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By Bryan Colbert Jr.
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Don’t look now, but the Florida Gators have quickly become one of the biggest stories in college football, and ESPN's Rece Davis just added fuel to the fire.
During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday, Davis offered his take on No. 8 Florida following the Gators' 52-28 victory over then-No. 4 Ole Miss.
"Florida's real. I mean they're real, real," Davis said.
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The statement comes after Florida delivered its biggest win yet under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall. The Gators entered Saturday ranked No. 21 before dominating an undefeated Ole Miss team in Gainesville. The win put the Gators at 4-0, the best start the program has had since 2019.
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Davis seemed to be particularly impressed with not just the wins for Florida, but how the team is winning.
"They're going to line up and run the ball," Davis said. "And they're going to say, 'You know what we're doing. Stop it.'"
This approach was on full display against Ole Miss.
Florida rushed for 302 yards on 53 carries and scored six touchdowns on the ground. Jadan Baugh led the way with 142 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries, while sophomore Duke Clark added 126 yards and a touchdown on just 12 attempts.
Baugh's performance earned him SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors and the Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week award. He also became just the third player in Florida history to rush for at least 100 yards in five consecutive games, joining Gators legends Emmitt Smith and Fred Taylor.
Florida finished with 498 yards of total offense against the Rebels, but it was the Gators’ ability to control the game from a physical standpoint that was most impressive.
Davis pointed to Florida's rushing attack against both Auburn and Ole Miss as evidence that Sumrall's team has developed an identity that could translate against the SEC's best teams.
The turnaround has happened quickly.
Florida finished 4-8 last season and entered 2026 having gone 23-27 over the previous four years. Sumrall was tasked with bringing the program back to its championship glory and just four games into his tenure, the Gators have already matched their win total from all of last season.
Florida's victory over Ole Miss also ended a 12-game losing streak against top-five opponents. The Gators' 52 points were their most against an SEC opponent since 2020. That total also matched the program's highest scoring output against a top five opponent since Florida defeated Florida State 52-20 in the national championship game following the 1996 season.
Voters took notice.
Florida jumped 13 spots in the latest Associated Press Top 25, moving from No. 21 to No. 8. It is the program's highest ranking since 2020 and its first appearance inside the AP top 10 since 2021.
Sumrall, however, doesn't appear ready to declare the rebuild complete.
The Florida coach has repeatedly described the program as a "sleeping giant" and talked about "waking the beast." Following Saturday's victory, Sumrall acknowledged the progress while making it clear he believes there is considerably more room for growth.
"It's not asleep, but it ain't fully awake yet," Sumrall said. "It's being kind of stirred up a little bit."
Florida will have plenty of opportunities to prove Davis right this season.
The Gators travel to face No. 25 Missouri on Saturday before a schedule that will eventually include matchups against No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Georgia.
Those games should provide a clearer picture of just how far Florida has come under Sumrall.
For now, however, the Gators are undefeated, ranked inside the top 10 and coming off a 24-point victory over a top-five opponent.
And one of ESPN's most prominent college football voices has seen enough to believe Florida's resurgence is legitimate.
"Florida's real," Davis said.
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