Can Florida Repeat with a Reloaded Roster?
Fresh off a National Championship, Todd Golden and the Florida Gators' recruiting staff have hit the ground running in the transfer portal. After securing a new six-year extension worth $40.5 million, Golden wouldn’t miss a beat. Former guards Walter Clayton Jr and Will Richard will be pursuing the NBA as they no longer have any eligibility. Florida is still awaiting an announcement from their star forward Alex Condon on whether or not he’ll be staying in the NBA Draft or returning to Florida for his junior season. The Gators will be returning some key pieces from their championship run, as center Rueben Chinyelu announced recently that he’ll return to Florida. Along with Chinyelu, forward Thomas Haugh will also be coming back to Golden and the Gators.
After a recent visit to Gainesville and mulling over the NBA Draft waters, former five-star McDonald’s All-American and former Arkansas guard Boogie Fland withdrew from the draft and committed to Golden and the Florida Gators. Joining Boogie in an already loaded backcourt is Princeton transfer guard Xaivian Lee. Similarly to Fland, Lee tested the waters of the NBA and received feedback that ultimately led him to announce his return to college basketball. Lee took an official visit to Kansas before going on his official visit to Florida. Ultimately, he chose the defending national champions, the Florida Gators, over the Jayhawks. The well established and experienced back-court for Todd Golden mixed with the presence of Chinyelu to grab defensive rebounds and provide a true force on the glass, furthermore, with the other returning Gators it could be a scary sight for the rest of the country, and could start to bring 2006-2007 vibes back to Gainesville when they won back-to-back National Championships.
Florida looks to be at the top of the totem pole when it comes to who’s the best team entering the 2025-2026 season. Landing commitments from Fland and Lee to join their already loaded title-defending team has propelled them to the top of the list, joining teams such as Houston, Purdue, and Duke. Head coach Todd Golden looks to defend his title and bring the Gators back to the National Championship. The Gators could be getting themselves into repeat territory, and then there will have to be conversations between Todd Golden and Billy Donovan. Watch out for the Gators next season to make some real noise in a loaded SEC.
