Florida’s Jon Sumrall Sounds Off On Pro-Auburn Family Ahead of SEC Matchup

Florida’s new head coach Jon Sumrall came from Tulane with no prior ties to the Gators. But what if, ahead of his first SEC matchup against Auburn, his family had ties to the Tigers? The Gators hit the road to face Auburn for Week 3, who also boast a brand-new coach in Alex Golesh. The kicker for Sumrall is his family actually does have relatives tied to the Tigers. Sumrall was born in Huntsville, and his family still resides in the state of Alabama. However, when asked if any family was in favor of the Tigers against Florida this weekend, Sumrall made it clear that any family against the Gators are not ‘family.’ “If I do, they’re not family to me,” Sumrall said at a press conference Monday morning. “Yeah, there are ties, but Florida pays my mortgage. So, any family that’s pulling against us, they ain’t my family. “I don’t care what their last name is. I got a lot of respect for Auburn, great place, great people. My wife went to school there. A lot of crossover. I’m a Florida Gator, and everybody affiliated with me closely is a Florida Gator, or they’re not affiliated with me closely.” The Week 3 matchup marks the first conference contest for both head coaches, and the first road game for the Gators. Sumrall’s debut sparked a new era in Gainesville when former head coach Billy Napier was fired in October of last season following a 2-4 start to the season. After Sumrall led the Green Wave to a College Football Playoff appearance, the Sumrall era began. After quarterback DJ Lagway transferred to Baylor and wide receiver Eugene Wilson III left for LSU, Sumrall rebuilt with former Tulane players and stars in the portal. The Gators now boast Georgia Tech transfers Aidan Philo at quarterback and Eric Singleton Jr. at wide receiver. Especially coming off an underwhelming 2025 showing for the Gators, the stakes to win remain high.