Gators’ Jayden Woods ditches Tim Tebow’s number as he chases sack record

GAINESVILLE — This past spring, Jayden Woods shed the Gators’ iconic No. 15, looking to leave his own mark at Florida.

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Now sporting No. 0 instead of the number Tim Tebow made famous during his Hall of Fame career, Woods has another number in mind — 13, the season school-record sack total that Alex Brown set in 1999.

“That’s the goal,” Woods said Tuesday during the team’s Media Day.

Woods knows Florida hasn’t featured a true game-wrecker off the edge in quite some time. He points to Jon Greenard, Carlos Dunlap, Jervon Kearse and Brown as the standard.

“Dominant players, definitely,” Woods said.

It’s a void Woods hopes to fill, while becoming a disruptive force and potential record-setter.

The Gators’ sophomore isn’t necessarily a numbers guy. Yet, they seem to follow him — Nos. 0, 15, 13 and, most painfully, four.

When Jon Sumrall’s squad opened practice Wednesday, Woods set his sights on improving the Gators’ paltry win total during his first season in Gainesville.

“It definitely is embarrassing,” he said. “Especially with the logo that we play for, that’s not the standard here. It’s a big chip on our shoulder going into the season.”

To help fuel Florida’s turnaround, Woods spent the offseason setting new standards.

The freakishly strong Woods power cleaned 405 pounds, a 40-pound increase from the spring and an eye-popping lift strength coach Rusty Whitt said only one player in the nation surpassed — NC State 6-foot-3, 270 defensive lineman Colby Cronk, a native of Palm Coast.

“He could do more,” Whitt said of Woods. “But we got to be smart.”

Woods, who turns 20 on Aug. 19, is just getting started.

The Kansas native consistently flashed as a freshman.

He body-slammed Texas tight end Jack Endries for a 1-yard gain to help set the tone in the Gators’ 29-21 upset. His first-quarter interception at Ole Miss set up a Gators touchdown during a hard-fought 34-24 loss to an eventual College Football Playoff semifinalist. He also recorded a sack each during Florida’s final two games.

Still, Woods’ managed just 3.5 sacks, tied with Kam James for the lead on a defense that struggled to consistently pressure opposing passers.

The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Woods has the potential to far exceed that output and become the kind of defender that offenses must game-plan around.

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“He’s talented physically. He’s very, very mature. Works as hard as anybody I’ve ever been around in my life,” Sumrall gushed this week. “Great teammate, high output, low ego. He can be as good as he wants to be.

“I’m excited about watching him continue to grow and develop.”

Sumrall nearly didn’t get the chance.

When he boarded a plane for Kansas in January, Sumrall wasn’t sure what he would find at Woods’ Shawnee home. Woods had entered the transfer portal, drawing immediate interest from a long list of suitors.

What Sumrall quickly discovered was a grounded teenager from a close-knit family, including a grandfather who quickly bonded with Florida’s new coach. Since Woods returned, he and Sumrall’s relationship has continued to grow.

“When he went in the portal in December, January, I thought I knew what he was,” Sumrall said. “Having him back the last seven months and being around him day in, day out, I can’t imagine life without him. He is a freaking blast to coach … just unbelievable.”’

Woods arrived at Florida as one of the nation’s top 100 prospects in the 2025 class and the top defensive player in Kansas after recording 212 tackles, including 20.5 sacks, during three seasons at Mill Valley High School.

Before he played a college snap, Woods debuted at No. 40 on Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks List.” A 6A Kansas state champion in shot-put and discus, he broad jumped 10 feet, 5 inches, squatted 555 pounds and power cleaned 365 as an 18-year-old during the spring of 2025.

When Woods attempted his latest jaw-dropping effort at Gator Football Performance Center, Whitt admitted he was a bit apprehensive.

“He’s like, ‘Can I put four (45-pound) plates on (each side)?’ Whitt recalled. “I’m like, your career warning lights flashing … I was like, ‘Go for it.’ Because I trusted him. He smashed it.

“I had a couple of players buzzing in my ear, ‘Hey, let him go up 15.’ I’m like, no, you’re done.”

Back on the field, where Woods hopes to make a huge impact this fall, he has his sights set on numbers that matter most.

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Edgar Thompson can be reached at [email protected]