The 2026 college football transfer portal has not been kind to Florida since it hired head coach Jon Sumrall. The Gators, however, received a massive win on Thursday with the re-signing of star edge-rusher Jayden Woods.
The star freshman initially entered the portal at the end of the regular season, which saw Florida fire former head coach Billy Napier. However, after considering a return for roughly a week, Woods officially re-signed with the Gators for the 2026 season, according to On3 Sports' Hayes Fawcett.
Rumors of Woods' potential return gained traction around New Year's Day, but they reached a peak earlier this week. Florida made a significant push to retain the former four-star recruit, who was rated as a top-10 player in the 2026 college football transfer portal.
Woods is coming off a promising freshman season, which saw him notch 28 tackles, 3.5 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He is the first true freshman in program history since 1992 to lead or co-lead the team in sacks, according to the Florida football website.
Woods began the season working behind veteran teammates George Gumbs Jr., Tyreak Sapp and Kamran James. However, by the end of the year, he had clearly become the team's most effective edge-rusher, and he will enter 2026 as one of the top defensive players in the country.
Woods is now the fourth key player Sumrall has managed to retain since his hiring. The Gators got torched by the portal immediately after announcing Sumrall as head coach, but the 43-year-old has convinced several key players to stay.
Woods' recommitment follows those of Vernell Brown, Amir Jackson, Dallas Wilson and Knijeah Harris, who all confirmed they will return in 2026. Florida lost star quarterback DJ Lagway, but it also landed a potential replacement in former Georgia Tech signal-caller Aaron Philo.
