GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In the days and weeks following Gators head coach Jon Sumrall’s introductory press conference on Dec. 1, shaping his first UF roster was the top priority for the newcomer from Tulane.

Sumrall recognized he would have to rebuild a team that would be hit by heavy attrition, typical of a coaching change, and by the constant churn of the transfer portal.

But he also knew where to begin.

“It starts with our current team,” he said. “Retention, in these days of the college football world, is the most important thing to build a team. We need those guys to stay.”

Sumrall didn’t go as far as reading off a list of players he wanted to keep. He undoubtedly had some thoughts, but if he needed any suggestions, Florida fans chimed in over and over on social media, message boards and sports-talk radio shows.

They named five players consistently who, in their minds, Sumrall had to retain to boost his first Florida team: running back Jadan Baugh, receiver Vernell Brown III, receiver Dallas Wilson, linebacker Myles Graham and edge rusher Jayden Woods.

When the Gators opened offseason workouts last week under Rusty Whitt, the new director of football performance, Florida’s Fab Five went to work at the Heavener Football Training Center.

“The experience that we’ve got, I feel like that’s extremely important,” Graham said. “And it’s a fresh start. We get to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch. Not that we are forgetting what we went through, but it gives us the motivation not to ever feel that again. That’s important.”

Graham, heading into his junior season, was the first to announce he was returning, posting “this means more to me than words” on social media nine days before Christmas. The son of former UF and NFL running back Ernest Graham, Myles Graham led the Gators with 76 tackles and emerged as one of the team’s top vocal leaders.

As uncertainty clouded the roster picture, Graham left no doubt about why he returned.

“I just wanted to finish what I started,” Graham said. “I didn’t want to give up on the process and what we’ve already built. The University of Florida is my home. I’m not going to give up on what I started.” 

Brown faced a situation comparable to Graham’s. His father and grandfather both played for the Gators – ask him what numbers they wore, and he’ll quickly tell you dad wore No. 16 and grandpops No. 4 – and he grew up around the program.

Still, following a breakout freshman season in which he led the team in receptions (40), receiving yards (512) and return yards (261), Brown would not have had trouble finding an attractive landing spot if he wanted to leave.

Instead, 10 days after Graham’s announcement, Brown erased any doubts about his future by posting “run with it or run from it” on social media with a Florida Victorious graphic.

Following a recent morning workout, Brown shared his reasons for not pursuing other options coming off a 4-8 freshman season.

“That Gator legacy and remembering why I came here and what my factors were that led me here, and those were still the same,” Brown said. “Ultimately, after I met the new staff, it was a no-brainer. Having that legacy piece here at the University of Florida is definitely icing on top of the cake.

“And I mean, despite the changes in staff and everything, I was still able to kind of establish myself amongst college football here at the University of Florida. So, between me establishing myself and having that legacy piece, it’s like I could get everything I want from the University of Florida.”

 

Wilson, a dynamic receiver who made his UF regular-season debut by catching six passes for 111 yards and two scores in Florida’s upset of Texas, was the next to announce his re-signing with a social media post on New Year’s Eve.

Injuries limited Wilson to only four games his freshman season (12 receptions, 174 yards, 3 TDs), but any armchair quarterback can see why Sumrall wanted to keep the physically gifted 6-foot-3, 213-pound Wilson on the roster.

Wilson said the desire to improve upon his first season with the Gators helped guide him in his return. He has started doing yoga to improve his flexibility, is catching more balls from the Jugs machine than ever before, and has been studying new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner’s playbook extensively to get ready for spring camp.

“Staying still where my hat was already laid, staying home with the Gators,” he said. “It feels good to go through it every day, seeing the challenges ahead of you every day, and going at it with your head down. I was hurt last year, but I did get to play those games, and I was very blessed to do that.

“This year is revenge for me, and I’m ready to go after it. I’m going to give a lot of juice, a lot of courage, a lot of physicality. I want to tear my side of the ball up.”

In terms of offseason speculation, no UF player drew as much attention as running back Jadan Baugh, who Sumrall identified early as a top target to retain. All Sumrall had to do was watch tape of the Gators’ victory over Florida State to close the regular season. Baugh rushed for 266 yards – the second-most in program history – to finish the season with 1,170 yards and become the first UF tailback in a decade with a 1,000-yard rushing season.

Baugh announced his return Jan. 6, providing a huge dose of relief for fans unsure whether he would depart coming off his sophomore season.

Baugh said he and his family spent time over the holidays in their Atlanta-area home discussing his future. Ultimately, he decided UF is where he is meant to be.

“One thing the coaches were preaching to me was legacy, and that Gator Nation loved me, and I love Gator Nation,” Baugh said. “Me thinking about leaving and putting myself in a position to think that I would want to leave, I would always know that I would be leaving something that is great. Gator Nation brought me in with open arms. To see them rally around me and continue to have open arms, that means the most to me.

“I feel like we’ve got a group of guys who are definitely committed to the process. We know the end goal. But we also know it’s going to be day by day. I mean, enjoy the moment. You’re not going to get this time back.”

 

Two days after Baugh made his return official, Woods did the same.

The 6-foot-3, 248-pound defensive lineman from Shawnee, Kansas, played in 12 games as a true freshman, recording 3.5 sacks and an interception.

Woods was in high demand in the transfer portal but opted to return to play for Sumrall and new defensive coordinator Brad White.

“The truth is I tried to make an informed decision,” he said. “I lost Coach Napier, Coach Roberts, and Coach Peterson, the three guys I mainly came here for. I just wanted to do my due diligence. People truly make the place. That’s something I wanted to learn more about, who they were as people.”

Once Woods met the new staff and heard their plans for him on defense, he was sold. And having Graham, Brown, Wilson and Baugh back made it that much sweeter.

“It’s a privilege to be a Gator,” Woods said. “I definitely don’t take it lightly. I spent my first year in college here. I laid the foundation. I love the guys on the team and my role. There’s definitely some new energy here.”

Much of it is being fueled by the return of Florida’s Fab Five.