Florida vaults into CBS Sports 138 preseason top 25 at No. 22

Florida is arriving in 2026 with sharply increased expectations, at least on paper. In CBS Sports’ preseason “138” rankings, the Gators jumped from their 2025 final spot of No. 71 all the way into the top 25, landing at No. 22. CBS Sports described the move as the biggest positive leap among the teams included in its preseason look, a notable rise for a program searching for traction after a rebuilding stretch.

The ranking change is tied to a new coaching era in Gainesville. Florida enters the preseason under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall, and CBS Sports’ projection suggests voters and analysts expect the program’s direction to move quickly. For a team that previously sat outside the preseason top tier, a jump of nearly 50 places is not just about optimism. It reflects a forecast that the Gators should be closer to playoff-caliber form than last year’s final evaluation indicated.

CBS Sports’ preseason ranking framework also matters because it is built to set an early baseline for the college football season. While such lists do not determine outcomes, they often become a reference point for how the market reads a program’s ceiling. In Florida’s case, being placed at No. 22 positions the Gators among the teams that, at minimum, are considered plausible challengers rather than long-shot contenders.

The magnitude of Florida’s move stands out in context of the broader preseason conversation. CBS Sports singled out Florida as the biggest positive mover among teams spotlighted in the preseason CBS Sports 138 rankings, emphasizing the outlier nature of the rise rather than placing it on the same track as more incremental shifts. That kind of distinction tends to increase scrutiny, because a high placement invites earlier comparisons to established contenders.

It also raises questions about what comes next in the Gators’ development under Sumrall. If Florida’s preseason standing is realized, the program will benefit from momentum in recruiting, internal confidence, and visibility around key national matchups. If it is not, the ranking provides a clear benchmark for how far the team still needs to go, especially given the jump from No. 71 just one season earlier.

What to watch next is whether Florida can translate that preseason projection into early-season results that justify the No. 22 placement. The CBS Sports 138 ranking is a starting point for expectation, but the game-by-game performance ultimately determines how the Gators are evaluated by the same types of rankings as the season progresses.