Following the Gators’ crowning in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, Golden will have to re-build the championship roster as key players will be stepping into the NBA, including Walter Clayton Jr. All five starters during Florida’s title win over Houston will participate in the NBA Combine or the G-League Elite Camp.

Florida will vie to repeat their national championship in 2026, though it’s much easier said than done as the road to glory in college basketball will include visits to hostile environments across the country, in addition to the frenzy during March Madness, where anything can happen.

Still, there are positive signs in Gainesville as Golden and the Gators have signed a former Arkansas star who thrived under Calipari in Fayetteville during his freshman year in college basketball.

According to reports from Rob Reinhart, Golden’s Florida is signing Arkansas transfer Boogie Fland off the portal. Fland was one of the most productive players in Calipari’s team during the 2024-25 campaign.

Fland’s impact during freshman year

Fland entered the program in Fayetteville as a five-star recruit, according to ESPN‘s rankings, and his first year with the Razorbacks didn’t disappoint as he finished with a team second-best average of 13.5 points per game in 21 appearances, of which he started 18 games.

Fland played an average of 31.8 minutes a game, averaging 3.2 rebounds and a team-high of 5.1 assists while shooting at .379 FG%. Fland is expected to build on those numbers and become a pivotal piece of Golden’s system during the 2025-26 season, when the Gators attempt to achieve back-to-back championships, as they accomplished during the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

Golden cut down the nets in March Madness, after the Gators prevailed over the Cougars by a score of 65-63 in college basketball’s Championship Game. His impressive run led to a well-deserved new deal with the University of Florida.

The Gators and Golden put pen to paper on a top-of-the-market six-year deal worth up to $40.5M, at an average annual winning of $6.75M for Golden, as the school announced on May 6. Golden will remain at the helm in Gainesville through the 2031 NCAA season.

“Todd has done an incredible job getting Florida men’s basketball back where it belongs,” Athletic Director Scott Stricklin stated. “We believed in his vision, his competitive nature and his modern approach to the game back in 2022, and he has validated that belief in a relatively short time and helped create memories of a lifetime for another generation of Gator fans.”

While Golden’s accomplishments in Gainesville justify every penny in his new deal, as he led the program to its third national title during his third year on the job, Scheyer has done a great job in Durham, but has yet to win the Natty as the Blue Devils’ head coach.

Jon Scheyer’s contract

Scheyer has two national championships on his résumé—one as a player in 2010 and another as an assistant coach under Mike Krzyzewski in 2015. Since taking over as head coach in 2022, Scheyer and Duke have steadily improved their NCAA Tournament performances, though a championship has yet to arrive.

Regardless, the school in Durham has the utmost confidence in Scheyer, and his lucrative contract reflects that. Scheyer signed a six-year extension in October 2023, which locks him as head coach for Duke through the 2028-29 season.

Though exact details haven’t become public, reports from College Sports Network indicate Scheyer earns between $7 and $8 millions every year. This deal also includes performance-based incentives, depending on Duke’s progression in the ACC and NCAA tournaments.

The new age

The head coaches of the Gators and Blue Devils are emerging as the new faces of the college basketball landscape. Golden, at 39, became the youngest coach to win a national title since 1983. But Scheyer could soon take that distinction—he’ll be 38 during next year’s NCAA Tournament and is determined to bring silverware back to Durham.

It’s a new era of college basketball masterminds. While legends like Tom Izzo still lead storied programs on lucrative contracts, rising stars like Golden and Scheyer are aiming to change the course of history. Their schools clearly trust them to do so—backing them with long-term commitments and big-money deals in pursuit of championship glory.

The Gators found themselves down nine points to the Red Raiders, with less than three minutes left in the game. In an epic battle against the #3 Texas Tech, and the clock, Florida mounted a comeback and prevailed 84-79 when the buzzer sounded off.

The late push couldn’t have been possible without Clayton Jr, who put on a show when the lights shined in the brightest, and the Gators had their backs against the walls in the NCAA Tournament. Clayton Jr finished the night with 30 points, with thirteen of them being scored in the final 5:24 minutes.

The senior star in Gainesville went off, draining three-pointers from all over the court to help his team come from behind and crush the Red Raiders’ hopes. Clayton Jr has drawn attention from all over the country during his stellar college basketball career, with many comparing him to NBA greats.

The latest to chime in on the conversation around Clayton Jr was his coach, Golden, who made something clear about his playstyle, underlining a parallel with Golden State Warrios icon Steph Curry.

“[Comparing him to Curry] is kind of a lot to put on a young man,” Golden stated, via ESPN. “But I’d say the one thing where Walt 100 percent is similar to Steph is their shot-making and their ability to get it off whenever they want.“

The man of the hour

The Gators trusted Clayton Jr in their darkest hour during March Madness, with the No.1 team caught between a rock and a hard place, the star guard’s number was called and he delivered.

“Just like the Warriors want Steph to be able to find a way to get open and get those shots in those moments, we want Walt taking the shots for us down the stretch,” Golden added. “There’s a reason why he was an AP first-team All-American. He is, in my humble opinion, the best guard in America.”

Final Four

Clayton Jr stole the spotlight against Texas Tech, and all the attention will be centered around him as Florida gears up for the Final Four, where they’ll take on Auburn or Michigan State on April 5.

The highly-anticipated clash between the West Region’s No. 1 and No. 8 seed didn’t disappoint, as the Gators and Huskies put on a show for fans at Lenovo Center and watching at home. Ultimately, the top seed in the West prevailed, but Hurley and the Huskies made them work for it, giving them a run for their money.

The Huskies won’t take home the glory for their hard-fought effort, as they had their sights set on advancing to the Sweet Sixteen and, most importantly, chasing a threepeat after championships in 2023 and 2024. However, UConn’s dream came to an end against Florida.

After the game, Hurley, who had been visibly frustrated throughout with several referee calls, finally lost his composure, delivering a fiery message as he headed down the tunnel to the locker room for the final time in the college basketball season.

“I hope they don’t f— you like they f—ed us. I hope they don’t do that to you, Baylor,” An enraged Dan Hurley told Baylor’s players as they walked across the tunnel while he exited the court, via USA Today.

Calmer statement

Hurley was clearly caught up in the heat of the moment when he delivered his blunt statement shortly after the buzzer sounded, marking the end of his program’s March Madness hopes. However, during his media availability afterward, the seven-year coach in Mansfield offered a cool-headed admission.

“Part of [the emotion] is probably just the season, how tumultuous the season has been. The team battled and fought just to qualify for the tournament, and then how the game played out, up three at the last media [timeout] we have two free throw rebound mistakes,” Hurley explained. “With past teams we’ve had issues like that occur but those games we were up 15-18 so they weren’t as magnified.

“And obviously the Karaban drive on the baseline, you know, there was a lot of contact there and we were up one I think at that point or two potentially. I thought that was a big play too.”

Winner stays on

The Gators, on the other hand, kept their championship hopes alive with their close-for-comfort victory over the Huskies, punching their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen stage. During the NCAA Tournament’s third round, Florida will face the winner between Maryland and Colorado State.

After a buzzer-beater loss to Tennessee, No. 7 Alabama failed to get back in the win column during its Senior Night matchup against Florida. The Crimson Tide has now lost two straight for the second time this season, previously dropping back-to-back games to Auburn and Missouri on Feb. 15 and 19.

Oats and the Tide will vie to avoid a three-game losing skid as they prepare for a crucial NCAA showdown against their in-state rivals in Auburn. Alabama’s last performance fell well short of the standard set by Oats and his staff, and the head coach didn’t mince words after the game.

“It doesn’t matter what your game plan is, if you don’t get back on defense and you can’t get a rebound,” Oats stated postgame, via On3. “We’re gonna have to figure it out before we go to Auburn. We’ve gotta to the No. 1 team in the country, we’ve gotta go to their place. It’s gonna be a tough game for us there.“

Low morale

The locker room in Tuscaloosa has been through the wringer lately. Back-to-back disappointing losses to SEC rivals could have a serious impact on their seeding for the conference tournament as the most important month in college basketball gets underway.

“We’re playing for a lot more than just – we obviously can’t win the regular-season championship. We knew that coming into this game,” Oats added. “But we’re playing for SEC Tournament seeding, we’re playing for NCAA Tournament seeding. I thought we’d get a little bit better effort than what we got out of some of these guys tonight.”

Though the losses have taken a toll on the team’s morale ahead of the Alabama-Auburn matchup, the Crimson Tide are already locked into the SEC quarterfinals, as they cannot fall below the No. 4 seed.

Must win game

Both Alabama and Auburn enter their long-anticipated matchup at Neville Arena desperate for a win. Both programs are coming off losses, and while they remain heavy favorites in the SEC and NCAA tournaments, they seek a victory to build momentum ahead of the league tourney in Nashville.

The Gators finished a shaky 2024 season, highlighted by a strong finish featuring wins over key opponents. However, the overall campaign was not what the program envisioned and a better performance is expected in 2025.

Lagway was one of the best takeaways from last college football season in Gainesville, as the freshman signal caller stepped in during the year and elevated the team’s performance.

Lagway got his first taste of what college football is all about—rivalries—during his freshman year with the Gators. If the young quarterback didn’t already grasp the magnitude of Florida’s rivalry games, Napier and his staff made sure he and every player learned it quickly.

“Coming in they give you a little seminar about all the rivalries,” DJ Lagway said, via On3. “Like an hour or two video about different rivalries. Different moments of the games and stuff. So, it gets you real fired up. So, I’ve got a deep hatred for Florida State.”

All for the Gators

Lagway must have been fully immersed during the seminar about the Florida-Florida State rivalry, also known as the “Sunshine Showdown”, as he defeated the struggling Seminoles in last season’s Rivalry Week. Lagway and the Gators prevailed during their visit to Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, defeating the home team by a score of 31-11.

During the 2025 college football season, the Gators will renew their rivalries with other schools in the Sunshine State, as they will visit the Miami Hurricanes and host South Florida and Florida State.

As the Gators aim to turn the tide and advance to the next stage of their rebuild, they were dealt a tough blow—one of their top recruits in the 2026 class announced his decommitment and has been linked to a rival program in college football.

The journey doesn’t get any easier for the Gators in the upcoming NCAA campaign. Napier’s side will take on the best schools in the SEC in a challenging season, for which expectations have only risen since last year’s late success.

However, concerns in Gainesville extend beyond the 2025 season and into the program’s long-term future. After top recruit, four-star cornerback Jaelen Waters, announced his decommitment from the Gators—first reported by On3’s Hayes Fawcett—a historic Florida rival has come knocking and may soon land the talented prospect.

Surprising U-turn

Waters, one of the top cornerbacks in the 2026 recruiting class, has earned the nickname ‘Seatbelt’ for his ability to lock down opposing wide receivers. That seatbelt came in handy as he pulled a U-turn on his road to Gainesville—potentially heading for Coral Gables and joining the Miami Hurricanes, instead.

It’s all about the U. After Florida’s secondary coach, Will Harris, left Gainesville to become the safeties coach at the University of Miami, speculation has grown about Jaelen Waters following him. Harris played a key role in Waters’ initial commitment to the Gators, making Miami a strong contender for the talented cornerback.

“Gator Nation – Love me or hate me, I understand. Either way, it was one cool a– season. Again, business is business,” Will Harris posted on his X account, via ClutchPoints.

The Florida Gators have turned the page on their season. After a disappointing start, the Gators found their mojo late, thanks to DJ Lagway’s heroics that rejuvenated the offense.

The Seminoles, on the other hand, finished an embarrassing campaign with a 2-10 record. During their season finale, the Noles were steamrolled by the Gators in Tallahassee. The disappointment in Mike Norvell’s program got out of hand as the visiting players celebrated on their field and intended to plant the University of Florida’s flag at the center-field logo.

Chaos ensued. Norvell tossed the flag away, and tensions flared between the Gators and Seminoles. After the game, Florida head coach Billy Napier expressed regret over how the clash ended.

“What happened there at the end of the game is not who we want to be as a program,” Napier said, via On3. “And it’s embarrassing to me, and it’s a distraction from a really well-played football game, right? So I want to apologize on behalf of the entire organization just in terms of how we represented the university there.

“It’s unfortunate that we have a distraction that, again, is inexcusable. We shouldn’t have done that, and we won’t do that going forward. And there will be consequences for all involved.“

Norvell issues big promise ahead of next season

What a difference a year makes in college football. The Seminoles were on the brink of making the playoffs last season with a 13-0 record. Fast forward to today and the mood in Tallahassee is completely different. Florida State could never get into a rhythym and fell to its direct opponents. The Noles weren’t competitive, either, instead they were outplayed constantly.

Mike Norvell’s seat has heated up immensely and he will head into the 2025 season under heavy scrutiny. However, the Seminoles’ head coach is confident he can have a fresh start next year and issued a strong promise.

“This is getting fixed. It’s going to be an immediate, fast fix,” Norvell stated. “This is done being the way we played this year. I take full responsibility for that.”

Norvell’s words will be put to the test immediately next season as the Seminoles kickstart their 2025 schedule against Alabama at Doak Campbell Stadium.

“This went…you know, a game of a lot of missed opportunities,” Kiffin began, clearly frustrated. “Go for three in the red zone, get no points out of the missed field goal, and get stopped twice on fourth downs. You know, lose the turnover margin in a tough place to play against a team that has played really good. When that quarterback plays, credit to him. It’s a really good player. That made a lot of plays in the first half when we had him back there.”

Kiffin lamented the moments that could have changed the game’s outcome, highlighting red-zone inefficiencies and a late-game chance to tie the score. “A lot was at stake, and we didn’t come through,” he admitted. “Ball in our hand to score a touchdown and tie the game, and it didn’t go our way sometimes.”

Ole Miss, usually strong against the run, allowed 120 rushing yards in the first half alone. Kiffin credited Florida’s offensive line and running backs for their performance. “I think they have a really good offensive line, and those backs run really hard,” he said. “That was probably the biggest concern coming in, and they did a really good job.”

Kiffin on Dropped Passes and Run Game Challenges

“Very unusual,” Kiffin said of the drops. “I think somebody jinxed us this week. Somebody said Jordan [Watkins’] analytics were 100% catch percentage. As soon as they said that, I said I wish you wouldn’t have said that.” He added that one critical pass occurred in a challenging area of the field: “That’s where the sun’s at coming that direction, but it was a great play by Jaxson, great throw. Wish it would’ve been caught because we might be sitting here with a much different storyline.”

The running game also failed to provide the spark Kiffin hoped for, as Ole Miss experimented with Micah Davis in the backfield. “Just trying to get a spark back there with some speed,” he explained. “We hadn’t had a lot of success in the run game this past month, so we tried something different.”

Looking Ahead: Keeping the Team Together After Third Loss

When asked about the challenge of regrouping after a third loss, Kiffin admitted the mental toll it would take on his players and staff. “This is going to be really challenging,” he said. “There’s a lot of disappointed players and coaches in that locker room. And this is the new age setup—kind of NFL-ish. When you’re knocked out of the playoffs, you’ve still got games to play.”

Despite the disappointment, Kiffin emphasized the importance of moving forward, especially with an important game looming next weekend. “We’ll get to tomorrow,” he said, stressing the need to refocus and finish the season strong.

Much speculation has surrounded Napier and the Gators as the coach’s seat heated up with each frustrating loss to the top schools in the NCAA. However, despite the lack of success through his third year at the helm of Florida’s program, the coach has been ratified on his duty.

“I wanted to let you know that Billy Napier will continue as head football coach of the Florida Gators,” athletic directors Scott Stricklin stated on a letter. “I am confident that Billy will meet the challenges and opportunities ahead. We will work alongside him to support any changes needed to elevate Gator football.”

Reaching the final stretch of Napier’s third season with the Gators, the head coach has failed to sport winning records and currently holds a 4-4 (2-3 SEC) record.

Napier unable to replicate previous success

Napier arrived in Florida after a four-year tenure with the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns. Though the level of play in the Sun Belt conference is not nearly comparable, the Gators expected to be better off with Napier, but that has not been the case.

Through four college football seasons in Louisiana, Napier boasted a 40-12 record. Through his first years in Tallahassee that number has been greatly reduced to 15-18.

The Gators have only made a Bowl game once, under head coach Napier, and lost in it. Moreover, Florida has failed to make the Top-10 in the AP poll and hasn’t even finished inside the Top-25.

The Longhorns (3-1 SEC) arrive fresh off a bye week, while the Gators (2-3) come off a demanding physical loss against the Georgia Bulldogs. However, Texas may have cooled off and Florida could shock them with a strong start. Ahead of the matchup, Napier addressed the key elements within Steve Sarkisian’s roster and made a big statement on Ewers.

“Texas is a very talented roster, I think from top to bottom at every position. It’s elite height, length, speed, athleticism,” Napier stated, per On3. “They have a veteran quarterback and they have a rebuilt skill group around him and a handful of offensive linemen that have really good experience as well.”

Quinn Ewers enters the game with some ground to cover after recent outings. The QB has been affected by the abdominal injury that sidelined him for several weeks in the 2024 NCAA season and his numbers have taken a hit because of it.

Since his return on the Red River Rivalry, Ewers has passed for 698 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions. During the previous three-game stretch, Ewers had passed for eight TDs and only two turnovers.

Napier on Sarkisian’s defense

While the offense gets all the attention in The Forty Acres, the defense is a force to be reckoned with, too. The Gators won’t make the mistake of overlooking Pete Kwiatkowski’s defensive unit which has proven itself against good offenses in college football.

“Defensively, I think [we’re] really impressed with the overall makeup of that group,” Napier noted. “They’ve got an identity, they’ve got a blueprint. I think they do a good job of playing situational football as well.”

Ewers looking healthy again

Since his return to action, Ewers has looked slower than prior to his injury and it seemed he was playing too cautious. It was not an illusion, Ewers himself confessed it. However, that’s not a concern for Sarkisian who has provided some interesting insight on the Longhorns signal caller’s health.

“I thought Quinn had a good week. He looks fresh, he looks healthy,” Sarkisian said. “He’s really delivering the ball well. I like his base that he’s operating with. Thought he was really intentional with his feet, with his base against Vanderbilt, and it showed.”