The first US LBM Coaches Poll for college football's 2026 season was released on Tuesday, with the Florida Gators falling short of the top 25. The program landed in the de facto No. 27 spot with 147 votes, just behind the Louisville Cardinals, who have 153 votes.
Florida enters the campaign seeking a fresh start after jettisoning previous head coach Billy Napier and bringing in former Tulane Green Wave skipper Jon Sumrall. Now reloaded with a new coaching staff along with some key transfer portal acquisitions, the Gators are poised to bounce back from a forgettable 4-8 finish in 2025.
With a month remaining until the season opener, there are still some questions surrounding the program — most notably, who will start under center to open up the Sumrall
era. Redshirt sophomore Aaron Philo, who transferred from the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and redshirt freshman Tramell Jones Jr. enter fall camp looking to seize the QB1 designation, though the former is believed to have the inside edge.
The Orange and Blue open up the 2026 campaign against the FAU Owls inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Sept. 5, with kickoff slated for 7:45 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
US LBM Coaches Poll preseason standings
Others Receiving Votes
Louisville 153; Florida 147; TCU 63; Illinois 62; South Carolina 50; Arizona 50; Virginia 40; Vanderbilt 37; Auburn 29; Georgia Tech 26; Boise State 24; Oklahoma State 22; UNLV 17; North Carolina State 13; Florida State 13; Virginia Tech 12; Nebraska 12; Memphis 9; Arizona State 8; James Madison 6; Duke 6; Pittsburgh 4; New Mexico 4; Western Michigan 3; Navy 3; San Diego State 2; Kansas State 1; Jacksonville State 1; Hawaii 1; California 1
About the US LBM Coaches Poll
The US LBM Coaches Poll is conducted weekly throughout the regular season using a panel of head coaches at Football Bowl Subdivision schools. The panel is chosen by random draw, conference by conference plus independents, from a pool of coaches who have indicated to the American Football Coaches Association their willingness to participate. Each coach submits a top 25 with a first-place vote worth 25 points, second place 24, and so on down to one point for 25th.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida falls short of cracking preseason US LBM Coaches Poll top 25
