligator.org/section/the_avenue
LISTENED TO CLASSIC SONGS, RAISED MONEY FOR FLORIDA’S MANATEES
By Christopher Rodriguez Avenue Staff Writer
With more Hawaiian shirts and margaritas than a tropical resort, and fresh cheeseburgers grilled in paradise, the first annual Jimmy Buffett Fest welcomed local Gainesville bands and artists to Heartwood Soundstage Aug. 31.
The event took place the eve of the late singer’s death anniversary. Although the weather was windy and overcast, 69-year-old Lynn Ellison noted the attendees’ sunny spirits as she worked the ticket booth at Heartwood.
“They come in dressed up,” she said. “JJust a really good crowd.”
Wearing sailor hats or Hawaiian shirts with Buffett’s face, these parrotheads, as Buffett’s fans are called, showed their admiration for the songwriter through fashion statements.
With lawn chairs scattered across Heartwood’s outdoor field, the audience relaxed to watch a 10-set, four-hour performance.
Noah Moses took the stage with his band, Noah Moses and the Flood, as the second set of the event. The 29-year-old lead singer said part of what makes fans so dedicated is the connection they feel with Buffett.
Although previously familiar with Buffett’s legacy, Moses said the festival helped him develop a deeper appreciation for Buffett’s thoughtful songwriting.
“He writes like an everyday guy,” Moses said. “He’s not writing from this house-on-ahill perspective. He just sounds like he’s a normal nine-to-five guy who’s writing songs from
that perspective.”
Jared Hart, Jimmy Buffett Fest’s producer, said Buffett didn’t just have a laid-back approach to music. He had a laid-back approach to life.
“It felt like Jimmy kinda hacked life,” Hart said. “He was able to wear flip-flops and a bathing suit and still make a ton of money and give away a lot of money.”
One of the causes Buffett supported was the “Save the Manatee” charity, which he founded with former Florida Gov. Bob Graham. The foundation is behind the popular Florida license plates with the same slogan, depicting a manatee floating under the surface of the water. Proceeds from the festival went to the foundation and to Heartwood Soundstage.
Patrick Rose, the 74-year-old executive director of the Save the Manatee Club, emphasized the importance of Buffett’s legacy to the preservation of the threatened species. He
knew Buffett personally.
“He was very instrumental in actually helping to save manatees,” Rose said. “He was just a good friend of mine over all those years.”
Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward also attended Jimmy Buffett Fest, saying how important it is to protect Florida’s wildlife and the unique ecosystems found in Gainesville, including Alachua County’s natural springs. Whether they came as a fan of the manatees or a fan of Buffett, Gainesville residents showed their support for the cause in a big way.
The festival’s organizers plan to make the Jimmy Buffett Fest an annual tradition every Labor Day weekend, according to the event producer, Jared Hart. Plans for next year’s fest are already in the works, he said.
@ChrisRodri29386 crodriguez@alligator.org
NEWEST ALBUM ‘MAN’S BEST FRIEND’ IS SASSY, SHARP AND SURPRISINGLY HEARTFELT
By Aaliyah Evertz Avenue Staff Writer
The wait is over — Sabrina Carpenter dropped her newest album, “Man’s Best Friend,” on Aug. 29. Released just over a year after her last record “Short n’ Sweet,” the 5-foot blonde pop star has been maintaining her status as a “busy woman.”
In “Man’s Best Friend,” Carpenter delivers 12 new tracks that lean into the confident,
provocative energy that’s become a focal point of her brand. The songs are often brash and cheeky, but they’re also threaded with moments of vulnerability that remind listeners she’s still writing from lived experiences.
When Carpenter announced the album’s release in June, she stirred up controversy over her cover art: She’s posed like a dog on a leash, playing into — or against — the male gaze. Some called it misogynistic; others argued it was satire.
The fact she stuck with the original cover is telling. Carpenter has always thrived in provocation, and here she doubles down, daring listeners to misinterpret her.
The album opens with “Man-
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child,” released as a single June 5, a tongue-in-cheek jab at immature men. Polished yet playful, the song lays the groundwork for Carpenter’s familiar balance of sass and charm.
On tracks like “We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night” and “Nobody’s Son,” Carpenter gets more serious with her audience. She laments her unlucky romantic streak, chronicling the exhausting cycle of almost-breakups and temporary reconciliations. With lyrics like “Here we go again, crying in bed / What a familiar feeling,” she makes it clear that, even though she’s having fun, she’s not shying away from the ugly side of relationships.
Then comes “Tears.” The disco-tinged anthem flips the bare min-
imum of decency into a punchline about attraction and captures how modern dating often rewards men for doing the least. Emulating the unfortunate, but very real standards, she sings how “a little respect for women can get you very, very far.”
“Tears” also earned brownie points in my book for the music video — which featured Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo in drag. It’s a fun watch, especially with the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” references.
“My Man on Willpower” pivots to a relationship soured by change, capturing the sting of going from adored to ignored.
“Sugar Talking,” one of my per-
sonal favorites, dials up the percussion and showcases Carpenter’s vocals. Lyrically, it cuts through empty charm: “Big word for a real small mind / And aren’t you tired of saying a whole lot of nothing?”
One of the album’s cheekiest moments is “Never Getting Laid,” with lines like “I just hope you get agoraphobia someday.” Her vocal performance is one of the strongest here, elevating what could have been a throwaway joke into one of the highlights of “Man’s Best Friend.”
Read the rest online at alligator. org/section/the_avenue. @aaliyahevertz1 aevertz@alligator.org
LUNES, 2 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2025
www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman
Por Sofia Alamo
Escritora de El Caimán
Las detenciones realizadas por agentes de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas en el condado de Alachua han aumentado durante el mes de agosto, según los registros de la cárcel.
ICE arrestó a 28 personas en el condado durante el mes de agosto, de los cuales 25 ocurrieron en las últimas dos semanas. El mayor número de arrestos en un solo día fue el 25 de agosto, cuando seis personas fueron detenidas en la cárcel del condado de Alachua. En contraste,
no hubo arrestos de ICE durante todo el mes de julio.
El aumento coincidió con una operación estatal de una semana de duración que resultó en 1,120 arrestos de inmigrantes en toda Florida, el mayor número en un solo estado en la historia de ICE, según un comunicado de prensa.
Los registros muestran que varias personas arrestadas comparten apellidos y fueron detenidas el mismo día. Sin embargo, las autoridades del condado aún no han confirmado relaciones familiares ni países de origen específicos.
Los registros identifican a aproximadamente la mitad de los arrestados como hispanos y a una gran mayoría, cerca del 87%, como hombres. Las edades varían entre 19, la más joven, y 57, la mayor, con una
edad media de 33. Todos figuran con la Patrulla de Carreteras de Florida como la agencia arrestante, en lugar de la oficina del alguacil del condado.
La Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Alachua se negó a identificar a los agentes federales involucrados. La oficina enfatizó que los arrestos fueron realizados por agentes de ICE, no por los alguaciles locales.
“Este aumento en la cantidad de personas arrestadas no está relacionado con nosotros, sino con ICE y el gobierno federal,” dijo el capitán Chris Sims, vocero de la oficina del alguacil, en un comunicado.
La cárcel coopera con ICE bajo autoridad federal, señaló Sims. Florida lidera la nación en el número de acuerdos 287(g), que permiten
a ICE delegar ciertos poderes de cumplimiento a las fuerzas del orden locales.
“Sí, tenemos que hacerlo. No tenemos opción,” dijo el Capitán Sims, añadiendo que los funcionarios deben informar a ICE sobre cualquier encuentro con inmigrantes sin estatus legal.
Dr. Ramírez Solórzano, profesor de estudios latinoamericanos en la UF, dice que el aumento forma parte de una estrategia política más amplia en el sur del país. Programas como el 287(g), dijo, han fortalecido la cooperación entre ICE y las autoridades locales en la Florida.
El impacto de estas políticas, dijo Solórzano, es el surgimiento de la desconfianza hacia las instituciones gubernamentales.
“El miedo se ha convertido en una
LA PORTERA DE LOS GATORS, PALOMA PEÑA, CONVOCADA UNA VEZ MÁS A LA SELECCIÓN NACIONAL
Por Natalia Lopez Escritor de El Caimán
De jugar como portera para las Florida Gators a defender la portería en su tiempo libre con la selección nacional de República Dominicana, Paloma Peña ha demostrado su capacidad para rendir al más alto nivel en distintos escenarios.
Aunque la estudiante de segundo año de reserva tiene 20 años, es de Miramar, Florida, y su padre es de República Dominicana. Ha tenido la oportunidad de jugar varias veces con la selección de su país. Fue convocada por primera vez a los 16 años y volvió recientemente este verano. También participó en la Copa Oro Femenina de la Concacaf 2024.
“Fue una locura para mí, pero estaba súper
emocionada”, dijo Peña sobre su paso por la selección. “Porque jugué mi primer partido oficial contra Granada, y ganamos ese juego”.
Su trayectoria con la selección dominicana se ha definido por la constancia, la disciplina y el crecimiento. Peña, quien lleva alrededor de 11 años jugando fútbol, dijo que aún recuerda la emoción de su primera convocatoria como guardameta.
Ahora, después de varias llamadas, aseguró que se siente consolidada tanto en la cancha como dentro del equipo.
“[Mis compañeras] están empezando a entender que tengo un rol importante en el equipo”, dijo Peña. “Liderar, hablar, crecer en mis atributos como portera. Me tomo ese rol de liderazgo muy en serio”.
Para Betzaida Ubrí Mateo, directora técnica de la selección dominicana, el valor de Peña va más allá de sus habilidades técnicas.
“Paloma puede aportar solidez y equilibrio dentro del equipo”, dijo Ubrí Mateo. “Su experiencia en todas las categorías le permite entender la identidad de la selección y
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transmitir confianza, compromiso y disciplina tanto dentro como fuera de la cancha”.
Ubrí Mateo también destacó la madurez y adaptabilidad de Peña, cualidades que, según dijo, la distinguen de otras jugadoras.
“Su consistencia y madurez le permiten contribuir de manera positiva al grupo”, agregó Ubrí Mateo.
Roxana Toro, madre de Peña, aseguró que el crecimiento de su hija como líder ha sido evidente desde la portería, donde la comunicación y la presencia son esenciales.
“Ella realmente está diciendo: ‘Estoy aquí para ser una líder’, así que para mí, esa es sin duda una de las cualidades más importantes que creo que ha desarrollado al formar parte del equipo”, dijo Toro. “Y como portera, ciertamente, ser líder es clave”.
Toro señaló que ve el camino de su hija como un reflejo de lo que Peña representa fuera de la cancha: una joven latina que crece como mujer y como líder, inspirando a otras niñas dominicanas.
“Eso representa su interés en continuar
Everglades — protecting Florida’s ecosystems Read more on pg. 11.
herramienta esencial de la política pública,” afirmó, normalizando la discriminación y la persecución de los inmigrantes.
Solorzano concluyó que al final, “Solo el pueblo, salva al pueblo.” Ese temor está moldeando la vida cotidiana de algunos residentes de Gainesville. Maia Canessa, estudiante internacional de primer año de ingeniería industrial en la UF de 18 años, comentó que los inmigrantes locales incluso están evitando sus rutinas básicas.
“No quieren ser los próximos detenidos,” añadió Canessa.
Alligator staff contributed to this article.
@alamosofiaa salamo@alligator.org
realmente su legado como una chica hispana, para convertirse en mujer y ser un ejemplo para otras niñas dominicanas que tal vez la están mirando ahora, y que seguirán viéndola en el futuro, y que ojalá se interesen en jugar el mismo deporte”, dijo Toro.
Más allá de los resultados en la cancha, Peña cree que el orgullo de representar a su país también proviene de ser testigo del progreso del fútbol femenino en República Dominicana, dijo.
Ha visto cambios en la identidad visual de la selección, desde un nuevo logotipo hasta uniformes renovados, que siente reflejan un crecimiento más amplio dentro del programa.
“Paloma contribuye, no solo atléticamente, sino también personalmente”, dijo Ubrí Mateo. “Su bagaje cultural le permite enriquecer al equipo con una visión amplia, promoviendo el respeto, la diversidad y la identidad dominicana”.
Mientras equilibra el fútbol universitario, de club e internacional, Peña dijo que su objetivo final es jugar de manera profesional.
@natalialopez945 natalialopez@alligator.org
Síganos para actualizaciones
Para obtener actualizaciones de El Caimán, síganos en línea en www.alligator.org/section/elcaiman.
The acrid scent of burning sawgrass and cypress — carried on the breeze across South Florida’s urban sprawl — is more than just a fleeting inconvenience. It is a powerful, visceral message from the wild heart of our state: the Everglades.
While the recent brush fires have disrupted daily life, blanketing the sky in a thick, unsettling haze, they also serve as a stark reminder of our deep and often forgotten connection to this irreplaceable ecosystem. The live updates on the fire from sources like NBC Miami underscore a critical truth: When the Everglades suffers, we all feel the heat and breathe the smoke.
Sonaiya Brown opinions@alligator.org
For many, the Everglades is a distant, wild place — a backdrop to our coastal cities and the inspiration of alligator-themed souvenirs. In reality, it is a vital, living system that underpins the foundation of our way of life. American conservationist Marjory Stoneman Douglas called the Everglades a “river of grass,” a unique ecosystem to be protected.
The Everglades is the ultimate water filter for our state. It acts as a natural sponge, storing and purifying rainwater that eventually recharges the Biscayne Aquifer, the sole source of fresh drinking water for more than 9 million people across South Florida. Without the Everglades, our taps would run dry, and our cities would be forced to find an alternative that simply doesn’t exist on the same scale.
Beyond its role as our great water provider, the Everglades is a world-renowned sanctuary for biodiversity. Its unique mosaic of habitats, from cypress swamps and pine rocklands to sawgrass marshes and mangrove estuaries, supports a spectacular array of life. Over 350 species of birds find refuge here, along with more than 40 species of mammals.
It is the only place on Earth where the American alligator and the American crocodile coexist, a testament to its unique blend of freshwater and saltwater environments. This irreplaceable landscape provides a last stand for dozens of threatened and endangered species, including the Florida panther, the West Indian manatee and the magnificent snail kite, whose survival is tied to the health of the Everglades.
The benefits extend far beyond conservation. The Everglades is an economic cornerstone for the state. Its natural beauty and unique wildlife draw tourists from around the world, fueling a multibillion-dollar tourism industry supporting countless jobs. Visitors flock to enjoy airboat tours, kayaking, bird-watching and hiking.
Furthermore, the Everglades acts as a critical line of defense against the increasing severity of tropical storms and hurricanes. The vast mangrove forests along the coast are a natural buffer, absorbing storm surge and wave energy, protecting our homes and infrastructure from catastrophic damage.
The fire may have been a natural occurrence, but its effects on our communities are a clear sign we are living on the front lines of an environmental crisis. As climate change brings more frequent droughts and extreme weather, the Everglades becomes more vulnerable to these large-scale fires.
This is not just a problem for wildlife — it is a direct threat to our quality of life.
The smoke we breathed was a wake-up call, urging us to deepen our commitment to the restoration and preservation of this national treasure. Protecting the Everglades is not a luxury — it is a necessity for the survival and prosperity of all who call Florida home.
Sonaiya Brown is an 18-year-old UF biology sophomore.
The primaries for Florida’s 2026 gubernatorial election are still a year away. But some Florida Democratic Party officials are already attempting to prevent a primary in the first place. Who is the party anointing as their pick for Florida governor in 2026? Surprise, it’s another former Republican.
David Jolly, a former Republican congressman who changed party affiliations in early 2025, has risen in the ranks of key Democratic Party figureheads to serve as the latest Democratic gubernatorial candidate.
Anna Hochkammer, executive director of Florida-based Women’s Freedom Coalition, published an op-ed in the Miami Herald in July deriding Florida Democrats’ eagerness to support the former congressman. She points out that during Jolly’s time in office, he voted for and sometimes sponsored several pieces of antiabortion legislation.
A spokesperson for the then-representative even told the Tampa Bay Times in 2015, “David Jolly is pro-life and believes that life begins at conception.” They went on to state, “Jolly authored the bill to defund Planned Parenthood.” Despite his apparent ideological switch since entering the gubernatorial primary, Hochkammer quotes Jolly himself in saying “his values haven’t changed.”
After Hochkammer published her article, many Democrats jumped to Jolly’s defense. Politico reported a “torrent of support” and financial contributions among key establishment Democrats to Jolly’s campaign in the two weeks following its publication.
Such quick and loud approval for Jolly’s campaign exemplifies a larger problem within the party, hinted at by Hochkammer’s article. The Florida Democrats are still dominated by their moderate faction, which has done nothing but focus its efforts on chasing its heyday from the 2000s. Such establishment Democrats are exemplified by Politico’s list of Jolly supporters, including former Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, both of whom are party stalwarts from years past.
These Democrats are disconnected with the growing youth voter base because they assume we, along with previous generations, will fall in line and vote for whatever candidate they plucked out of Y2K obscurity. Instead of making efforts to court younger voters, or really
any new voters, they go back to their “vote blue no matter who” echo chamber and search for new ways to push their out-of-touch politics. Any dissenters are brushed off as troublemakers and, in the case of Hochkammer, falsely accused of building political clout.
Jolly is a perfect example of this disconnection. He has not held elected office since 2017, before most Gen Z individuals were able to vote, and has made no effort to connect with them seriously. Furthermore, Jolly’s gubernatorial campaign website reads as though it came from some templated Democratic database with the wording changed to fit a Floridian race.
And it’s not just abortion policies he’s skimped on. Affordability and the cost-of-living crisis get nothing more than a four-sentence mention on his issues page. Immigration, an issue hammered into the ground by President Donald Trump and outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis, has no mention on Jolly’s platform.
The rise of anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination by the incumbent governor and state legislature is also absent on his website, even though DeSantis’ war on queer lives threatens both our cultural and economic advantages in Florida. How he expects to win the gubernatorial race as a Democrat in a rapidly red-leaning state with nothing more than vague promises and disengagement with Florida issues, I have no idea.
What is clear is this: Florida Democrats need to wake up.
Forcing passively Republican candidates down our throats in the name of moderation and bipartisanship is not going to win us the gubernatorial race in 2026. Republicans reclaimed Florida from the Obama-era coalition by providing a bold platform that addressed the most prominent concerns of Floridians. It’s time the Florida Democratic Party does the same.
Stop running away from your own shadow and start envisioning a brighter future for the Sunshine State — this time, with real Democrats leading through real solutions.
Lucas Nadeau is a 20-year-old UF political science junior.
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How Can We Bridge the Gap Between Early Childhood Education and Kindergarten Readiness?
By Evelyn Anderson Director & Owner of Angels Faith Learning Center, LLC
Sometimes the transition from early childhood learning to kindergarten is very challenging for the families. It can be a big difference for children to move from a free play environment to a more structured one. It can also indicate whether the child has some developmental gaps, particularly in skills like numeracy, social relationships and literacy. Early education programs aim to build a strong foundation in their students but they do not always accomplish that goal. This leads to children entering school unprepared, with almost instant consequences academically.
It has been said that the most important years of our lives are the earliest years. Studies prove that over 90% of the brain develops in the first five years of life, which makes those early years invaluable for learning, speaking, walking, and understanding emotions. And not every child arrives at school with the same opportunities. Children from lowincome families or underprivileged communities frequently do not have access to reputable preschools, and that puts them behind even before they start kindergarten. Most people believe that learning begins at kindergarten, but that isn't accurate; a child's learning journey starts from birth. It's really like kindergarten just expanding on all of those things they've already started to learn at home and in their early years.
Preparedness for kindergarten is not only about knowing letters and numbers. It also has to do with how well a child can manage emotions, follow directions, communicate needs, play with other children and express interest in learning. There are five key areas that experts say they need help mastering before school: their physical health, emotional and social skills, the way they learn, developing language skills and thinking skills. Not all preschools are created equal, and it's a big reason children may not be coming to kindergarten well-prepared. There are preschools with well-trained teachers and established learning plans, but others that lack the resources needed for their children. On top of that, many kids particularly in low-income or rural areas may not attend preschool at all.
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Also, not all parents know what schools want from children entering kindergarten. The gap only grew with the COVID-19 pandemic. Children who were toddlers during these lockdowns missed out on important experiences, such as playing with other kids, learning the structure of routines and building early language skills. Many experts refer to this as the "pandemic learning lag."Addressing these problems isn't just a matter of one fix. We need to make sure every family has access to highquality preschool, offer programs that help parents promote their children's learning, provide early intervention for children who show signs of possible developmental delays, and link preschool more effectively with the K-12 schools. Preparing children for kindergarten isn't just about letter and number recognition, it's about giving every child a fighting chance. By investing in our children, we are building a brighter future for everyone. 9-2-1-20 EYES
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2025
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By Luke Adragna Sports Writer
By the time Florida buried Long Island under a 38-0 halftime deficit, few questions remained about the outcome of the game.
But as fans slowly started funneling out of the stands in the second half, they caught a glimpse of the Gators’ potential future quarterback after DJ Lagway: Tramell Jones Jr.
Since training camp began July 30, head coach Billy Napier has remained vague when referencing the backup quarterback spot. He continuously preached the abilities of each individual in the Gators’ quarterback room without declaring any one individual as the primary backup.
But the Gators’ head coach couldn’t have made that decision any clearer following No. 15 Florida’s (1-0) 55-0 win against the Long Island Sharks (0-1).
“Tramell has earned the job,” Napier said confidently. “This is an opportunity to give him a lot of work, and we felt strongly about that.”
Jones completed 12 of 18 passing attempts for two touchdowns and 131 passing yards. He entered the game in relief of Lagway, who logged three touchdowns and 120 passing yards.
“He's really had a strong surge the last few weeks,” Napier said. “He just kept getting better, and he's a pure passer, man. He can really throw it. He's got velocity on the ball. The spin rate is impressive, and then he's a very accurate quarterback.”
Jones’ path to the backup spot appeared unlikely entering the fall. The freshman quarterback began training camp behind redshirt sophomore Aidan Warner and Louisville redshirt senior transfer Harrison Bailey.
Each quarterback received praise from Napier during camp, and until Jones jogged onto the field in the second half against LIU, fans were unsure of who UF’s backup quarterback truly was.
“I think all of our quarterbacks have taken advantage of the reps,” Napier said July 30. “There's a ton of competition amongst that group there, and there's a little bit of a blessing here that we're going to get a chance to give those guys a ton of reps and see how they respond to that.”
As training camp progressed, Jones gradually began to earn acclaim from Napier. The Gators’ head coach called him “buzzworthy” Aug. 11, and his teammates chimed in following Florida’s opening victory.
“I'm so proud of Tramell,” Lagway said. “The things he's dealt with the last year or so with his injury in high school. Man, I'm so proud of him. I'm so excited for his journey. He's going to be a heck of a player.”
Jones entered the spring coming off a torn ACL he suffered during his senior year of high school. The injury kept him limited throughout most of spring training camp, but he finally got back up to speed in the summer, months before the season kicked off.
The true freshman was a four-star recruit from Mandarin High School and was a top-25 quarterback prospect in the country. He originally committed to Florida State before flipping to Florida in November 2024.
“He’s electrifying,” linebacker Myles Graham said. “You can see it with his legs. He can do it with his arm. He's got a great deep ball. He's accurate. He'll be a great player for
RECORD FOR MOST RECEIVING YARDS BY A FRESHMAN IN HIS FIRST GAME AT UF
By Curan Ahern Sports Writer
A roar echoed across Gainesville as Ben Hill Griffin Stadium erupted in astonishment. Freshman receiver Vernell Brown III had just come down with the most improbable catch of the night, leaving spectators dazed.
UF sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway rolled out to his right, escaping a collapsing pocket, and launched a 41-yard pass deep downfield to Brown. The young receiver tracked the ball, backpedaled, stumbled and leaped backwards to make a miraculous, one-handed catch that left him rolling head over heels into the red zone at the 8-yard line.
“I wish I was mic’d up when he made that catch,” redshirt sophomore Eugene Wilson III said. “He did some freaky stuff right there.” Brown’s 41-yard reception was one of three passes he caught as he exploded for 79 receiving yards. In addition to becoming the third true freshman in school history to start a season
opener — joining Percy Harvin (2006) and Antonio Callaway (2015) — Brown’s receiving total marked a program record for a freshman receiver in their first collegiate start.
“You can just see how he act,” added sophomore running back Jadan Baugh. “He’s a pro.”
It didn’t come as a surprise to those within the program when Brown earned the start. He entered UF as the No. 3 receiver in the 2025 class, according to Rivals, and got right to work as a pass-catching threat in Florida’s system.
By the conclusion of fall camp, he both looked and acted the part of a vetted, reliable receiver, and head coach Billy Napier spoke highly of his progress in the weeks preceding the opener.
Napier called Brown “mature and aware” Aug. 11, noting the freshman receiver “plays fast for a young player.”
Brown jumped right into his debut game as a returner, bringing back three punts for 45 total yards. With his first collegiate touch, he produced an impressive 21-yard punt return that brought Florida across midfield.
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us one day.”
On his first drive, Jones immediately placed Florida in scoring position after a 21-yard strike to redshirt freshman receiver TJ Abrams. The Gators began the drive on the 33yard line, and he completed three straight passes to set up a 41-yard field goal from Trey Smack.
The Jacksonville native tossed two touchdowns over the next three drives, leading the Gators 64 yards down the field and capping off the drive with a 4-yard pass to tight end Tony Livingston.
In the final seconds of the fourth quarter, Jones delivered a final strike to redshirt senior wide receiver Taylor Spierto, who recorded his first career touchdown.
“The guy made a memory tonight that he'll remember the rest of his life,” Napier said of Spierto’s touchdown. “Pretty special.”
Fans might have to wait a while before seeing Jones back in action. Lagway is Florida’s uncontested starter but has dealt with injury concerns since his freshman season.
The sophomore quarterback strained his hamstring against Georgia in 2024. Additionally, a shoulder injury prevented Lagway from throwing during spring training camp, and he suffered a calf strain that placed him in a boot heading into Florida’s fall camp.
Lagway put all questions regarding his health to rest following his Week 1 performance, but he said there’s still plenty for him to improve upon.
“I feel like we didn't play the Gator brand of football offensively,” Lagway said. “Offensively, the pass game, I got to do better, and it starts with me.”
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By Max Bernstein Sports Writer
A college quarterback faces plenty of pressure heading into a season. But at just 20 years old, Heisman Trophy expectations and name, image and likeness deals ranging from the Jordan Brand to Chipotle takes the pressure to the next level.
Factor in an offseason filled with setbacks — like recovery following a physical freshman campaign and a late-July calf strain — just to be ready to take the field on Aug. 30.
That’s the situation Florida quarterback DJ Lagway faced heading into his sophomore campaign for the Gators.
“I’m just thankful for what I’ve been through this offseason,” Lagway said following Florida’s 55-0 win against Long Island. “It was definitely hard.”
During the final stretch of the 2024 season, Lagway dealt with a hamstring injury that took him out of UF’s game against Georgia and forced him to miss a matchup against then-No. 5 Texas.
Then, early in the offseason, Lagway failed to throw during spring practices due to a shoulder issue and a subsequent surgery for a sports hernia injury. He didn’t play in the 2025 Orange & Blue Game.
For Lagway, the time on the sidelines was an opportunity to work on the mental side of the game.
“It was good seeing the game from a different perspective, getting mental reps,” Lagway said. “It was huge for me, seeing the game from a coach’s perspective … I feel like in the long run, it's going to pay off for sure.”
The time off the field also allowed Lagway to begin tightening his mechanics, working alongside head coach Billy Napier and quarterback coach Ryan O’Hara.
“It was a lot of things just to help with my general arm health in general, but just little things like shortening up my stroke a little bit,” Lagway said. “I feel like it's an ongoing quest. You can never just perfect a mechanic.”
Lagway returned to practice for training camp before his calf injury kept him out of action until the Aug. 30 matchup against Long Island.
In his debut, Lagway was on point, completing 15 of 18 passes for 120 yards and three touchdowns. His 194.3 passer rating was the third highest of his collegiate career thus far, with his two highest totals coming against Samford and Central Florida.
“That was his first scrimmage, if you think about it,” Napier said. “He didn't participate in the scrimmages, and he’s been practicing for about two weeks.”
Lagway, however, was more self-critical of his performance, saying he “needs to do better” for his team.
Lagway’s teammates were not surprised with his comments, knowing that he always pushes himself and his team towards perfection.
“He's a very, very, very hard competitor,” sophomore running back Jadan Baugh said Sept. 1.
“He pushes us a lot. And him not being on the field during the fall, he pushed us to become better leaders on the field.”
Lagway will have an opportunity to improve when Florida faces South Florida at 4:15 p.m. Sept. 6 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
