George Gumbs Jr. is Florida Gators Very Own Avenger

Quarterback DJ Lagway wasn't the only Florida Gators player to have his coming out party on Saturday night against Samford.

Florida Gators edge rusher George Gumbs Jr. had his coming out party against Samford / Kyle Lander, Gators Illustrated

Not too many teams can claim they have a super hero on their roster, but the Florida Gators can according to edge Tyreak Sapp. 

“He’s an Avenger,” Sapp said of teammate George Gumbs Jr. “He is literally built like an Avenger.”

However, before Gumbs Jr. was saving the world in the Orange and Blue, he was in Illinois going to battle for the Northern Illinois Huskies. 

But the pathway there wasn’t as clear for the redshirt junior as it is today. He actually started as a walk-on receiver with the Huskies. Then, he transitioned into a tight end before finally landing as an edge rusher in 2023. 

This final position change paid off as well. In 12 games last season, Gumbs Jr. racked up 32 total tackles, 6.5 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in his first season on defense. 

Additionally, this breakout season for Gumbs Jr. in 2023 landed himself firmly on the Gators radar and forced head coach Billy Napier to take a hard look at what he had to offer this program. 

“It’s a great evaluation,” Napier stated when asked about what they saw in Gumbs Jr. 

What makes him a great evaluation though? His effort and readiness to work. 

“His work habits are second to none,” Napier said. “We anticipated that he had a chance to be a good player, and he's proven that over time.”

But it’s not just Napier that has noticed his effort, his teammates have witnessed it also. 

“He's one of the purest people you could ever meet, but the kid works so hard,” Sapp said. “I love that dude because he comes in every day ready to work. He's trying to find some ways to get better.”

The fans finally got their dose of Gumbs Jr. in their win over Samford this weekend as well. He was one of the best players on defense in this game, finishing with a team-high three tackles-for-loss and one sack. 

Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves though. That level of competition on Saturday isn’t comparable to any SEC team. However, if the newest Avenger is able to keep the good times rolling, then the Gators might be better moving forward than their Week 1 loss showed.