Zach Goodall: Did Florida Make Better Coaching Hire Than LSU?

Summary

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That SEC Football Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Zach Goodall: Did Florida Make Better Coaching Hire Than LSU?
Host: Michael Bratton (SEC Mike) with co-host and guest Zach Goodall
Date: August 5, 2026

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Overview

This episode features sportswriter and Florida Gators insider Zach Goodall joining SEC Mike and his co-host to break down the transition from Billy Napier to John Sumrall in Gainesville, analyze the Florida Gators' roster and outlook for 2026, discuss program support and spending, coaching hires like Buster Faulkner, and the broader SEC landscape. The conversation also compares Florida's and LSU's decisions at head coach, touches on recruiting, player retention, the offensive and defensive schemes, and ends with bold predictions for the upcoming season.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The John Sumrall Era at Florida

• Media/Team Vibe Shift (01:19–02:01):

  • Goodall praises Sumrall’s upfront honesty:

    "John’s just not a BSer...he’s willing to say, hey, yeah, you know what? Our offensive line was not physical, not strong. I’m pretty concerned about it... I appreciate the honesty and the candor." – Zach Goodall (01:25–01:52)

  • Noted shift from Billy Napier’s approach, with the team feeling “hit by the energy in the room” since Sumrall's arrival.

• Program Dark Horse Potential (02:01–03:07):

  • Josh Pate (a previous guest) picked Florida as the potential “tornado” team—dark horse to disrupt the SEC.
  • Goodall:

    "A lot of stuff would have had to go wrong for that [4-win] season...they got to get back to the mean somehow at a minimum...with good coaching...they could exceed that."

Roster Analysis: Skill Talent & Retention

• Wide Receivers Elite Status (03:07–04:44):

  • Goodall believes the WR group could be among the best in the SEC.
    • Vernell Brown: Impressive as a freshman, limited by QB performance.
    • Eric Singleton: Versatile, used as a gadget at Auburn after big numbers at Georgia Tech.
    • Dallas Wilson: Physical “X” receiver Florida’s lacked since Dan Mullen’s days; health is the “barometer.”
    • Strong depth with transfers like Micah May (Alabama) and Bailey Stockton (Georgia Tech).

    "I think they feel very confident in the depth of the receiver room, and...the ceiling could be very high." (04:30–04:44)

• Coordinator and Scheme Upgrades (04:44–05:50):

  • Buster Faulkner as OC: Known for creativity and Air Raid roots, brings new energy to the offense with more varied looks and route concepts.

    "People love to throw the Air Raid term out there...that doesn’t mean Florida’s gonna be an Air Raid offense through and through." (04:56–05:50)

• Defensive Retention/Improvement (05:50–07:34):

  • 26 players with over 100 snaps return; focus on familiarity and continuity, especially on defense (65-70% returning production).
  • Key players: Jaden Woods (edge), Brendan Bett (DL), Miles Graham & Aaron Chiles (LB), Bryce Thornton (S).
  • Expectation for defense to rebound with new wrinkles under DC Brad White.

Program Infrastructure & NIL Commitment

• Financial Commitment (08:42–10:22):
  • Florida’s staff salary exceeds $12M, reflecting a clear investment in support.
  • Improved but not yet equal to Texas or LSU in terms of NIL/booster spending.

    "There’s...an increase in effort and willingness to dish out money...to get Buster Faulkner...making him the $2 million coordinator..." (09:22–10:22)

Position-by-Position Deep Dive

• Offensive Line (10:22–11:40):

  • Interior looks “pretty set” with returning starter Nyjee Harris, transfers Harrison Moore (Georgia Tech, C) and TJ Shanahan (Penn State, G).
  • Tackle spots still unsettled; five candidates including Fletcher Westfall competing during fall camp.

  "From the interior at least, I think running the ball in between the gaps is something they should be pretty strong at." (11:33–11:40)

• Quarterback Competition (11:40–13:01):

  • Battle between Aaron Philo (transfer/GTech, mobile, decisive) and Tramell Jones (better arm, steady, less mistake-prone).

  "If they were starting the season today, I think it would be Aaron Filo, but they don’t seem like they want to rush that..." (12:54–13:01)

Program Culture & Expectations

• Sumrall’s Candidness & Personality (13:01–14:30):
  • Known for transparency, intensity, but also humor at media events.

    "Just John [is] willing to throw a lectern at someone whose phone went off...he’s also just willing to chop it up and have fun, which I enjoy." (14:30–14:48)

• Schedule & Key Games (20:50–22:32):
  • Auburn (Week 3, on the road) viewed as biggest “tone-setter.”
  • Early cupcakes (FAU, Campbell) may help iron out position battles but could also lead to overconfidence.

Coaching Hires: Was Florida’s Better Than LSU’s?

• Hiring Process & Local Perspectives (15:03–17:14):
  • Lane Kiffin was initial top target, but Sumrall won over decision-makers—especially after Urban Meyer’s advocacy.

    "Everyone and their mother knows it, like, Lane Kiffin was the guy from before Billy Napier got fired.... Urban Meyer was the one who really dug into it." (16:28–17:14)

  • Time will tell whether Sumrall or LSU’s new hire proves better.

Vegas Predictions & Bold Takes

• Win Totals & SEC Parity (17:14–18:39):

  • Vegas pegs Gators at 7.5 wins—same as Tennessee, Oklahoma, Ole Miss—showing increased expectations.

  "To have them in that echelon of teams that were in the College Football Playoff...tells you what, the SEC is too high." (17:40–17:52)

  • Goodall sees 7–8 wins as realistic, double last year’s total.

• Signature Wins & Upset Potential (18:39–19:52):

  • The Texas win last year—if not a fluke, shows what this roster can do when everything clicks, especially at home.

• Host’s Take on Homefield Environment (19:52–20:50):

  • Florida’s home stadium called “the most hostile environment.”

    "The heat, yeah, total different animal...this summer has been a brutal one and it’s tough for me to step outside for 10 years, much less be an athlete playing for four hours." – Zach Goodall (20:17–20:50)

• Tennessee Legend Bold Take (22:48–23:48):

  • Goodall’s bold SEC hot take: LSU underperforms Vegas win total (8.5) in year one due to turnover, drama, and QB health questions.

    "What’s LSU’s over under eight and a half? Going under...that’s a lot of turnover after a lot of drama and a lot hinging on a quarterback who has had health issues going into this." (23:01–23:30)

• DJ Lagway Departure (23:48–24:15):

  • Goodall confirms the split was mostly Lagway’s decision:

    "There was a meeting that occurred pretty early on, and what we know is that after that meeting, things changed and it seemed like it was a decision on DJ’s part to walk away." (23:59–24:15)

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Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• On John Sumrall’s approach:

  "He’s not coming in and blowing steam up our butts or anything like that. He’s willing to say, hey, yeah, you know what? Our offensive line was not physical, not strong. I’m pretty concerned about it." – Zach Goodall (01:25–01:45)

• On the wide receiver room:

  "When that guy’s on the field (Dallas Wilson), I think he truly brings a different level, a different kind of receiver play than what Florida’s had in years." – Zach Goodall (04:23–04:35)

• On Buster Faulkner’s impact:

  "I think we’re going to see a bit different now...getting creative with their route concepts to create openings rather than just rely on players to get open." – Zach Goodall (05:00–05:30)

• On Florida’s spending:

  "You see an increase in effort and willingness to dish out money...making [Buster Faulkner] the $2 million coordinator that he is now. They weren’t going to lose him." – Zach Goodall (09:36–10:22)

• On Florida’s “hostile environment”:

  "Even me living in Florida for 20 years this summer has been a brutal one and it’s tough for me to step outside for 10 years, much less be an athlete playing for four hours." – Zach Goodall (20:26–20:50)

• On LSU skepticism:

  "All it will take is a couple of upsets for things to potentially go off the rails in year one..." – Zach Goodall (23:33–23:48)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Sumrall’s impact & coaching philosophy: 01:19–02:01
• Roster dark horse/depth chart deep dives: 03:07–07:34
• Program support & NIL spending: 08:42–10:22
• OL & QB competitions: 10:22–13:01
• Coaching search process (Lane Kiffin/Sumrall): 15:03–17:14
• Vegas win totals, bold takes: 17:14–18:39, 22:48–23:48
• Texas win, home field advantage: 18:39–20:50
• Key schedule games: 20:50–22:07
• DJ Lagway transfer aftermath: 23:48–24:15

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Conclusion & Where to Follow

Guest:

• Zach Goodall – Read his coverage at Swamp247; Twitter: @ZachGoodall (24:54)

Episode Takeaway:

• The Gators enter a new era with John Sumrall, reinvigorated by improved coaching, support, and unexpectedly strong player retention and transfer additions. If Florida resolves lingering OL and QB questions, they could far exceed expectations—though the SEC will remain a gauntlet.

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For more insights and detailed Gator coverage, follow Zach at Swamp247 and @ZachGoodall on Twitter.

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

Here's a quick podcast for all you true crime fans. The Case of the Missing Reese's. It was me at the store with my mouth motive. They're Reese's. What was I gonna do, stop myself? Tune in next time to see if I do it again. Spoiler. I will. Wow, that had everything. Reese's Suspense. Reese's

[Interviewer 1]

Suspense. All right, we're here. SEC Media Days tradition.

[Interviewer 2]

Zach Goodall, the man with the golden hair.

[Interviewer 1]

Sports covers of Florida Gators. It's Florida Day.

[Zach Goodall]

That's right.

[Interviewer 1]

What's up, Zach?

[Zach Goodall]

How we doing, guys? Good to see you in my neck of the woods kinda boy.

[Interviewer 1]

Hey, drive down here, right?

[Zach Goodall]

Easy peasy. It was up at. Well, not two. I was up at 4:30 this morning and I'll be driving back home tonight. But it's better than doing the five hours there and back with Atlanta.

[Interviewer 2]

At least I think across enemy lines we like to say so. Hey, what about. What about hitting a home run? I always think about media personalities first when we get a new coach or we lose an old coach. But going from Billy Napier to John Sumrall, man, didn't you just feel like you hit the home run?

[Zach Goodall]

I mean, you know, you feel like you get hit by the energy in the room.

[Interviewer 2]

It's.

[Zach Goodall]

Yeah, it's a real different media approach, which I've taken a great liking to. As you guys might imagine. John's just not a BSer. You know, I think that's what I admire about him the most, is very few first couple of press conferences. He's not coming in and blowing steam up our butts or anything like that. He's willing to say, hey, yeah, you know what? Our offensive line was not physical, not strong. I'm pretty concerned about it. And he came in today and, you know, it's good to hear from a team perspective that he thinks it's getting better. But it stands out to me at first that he set the bar of, no, it's not good. This isn't good right now. You know, I'll take it. I appreciate the honesty and the candor.

[Interviewer 1]

Now, would it surprise you? We just had Josh Pate on the show and I asked. We were talking tornadoes, of course, but I said, who would be a tornado in the SEC no one sees coming? Could be very disruptive. The first team he mentioned was the Florida Gators under coach John Sumrall. And he cited seeing the team practice in the spring and just the different energy and attitude. And he said, you can never tell this team won four games last year. Does that Surprise you that his go to would be Florida?

[Zach Goodall]

I think that they'll be a common pick for that kind of underrated dark horse that could come out of nowhere, if anything, because I don't think even when we sat here last year I had my reasons for concern, but also I would never have imagined that team winning four games. I think that a lot of stuff would have had to go wrong for that to be the case. And that is exactly what happened. So if you consider that a massive regression compared to where they were just those last four games of 2024, they got to get back to the mean somehow at a minimum. And I think that that's at least what they'll be capable of this year. And who's to say that with good coaching and with a lot of the talent they were able to hold on to, paired with some transfer additions, that they could exceed that?

[Interviewer 2]

Well, I do want to talk about the transfers because I was more surprised that no, not as many left. I mean you did have 30 go out, but you know, some of the big names, you know, Bob being the biggest one. But you know, you look at Philo and Singleton, all these guys, I'm looking at this wide receiver room. Do you think if healthy, this could be the most elite wide receiver room in the conference?

[Zach Goodall]

I think it could be up there 100%. I think that you look at what Vernell Brown was able to do as a freshman, I think it was really impressive and probably hindered by the quarterback play coming in and effectively being your number one as a five foot ten freshman slot receiver. It's not an easy thing to do. Eric Singleton has shown a lot, especially within this scheme when he was at Georgia Tech. Took the step back at Auburn last year for various reasons including quarterback play, offenses, consistency. He was their gadget guy, right? They really kind of narrowed down how far down the field he was getting targets compared to his time at Georgia Tech and expecting him to make more out of small targets, turn him into bigger plays. Now he's got a guy in Vernell next to him and then obviously Dallas Wilson. That's the whole health barometer I think we got to pay attention to because when that guy's on the field, I think he truly brings a different level, a different kind of receiver play than what Florida's had in years. I think they don't. They haven't really had that physical ex receiver can go win on one on one since the Dan Mullen era. So quite a while now. It's put some years onto my Life. You mix those three and they've got Micah May as a transfer to Bailey Stockton from Georgia Tech. They feel very confident in the depth of the receiver room, and I think that the ceiling could be very high.

[Interviewer 1]

And I think it's safe to say Buster Faulkner universally praised that higher. What's your favorite thing about Buster Faulkner? Anything you've learned or picked up that you just. That's really kind of piqued your interest?

[Zach Goodall]

I mean, yeah, for Florida fans especially, who have complained over the last few years about not spreading the ball out too much, kind of stale, stagnant offensive schematics, I think we're going to see a bit different now. People love to throw the air raid term out there with Buster Faulkner, it's worthwhile. He's coached in that at various levels and played within it, too. That doesn't mean that Florida is going to be an air raid offense through and through. I think the receiver is going to see a lot more air raid style route concepts. We're not going to see five wide every play, but whether it's three wide, there will be some sprinkles of four wide. Maybe your occasional five receiver sets where it's empty back there. They're going to be doing a lot of different things, getting creative with their route concepts to create openings rather than just rely on players to get open. And when you think about Florida football and the electric passing offenses they've had in the past, that's what fans want to see and this is the path toward that with the skill set that they have right now.

[Interviewer 2]

Yeah, I think. I think you nailed it with the coordinator hires. Mike put a list together. I think Florida was at the top of this and, you know, on the other side, the football, a lot of returning production. You know, we love the defensive coordinator there. What. What do you think about this? Deep for somebody that hasn't watched a Florida Gator team in a while, what are they going to see this year?

[Zach Goodall]

Yeah, I don't have the numbers in front of me right now, but I know that they bring back 26 players on both sides of the ball that had at least 100 snaps last year to the point of retention. And it's like 65 to 70% of that's on defense. So they've got a lot of players who are comfortable playing next to one another now, different scheme, different responsibilities, but at the end of the day, whether it's Jaden woods, who got 450 snaps as a freshman, and they view him as their number one edge rusher with the way the offseason kind of churned and what they had to invest to get him back. But you've got him up front, Brendan Bett up front in that middle, you've got Miles Graham, Aaron Chiles, Jaden Robinson in the back you've got Bryce Thornton, who I think is underrated and one of the better safeties in the sec. So you've got a lot of the core pieces intact who have been there and know how to play alongside each other. You sprinkle in some of the transfer additions and you would expect the defense because it took a step back last year compared to what we saw the year before. Caleb Banks missing a lot of the year obviously hurt, but there's familiarity and kind of the same deal of regressing back to at least what the mean is. I think that defense should at least do that and probably with a fresh start with some things that, a lot of, you know, granted coming from Kentucky, people know about Brad White's defense, but with this personnel, there's going to be new wrinkles that offenses aren't totally accustomed to and maybe they'll exceed the expectations that are set for him.

[Interviewer 2]

I go, I go back and forth on this Florida Georgia game and I was really hoping that they took the opportunity to do a home.

[Zach Goodall]

And home.

[Interviewer 2]

And so I did a little research last night and I'm looking, I was like, well, when was the last time they did do this? And it was a 50 point blowout. 95, which ironically was Kirby Smart's first year as a DB there in Georgia. Are you upset? Happy that it's continuing like we had a window to do a neutral site or a home and home. Are you upset with it not being. Yeah.

[Zach Goodall]

I mean, because of that window and them not taking it, it makes me wonder if we'll ever get it, you know, and maybe something will change. But with the stadium they're putting together in Jacksonville, the renovations they're doing, I also don't think that there will ever be a rush to get that game out of there on top of what it already means to that city. You know, I like Tampa, I like Atlanta. I think both places are pretty sweet. It's just why, why either of those spots when you had it on a golden platter to go to the universities as everyone or a lot of people have wanted. Just take that, take that opportunity when it's handed to you.

[Interviewer 2]

Right? Right.

[Zach Goodall]

Yeah.

[Interviewer 1]

And when all these coaches get hired, we all sit around and be like, is John Sumrall, Alex Golish, Ryan Silverfield, Lane Kiffe going. You know, who will be successful in today's college football, though? I think it's far more important that it's the whole collective of a program working in the same direction with the nil, with player retention and so many. So many things. I think I read somewhere where Florida, their coaching staff this year is like over $12 million in total salary. So that would tell me that the commitment is there, the retention. We just talked about that. Key to that is money.

[Zach Goodall]

Yeah.

[Interviewer 1]

I mean, would you agree that Florida's doing everything they can to support John Sobral?

[Zach Goodall]

I think so. I think we've talked about it plenty over the years, too, about how Florida was kind of behind the eight ball on the money front, nil especially. I think it took them some time to adapt. And because of that, I never want to say, like, okay, they've made it. Like, they're on the. They're on the Texas scale, the LSU scale in terms of finances. I don't think Florida's made it there. I'm not sure that they'll make it to that upper echelon in terms of spending, but you see an increase in effort and willingness to dish out money. Whether it's, again, to make sure Jaden woods pulls out of the portal and comes back and keeps some of the key players they did to get Buster Faulkner, I think that that's probably the clearest example, making him the $2 million coordinator that he is now. They weren't going to lose him. There was obviously rumors of him maybe going and taking the head coaching job at Southern Miss and being a coveted coordinator, not just at Florida, but really anywhere that there was an opening. You had message boards and people saying, hey, I want this guy. This guy's got something going on in Florida was making sure that they could close that deal. So that shows a bit more aggression on that front than what we'd seen in the past.

[Interviewer 2]

Well, you got some guys in the portal with that offensive line. Lot of experience, which, you know, maybe not down there in Florida. Some big programs, how are they shaping up?

[Zach Goodall]

So I think the interior looks pretty set. You've got one returning starter, Nyjee Harris. He's been their left guard two and a half seasons and really stepped up. I think last year we had an underrated year. The other two positions look like they're going to be filled by transfers. Harrison Moore, coming from Georgia Tech, had a good year at center last year. TJ Shanahan, coming from Penn State, followed Phil Troutwine, who's Florida's new offensive line Coach obviously former Gators tackle. So there's familiarity, there's experience. It looks like those three positions are pretty well set. Tackle is where questions start to emerge. They had four players competing for those two spots in the spring. I don't know if any of them really clearly stepped into. This guy looks like he'll be the starting left or right tackle. There's another player in Fletcher Westfall who didn't get to practice due to injuries, but he was a coveted recruit two years ago who as long as he's healthy, he'll probably be part of the competition come fall. So you're looking at five different guys still fighting for two positions. It doesn't feel as though there's been a clear step up from any of them. So that's where my concerns start to come in. But from the interior at least, I think running the ball in between the gaps is something they should be pretty strong at.

[Interviewer 1]

How tight is this quarterback competition? It seems like everybody on the outside looking in thinks it's Aaron Filo eventually. But what about from the inside? I mean, is there a solid case that Tramell Jones wins it?

[Zach Goodall]

I think that he's made a solid case to not not win it.

[Interviewer 1]

So that sounds double negative.

[Zach Goodall]

Yeah, that sounds silly. That sounds dumb. I mean, I think he's got a better arm of the two from my own non quarterback guru perspective. Like I think he makes outside the kind of pro throws look a little more seamless. I haven't really seen him make a ton of mistakes in the practice or limited game settings that we've seen Aaron Filo being a bit more of the gunslinger and I don't think he has as big of the arm, but he does have mobility on his side. To the offensive tackle question, if there's a potential issue for him to face, a lot of pressure coming off the edges. I think he's not only pretty athletic in a bigger body that's tough to bring down, but he's very decisive and that comes from practicing in the Haynes King ski, right what Georgia Tech did the last two years. He knows when to tuck it and run. That's going to be an advantage for him. And just coming from that scheme in general, I think that even while Tramell Jones has flashed, there's just a natural kind of step up that Philo seems to have at this point. If they were starting the season today, I think it would be Aaron Filo, but they don't seem like they want to rush that they're going to give Jones the opportunity to the next Couple of weeks, go in and take that. If Filo is the one who's got the step up.

[Interviewer 2]

You know, we talked about Sumrall when he was actually answering some of your questions. Like, man, he is very open, feels like he's very transparent now. Hopefully that hasn't changed the longer he's in this conference. But if you gave him some true serum right before he hit the podium and he was telling you about his football team, what do you think he'd be saying about these Florida Gators?

[Zach Goodall]

That they've got legit talent at the skill positions that I think most coaches offensively in the SEC would ask for. They've got a lot of star power, potential star power to bolster their offense. It's whether or not the quarterbacks can get it down on a down to down basis and if the offensive tackles can be as physical as they need them to be in this league to win on the edge in this league defense. I think that he probably. I know he entered spring camp with questions about the defensive line, interior in particular. Didn't feel like there was a ton of proof there. Kind of the same deal with physicality, he thought whether it was the trenches in particular or even some of the skill positions, he thought that there was a lot of emphasis less on strength and physicality, more so on maybe speed and conditioning when he got in here. And he really wanted to bulk them up and get them physically and mentally prepared to handle the physicality of the sec. He's saying that he feels much better about it now than he did when he first stepped into the job. I think with some truth serum, he would still tell you that he's not where he wants it to be quite yet.

[Interviewer 1]

Anything interesting that you may have picked up when Florida's meeting here at the SEC media days?

[Zach Goodall]

Just John willing to throw a lectern at someone whose phone went off, you know, and not that that's super interesting, but that kind of just personifies his character. He's laid back. He's willing to make jokes with you. While he's intense and can be aggressive at times, like, he's also just willing to chop it up and have fun, which I. Which I enjoy.

[Interviewer 2]

Are y' all happy that you know that guaranteed loss Tennessee is not on the schedule.

[Zach Goodall]

Oh, yeah, they're sweating. They were sweating it. But hey, I mean, you know, that could be two guaranteed losses over the next four years. So who's to say? Who's to say?

[Interviewer 1]

Obviously, much was made about the pursuit for Lane Kiffin. Is it believable that Florida ended up getting the better hire.

[Zach Goodall]

Florida fans think so, yeah. They believe it. Time will tell on my end, you know, I like that was a fascinating ordeal to cover and a lot of fun, and there were a lot of distractions and there was a lot of headaches on my side. And I'm sure Florida side and LSU's side, probably, and certainly Ole Miss's side. Lane Kiffin's also. Lane Kiffin, you know, he. He does what he does, and he still manages to win games and kind of surpass expectations anytime that they're set for him. So time will tell what their resumes end up looking like in a few years.

[Interviewer 1]

But I thought it was really interesting. I don't know if you had an opportunity to catch it. You may have been traveling, but Danny Warfel was on sec, the morning show. That SEC now, I think it's called. But he was talking about. He was. So he was on the search committee to get the new coach. And, you know, he was talking about, yeah, Lane Kiffin was. Was our guy, this, that and the other. And he said, you know, I really warmed John Sumrall. And I was like, well, yeah, I don't think it quite worked that way, but it was an interesting way to. At least I felt he was trying to be transparent and honest about the pursuit of Lane Kiffin. And then the more he got to know about John Sommel, the more he liked. So I think he was being honest, but it was just a really weird way to phrase that.

[Zach Goodall]

Yeah. And I've heard that from a couple of people. So. So if we're to take them at their word, apparently the single biggest advocate in the identifying process, like, they. Everyone and their mother knows it. Like, Lane Kiffin was the guy from before Billy Napier got fired. Right. It took them some time to learn more about John Sumrall and whether it's falling back on him as a backup option, him coming up and impressing them enough that they were like, oh, you know what, whatever about Lane Kiffin. They didn't know that at the start. Urban Meyer was the one who really dug into it. So he says, and so they say contacted him, had mutual acquaintances, paid attention to Tulane in the second half of the season and was really like, hey, I like this guy. You guys should all check them all out. And I guess the rest is history. That's how the dominoes fell.

[Interviewer 2]

Yeah. I'm always intrigued with Vegas and the odds and, you know, a lot of them are saying, you're sitting there at 7.5, 7 and a half. But if you look, so is Tennessee, so is Oklahoma. There's another one I'm trying to think of. But you know, sitting at that Ole Miss. I mean, we're talking playoff teams here. And does that kind of surprise you going into year one? These are where the standard expectations are.

[Zach Goodall]

Yeah, definitely. To have them in that echelon of teams that were in the College Football Playoff or at least pushing for it. I tells you what, the SEC is too high.

[Interviewer 1]

He said that many a time.

[Interviewer 2]

Well, I think. But then we talk about it. It's like Vegas wants you to take the under.

[Zach Goodall]

Right.

[Interviewer 2]

You know that. Which makes me like, well, maybe I should look at the.

[Interviewer 1]

Over here, you know.

[Interviewer 2]

Yeah.

[Zach Goodall]

I mean, I wouldn't be. I wouldn't tell anyone not to take it, you know, to going back to again with last year. They shouldn't have won four games. That just shouldn't have happened. Even if it were 5 and 7, 6 and 6. Like you think of the USF game right off the bat and some other ones in there as well. Granted there were some close wins too, but because of that, again, I wouldn't. I think 7 to 8 is totally achievable now. Do Florida fans look back on this season at the end of it and think, oh yeah, like we've made it? No, that's just not how they operate. But I think your most rational ones will look at that and say, hey, if we double what we did last year with a first year head coach, signs are pointing in the right direction.

[Interviewer 1]

That the win over Texas though, do you believe that was a fluke or do you think that that is the capability of a team that returns so much? You know, could we see something? Not that they're going to do that every week because Texas may be the best team in the conference, but that they can legitimately beat anybody on the schedule.

[Zach Goodall]

I think that that's what Florida was supposed to look like last year and obviously not what Texas was supposed to look like. So that was a. That game was a case of everything going right that needed to go right. So it's like part fluke, part not because like Texas offensive line I don't think was very strong going into last year. Even if it got the hype. Florida's defensive line was considered its strength going into last year and that's what won the game. It wasn't Arch Manning having a bad game, even though it wasn't great. It was. That guy had no time. He was getting plastered. I want to say there were 35 quarterback pressures in that game alone, it was out of this world. No one expected Florida to hit 35 a game, but they expected routine, consistent pressure that could make opposing offenses, especially at home, really struggle. All that said is, yeah, I think that that is what this team could be capable of. Maybe not every game, but at least more consistent than in a one off where they pull off an upset win like that.

[Interviewer 1]

And a huge factor in that, I think, was the home field advantage.

[Zach Goodall]

Absolutely.

[Interviewer 1]

Now, literally anywhere in the SEC on a good night is going to be a fantastic environment. But I maintain, I think Florida is the most hostile environment.

[Podcast Host]

Do you.

[Interviewer 1]

Would you back that up or what's your thought? Is that am I overrating the, you know, the heat, the humidity? Now, I'm a Tennessee grad, so maybe I am skewed in the wrong direction, but I don't know, it just seems like a damn house of horrors.

[Zach Goodall]

Yeah, I think it is. And I've still yet to be to every stadium in the sec. But like I've been to Tennessee and I think Tennessee is up there, LSU up there. I think that those, Brian Denny have not been to, but I would assume, I think that that's, that's kind of your tier one, however you want to rank them in there. So be it. From a crowd noise perspective. The heat. Yeah, total different animal stuff that even me living in Florida for 20 years this summer has been a brutal one and it's tough for me to step outside for 10 years, much less be an athlete playing for four hours.

[Interviewer 2]

Well, last question I've got for you on the schedule. We always do this. There's one or two games that stand and stand out to us. Say we got to get this one for us to have the year I want. What would you think would be the most important game for the Florida Gators this year?

[Zach Goodall]

Auburn. Yeah, I definitely go Auburn because it's just, it's a tone setter right out the gate.

[Interviewer 2]

That's week three on the road exactly

[Zach Goodall]

for both teams going in after Florida facing Florida Atlantic and Campbell. So their cards are not going to have fully been shown. Auburn will have the same approach and granted, different team, not all USF players, but that team is heavily comprised of players and a coach that came from a team that walked into the swamp last year and upset Florida in a fashion that no one saw coming. So for these players in particular, they're not looking at it as, okay, we got to get our, we got to get back against these Bulls because that's not who they're taking, but they See Byron Brown, Keshan Singleton, Alex Golesh. And I'm sure there's an extra motivation there to be like, all right, like, we gotta. We gotta take care of business this time. Yeah.

[Interviewer 1]

Do you think the coaches like that? It sets up, though, the two home games, FAU and Campbell, that they can kind of figure out their warts. Or is it. Could it be a concern? Hey, offensive line looks great. And then you get to Auburn, you're like, oh, shit. I think it was just because we were playing Campbell.

[Zach Goodall]

Yeah, that's.

[Interviewer 2]

That.

[Zach Goodall]

That's a fair way to look at it, but I would anticipate I could see us seeing both quarterbacks and four tackles between those two games. Unless a quarterback and two tackles decide to really take it up a notch over the next month in spring camp, I could see competitions lasting and in which case, yeah, you definitely need those two games. Compared to, say, two years ago, walking into the season and playing Miami.

[Interviewer 1]

Yeah. But definitely with a coaching transition, a quarterback competition, I think it sets up really well for the Gators. So let me ask you this, Zach. All our coverage at SEC media days is presented by Tennessee legend. They make the best Tennessee whiskey you could buy.

[Interviewer 2]

Hell, yeah.

[Interviewer 1]

So we're asking everybody for their Tennessee legend. Boldest take of the season. Could be Florida, could be anything SEC related. Do you have a bold take for us?

[Zach Goodall]

What's LSU's over under eight and a half? Going under. I'm going under. And I know I was just heaping praise for Lane Kiffin as a ball coach. There's just. That's a lot. A lot of turnover after a lot of drama and a lot hinging on a quarterback who has had health issues going into this is me being personally scarred by the DJ Lagway situation last year. Quarterback who misses a bunch of time in the off season, getting acclimated to being a new starter, albeit he. He's started before. But with a new team, there's just factors that work against you, and all it will take is a couple of upsets for things to potentially go off the rails in year one and that maybe they don't go off the rails, but I could see LSU falling a bit under and disappointing in year one as a result of those factors.

[Interviewer 2]

Was DJ Ever. I know I already said I asked the last question, but was DJ Ever on the radar when John came in, or was this new start?

[Zach Goodall]

I don't think they were against keeping him. I don't think he was against staying. There was a meeting that occurred pretty early on, and what we know is that after that meeting, things changed and it seemed like it was a decision on DJs part to walk away.

[Interviewer 1]

Well, and I just want to say real quick on lsu, so they play Clemson at home and they're like a double digit favorite, which they probably should be, but I think it's a tricky game at Ole Miss Week three. And then A and M, which whoop their ass, is the next game, even though it's a home game. That's a very difficult. I mean, that's the opposite of Florida, where you get these easy cupcakes to kind of get up, get your feet under you. So I'm right there with you with lsu.

[Interviewer 2]

Yeah.

[Zach Goodall]

But they come in and they win all those games, and people are going to be finding this clip and putting it all over the place, and I'll never be trusted ever again. Yeah, it's a hot take. It's a hot take.

[Interviewer 1]

All right, Zach, thank you so much. Before you go, tell our audience where they can follow you, find your work.

[Zach Goodall]

Yeah, absolutely. Thank you, guys, as always. All my stuff's over at Swamp247. My Twitter's @Zack Goodall if you want to see some occasional comedic relief. In addition to the stories that I put out there, I try to be funny.

[Interviewer 2]

Thank you, brother.

[Interviewer 1]

I appreciate you.

[Zach Goodall]

Thanks, guys.