Florida Landed Kentucky’s Prodigal Son: Mitch Barnhart Let Jon Sumrall Get Away

It’s difficult to quantify the magnitude of what just unfolded. It’s not hyperbole to say that Kentucky football fans may experience decades of heartbreak thanks to inaction from Mitch Barnhart. Remember the old myth about Bear Bryant getting the lighter and Adolph Rupp getting the Cadillac? This is the 21st-century version of a fateful Sliding Doors moment for the Kentucky football program.

Jon Sumrall may not end up being the Prince that was Promised. Some believe the KSR crew and BBN overhype his credentials, but they’re unlike any others.

Sumrall was a team captain for Rich Brooks, who played linebacker alongside Wesley Woodyard. He cut his teeth as an elite recruiter in the south, then returned to Kentucky to coach linebackers for Mark Stoops. After accepting a job at Troy, he actually came back to ensure the Cats got that tenth win in the Citrus Bowl.

Once he left, it was clear that Sumrall was one of the fastest rising stars in the college football ranks. He won 12 games and a Sun Belt Title in year one. Before kicking off year two, he whipped up the funds to rename the offensive line meeting room after John Schlarman, the late OL coach who spent time in Troy with Neal Brown before building the Big Blue Wall in Lexington.

This Saturday, Sumrall will compete for a conference title in his fourth straight season as a head coach. Not only does he clearly have the chops to do it, he’s one of us. Now he’s wearing Orange and Blue.

Scott Stricklin, a former staffer for Mitch Barnhart, is hiring Sumrall to be the Florida Gators’ next head coach. The guy who was made in a lab to bring Kentucky out of the SEC cellar is now sitting in the same seat once occupied by Steve Spurrier.

Make no mistake about it, Barnhart deserves credit for hiring the guy who successfully flipped the Florida series. The Gators won 31 straight games before Mark Stoops left The Swamp with a win in 2018. Since then, the Cats have won five of the last eight games in the series, including four of the last five.

Barnhart also deserves the blame for not firing that guy in time to get Sumrall to Kentucky.

If you think that’s a little too strong, it’s what a strong, aggressive administrator must do to build a successful football program in the most cutthroat conference in college football. It’s exactly what Georgia did in 2015.

Mark Richt was winning 10 games a year and playing in the SEC Championship once every 4-5 years. They were good, not great. Former Georgia defensive back Kirby Smart was a rising star as Nick Saban’s Alabama defensive coordinator. Everybody wanted him, but he wasn’t willing to make a move for a while. That’s when South Carolina called, and Smart answered the phone. Georgia would not let a hated SEC foe steal its Prodigal Son, so they did what had to be done and made the bold move to fire Mark Richt.

It sounded crazy at the time, but is anyone second-guessing that decision after Smart won two National Championships and three SEC Titles?

We cannot say with certainty that Sumrall will lead Florida back to National Championships. However, I can confidently say that Sumrall was ready to jump at the Kentucky job when Mark Stoops flirted with Texas A&M after the 2023 season. There was an opportunity to bring the Prodigal Son home. They had another opportunity during a floundering 5-7 2025 campaign. Instead, Kentucky football fans will be left with a what-if from this Sliding Doors moment.