The Auburn Tigers are among several SEC programs searching for a new head coach this cycle after moving on from Hugh Freeze following a 10-3 defeat to Kentucky in Week 10. Many Auburn fans believe that bringing in Jon Sumrall would be a strong offseason move.
Zach Ragan of A to Z Sports offered a prediction in which Sumrall ends up on the Plains. His projection is attention-grabbing, though, because it also has the Florida Gators hiring USC head coach Lincoln Riley.
“Jon Sumrall played college football at Kentucky, but his wife Ginny went to school at Auburn. The Tigers may take some big swings, but Sumrall, for now, feels like the most likely hire,” Ragan wrote.
“I don’t think the USC experiment is going quite as Lincoln Riley thought it would when he left Oklahoma a few years ago. Riley, though, could do well at Florida. I think he’s a better coach than Billy Napier — he’s certainly a better quarterback developer. If the Gators can’t land Lane Kiffin, Riley wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize,” Ragan wrote.
Ragan also acknowledged that it would be surprising for Riley to walk away from USC. The Trojans have two losses but could still win out and potentially reach the College Football Playoff. They are also on track for the No. 1 recruiting class of 2026. That profile suggests a coach firmly committed to the West Coast rather than looking to jump into the SEC. Riley left Oklahoma even before the Sooners exited the Big 12.
Still, it reflects poorly on Auburn that they aren’t projected to land a coach viewed by former Tigers players as someone worth pursuing aggressively.
Auburn’s extended struggles make hiring a proven quarterback developer like Riley more reassuring than betting on another Group of Five standout, even one with Auburn connections. The memory of the Bryan Harsin era adds hesitation to any G5 hire.
Florida is seen as the program more willing to spend. Tough scene for Auburn.