About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Florida football took a tumble over the last couple of weeks after a pair of blowout losses in SEC play — particularly its embarrassing homecoming squander to South Carolina — but a triumph over Texas in Week 7 has turned the tables back in the Gators' favor.
After beating the Longhorns on their own turf for the first time ever, Jon Sumrall and Co. now find themselves back among Athlon Sports writer Steven Lassan's college football top 25 rankings , landing at No. 18 — between No. 17 Missouri, to whom the Gators lost in Week 5, and No. 19 Texas.
"The Gators return to the top 25 after Saturday's 27-24 upset of Texas. After back-to-back poor performances on defense, Florida's defense stepped up on Saturday," Lassan notes. "This unit held the Longhorns to 272 yards, forced a turnover and recorded five sacks. Also, quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. (22 of 35 for 155 yards and two scores) made a handful of clutch plays in his first start."
Florida also re-entered the top 25 in both major polls and is now ranked No. 24 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and No. 20 in the AP Top 25 .
The Southeastern Conference has nine schools in Athlon Sports' top 25 after Week 7, with Georgia leading the way at No. 4, followed by Ole Miss (No. 7) and Tennessee (No. 10) among the top 10. Alabama (No. 12), Kentucky (No. 13), Missouri (No. 17), Florida (No. 18), Texas (No. 19) and LSU (No. 20) wrap up the remaining league representatives in the top 25, while Mississippi State sits on the outside looking in.
Oct 17, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian talks with Florida Gators Head Coach Jon Sumrall before a game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images (Scott Wachter, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Oct 17, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. (9) throws a pass during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images (Scott Wachter, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Oct 17, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Dallas Wilson (6) reaches for a pass while defended by Texas Longhorns defensive back Bo Mascoe (5) during the first half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images (Scott Wachter, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Oct 17, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. (9) keeps the ball for yards while defended by Texas Longhorns defensive back Kade Phillips (8) and Jelani McDonald (4) during the first half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images (Scott Wachter, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 1 / 4 PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida at Texas in Week 7 Oct 17, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian talks with Florida Gators Head Coach Jon Sumrall before a game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images (Scott Wachter, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 1 / 4 PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida at Texas in Week 7 Oct 17, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian talks with Florida Gators Head Coach Jon Sumrall before a game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images (Scott Wachter, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 2 / 4 Tramell Jones Jr. earns offensive player of the game in upset victory Oct 17, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. (9) throws a pass during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images (Scott Wachter, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 3 / 4 Florida sneaks back into USAT re-rank top 25 after beating Texas Oct 17, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Dallas Wilson (6) reaches for a pass while defended by Texas Longhorns defensive back Bo Mascoe (5) during the first half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images (Scott Wachter, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) 4 / 4 PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida at Texas in Week 7 Oct 17, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. (9) keeps the ball for yards while defended by Texas Longhorns defensive back Kade Phillips (8) and Jelani McDonald (4) during the first half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images (Scott Wachter, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Athlon Sports' college football rankings top 25 after Week 7 Ohio State (6-1)
Up Next: Oregon, SMU, James Madison, Mississippi State
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Athlon Sports promotes Florida back into its top 25 after Texas win
Source: Sports
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