Florida Gators edge rusher George Gumbs Jr. has been selected 156th overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Gumbs Jr. has one of the more unique stories in this year’s draft. The Chicago, Illinois native was a three-star wide receiver recruit out of Simeon High School who was beginning to draw interest from Power Five programs before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
That ultimately hurt his chances of landing on a Power Five roster, limiting him to FCS and Division II offers.
Gumbs Jr. began his collegiate career as a walk-on wide receiver at NIU before transitioning to tight end. It wasn’t until the 2023 season that he switched to defense for the first time and earned a Division I scholarship.
He finished the 2023 season with 32 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries, and two forced fumbles across seven starts. His production and athleticism in his first season on defense caught the attention of Florida’s transfer portal evaluation staff.
In two seasons at Florida, Gumbs Jr. totaled 66 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound edge rusher was limited to nine games in 2025 due to injury. Gumbs Jr. still finished the season with the second most TFLs, tied for third most quarterback hurries and a PFF Run Defense grade of 76.4.
Gumbs Jr. earned an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl and participated in the NFL Combine, where his 41.0-inch vertical jump tied for the second-best mark by a defensive end/edge rusher in Combine history. He also recorded a 10-foot-1-inch broad jump.
WHAT THEY’RE GETTING IN GUMBS JR.
Gumbs Jr. is an athlete. His explosiveness and bend off the edge are a sight to see. He has real vertical speed at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds. He’ll need to refine his technique as both a pass rusher and run defender, but his potential as an athlete is worth an NFL Draft selection.
Rushing the passer is as valuable as ever, and that’s where Gumbs Jr. could shine with further development. After all, he’s only played defense for three seasons.