Florida defensive end removes name from transfer portal, will stay a Gator

Florida Gators defensive end Lloyd Summerall has withdrawn his name from the transfer portal, per Gators Online’s Nick de la Torre. He will return to Gainesville in 2022 for his junior season.

A Lakeland, Florida, native, Summerall committed to the Gators in 2019 as a four-star recruit. He was rated as the No. 414 overall player according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Summerall chose the Gators over additional offers from Miami, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Texas, Texas A&M and others. He won a state championship in his senior season, ending his high school career 117 tackles and 14.5 sacks.

Since his arrival on campus, he has mostly played a reserve role. This year was the most action he saw, as he played in all 12 games. He recorded five tackles and 0.5 sacks, while also serving as a kick returner.

It was mostly a season to forget in Gainesville as Florida finished the year 6-7, firing coach Dan Mullen with one week to go in the regular season. He finished his tenure in Florida with a 34-15 record including 2-1 in bowls. The Gators’ year came to a close when they lost to UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl.

The Gators defense received plenty of blame for the disappointing season, as they finished 11th in the SEC in scoring defense. Summerall and the rest of the unit will hope to improve in 2022 under newly hired coach Bill Napier.

The decision of the Florida Gators defender to withdraw his name from the transfer portal is a testament to the recruiting ability of Napier. Florida fans will hope that carries over into future classes. The Gators signed the No. 30 overall class in 2021 according to On3’s team rankings.

Summerall’s next chance to play for Florida will come Sept. 3 when the Gators kick off their 2022 season against Utah.