Gators Impress in First Spring Scrimmage

New coaching staff sees positives in Florida's intrasquad competition

Apr. 1, 2026 at 7:51pm

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The University of Florida football team held its first scrimmage of spring camp on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, giving head coach Jon Sumrall and his staff a glimpse into how the Gators might perform in competitive situations. While several key questions remain, especially at quarterback, the coaching staff came away with an overall positive impression of the team's execution and effort.

Why it matters

As Sumrall enters his first season leading the Gators, these early spring practices and scrimmages are crucial for evaluating the team's talent and identifying areas that need improvement before the start of the 2026 season. The scrimmage results will help shape the depth chart and rotations as Florida works to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 campaign.

The details

Tight ends coach Evan McKissack noted that the scrimmage was one of the best first scrimmages he's been a part of, particularly praising the execution and substitutions by the tight end group. The coaching staff is now focused on refining the "how" after being pleased with the "what" in terms of the Gators' performance.

  • The scrimmage took place on Saturday morning at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
  • It was the Gators' 9th of 15 scheduled practice sessions this spring.

The players

Jon Sumrall

The head coach of the University of Florida football team, entering his first season leading the Gators.

Evan McKissack

The tight ends coach for the University of Florida football team.

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What they’re saying

“That was probably one of the best first scrimmages as a staff I've been a part of kind of in my coaching career as far as I was happy with the tight ends as far as we subbed a lot of different personnel. So, we executed the plays, so we're getting the what, which is good, so now we've got to identify the how and we've got to hammer the how.”

— Evan McKissack, Tight Ends Coach

The takeaway

With a new coaching staff in place, these early spring practices and scrimmages are crucial for the Florida Gators as they look to rebound from a disappointing 2025 season. The positive feedback from the first scrimmage suggests the team is making progress, but there is still work to be done to solidify the depth chart and refine the execution before the start of the 2026 campaign.