Florida’s inside linebacker room is a strength of the defense. The Gators return Myles Graham, Aaron Chiles and Jaden Robinson from last season, a trio that combined for more than 1,500 snaps in 2025.
But it’s not just the starters and experienced players that Florida’s staff is confident in. As fall camp progresses and the 2026 season approaches, head coach Jon Sumrall believes the depth of the room has grown significantly.
Ty Jackson, a second-year linebacker, has been one of the players making a push for a larger role. The Seminole Ridge product drew praise after Florida’s first scrimmage of fall camp, where he forced a fumble on the goal line that the defense recovered for a turnover.
“Physically gifted and getting way better,” Sumrall said of Jackson.
The 6-foot-2, 228-pound linebacker played just seven defensive snaps as a true freshman in 2025 but appeared in eight games on special teams. While there wasn’t much game tape to evaluate, Sumrall immediately noticed Jackson’s athletic ability during winter workouts.
“We came in and you could watch him in the winter conditioning. You’re like this guy’s talented,” Sumrall said of Jackson. “I’m like who’s that guy. ‘Well, he hasn’t played at all,’ and I’m like, well, he looks pretty good. That’s Ty Jackson.”
Sumrall compared that situation to when he first watched Jamin Davis at Kentucky, who eventually became the No. 19 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
“It reminds me of Jamin Davis when I got to Kentucky,” Sumrall said. “I’m like, who’s that guy. Well, he hasn’t played at all, and I’m like, well, he looks pretty good. That’s Ty Jackson. Jamin became the 19th pick of the NFL Draft. I’m not saying that’s going to be Ty. He’s played on kickoff. He’s played a little bit of special teams. Hasn’t been a major contributor defensively, really.”
Jackson’s athleticism has never been in question. His explosiveness and burst stand out, and former Florida head coach Billy Napier once called Jackson’s junior-year high school tape the best he had ever seen.
The question has always been how quickly Jackson could grasp the defense and how quickly the game would begin to slow down for him. After a spring camp in which he made significant progress and two weeks into fall camp, Jackson is becoming more confident in his ability to play at this level.
“At that position, man, there’s so much going on. It’s a lot of noise. There’s shift. There’s motion. You have to communicate. You’ve got to talk. He is growing from a football IQ standpoint. He’s becoming more confident,” Sumrall said of Jackson. “He’s seeing things cleaner and his vision lines have improved. He’s adjusting better. His spatial awareness has improved. He’s always had great athletic traits. Now his football training is elevating.”
Florida’s staff is now challenging him to become more of a vocal leader.
“By nature and who he is as a person, he’s not naturally a real loud, talkative guy,” Sumrall said. “I’m in the team room the other day trying to see if he could yell to the team louder than me. He still can’t. Because at linebacker, I think you have to have a voice. You can’t be quiet.”