Feb. 5, 2026, 4:01 p.m. ET

The Florida Gators are one of six SEC teams inside The Athletic’s college baseball preseason top 25.

Florida checks in at No. 9 behind LSU, Texas, Arkansas, Auburn and Mississippi State, which take up the Nos. 2-6 spots, respectively. UCLA opens the season as the No. 1 team on The Athletic’s list. Ole Miss (No. 13), Georgia (No. 14), Vanderbilt (No. 16), Tennessee (No. 18) and Kentucky (No. 23) also made the cut, giving the SEC 11 of the top 25 spots in the rankings.

“Few teams can match Florida’s raw talent,” Teddy Cahill wrote for The Athletic. “Right-handers Liam Peterson and Aidan King give the Gators a 1-2 punch in the rotation that has as much upside as any duo in the country. Third baseman Brendan Lawson is coming off an exceptional freshman season, and second baseman Cade Kurland and center fielder Kyle Jones are back healthy after missing most of last season.”

Cahill also mentions key transfer portal additions such as catcher Karson Bowen (TCU) and first baseman Ethan Surowiec (Ole Miss) as points of optimism for Florida heading into 2026.

However, offseason troubles give Cahill a reason to hold back when it comes to the Gators. Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan was away from the team for the fall to deal with “family issues,” and when he returned, Florida had already lost its top assistant in Chuck Jeroloman. Hiring Tom Slater as a replacement helped hold things together, but there’s clearly some discord in Gainesville.

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While several key members of this squad are used to adversity from last year’s rollercoaster regular season, off-the-field drama can affect teams in a different way. Still, the talent at Florida remains elite, and SEC coaches aren’t expecting another down year from the Orange and Blue.

“They might have the best rotation in the league,” an opposing coach said to Cahill.

The Athletic’s 2026 College Baseball Preseason RankingsUCLA BruinsLSU TigersTexas LonghornsArkansas RazorbacksAuburn TigersMississippi State BulldogsCoastal Carolina ChanticleersGeorgia Tech Yellow JacketsFlorida GatorsNorth Carolina Tar HeelsTCU Horned FrogsFlorida State SeminolesOle Miss RebelsGeorgia BulldogsOregon State BeaversVanderbilt CommodoresLouisville CardinalsTennessee VolunteersVirginia CavaliersNC State WolfpackArizona WildcatsClemson TigersKentucky WildcatsSouthern Miss Golden EaglesMiami Hurricanes

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