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Cade Kurland is with the LSU Tigers and Cooper Walls is with the Georgia Bulldogs. It might be hard for Florida fans to follow those former Gators' college baseball careers moving forward, but what about the rest of the outgoing players?
It's hard to blame guys who spent years on the bench for leaving the program for a chance at more playing time, especially when it's not within the conference. All of these guys have dreams of making it to the MLB, and that doesn't happen by riding the pine.
So, for those who enjoy a good ol' #OldFriendAlert, this list is for you. Who knows? Maybe some of these guys end up back in Orange and Blue as John Martinez did.
Kolt Myers came to Florida in 2025, fresh off the first state championship in St. John's Country Day history. A middle infielder with good contact skills and some hidden pop, the No. 5 shortstop in Florida, according to Perfect Game, had the makings of a future starter in Gainesville. With Bobby Boser, Colby Shelton and Kurland holding down the starting spots on the infield, from left to right, Myers redshirted his freshman year.
Brendan Lawson shifted over to shortstop in 2026, and Ethan Surowiec split time between first and third earlier on. Injuries to Lawson and Kurland opened the door for more starting opportunities, and Myers started 22 games for Florida. While he had some good days against non-conference teams, SEC pitching proved difficult for him. Myers slashed .185/.250/.247 over 81 at-bats.
He recently committed to Grand Canyon University, where he should get plenty of chances to play and refine his hitting skills against mid-major arms. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
Eli Blair was one of two freshman left-handers that Kevin O'Sullivan tried to fit into the bullpen mix early on in the year. The true freshman made nine relief appearances and had more good outings than bad ones. His worst came in the sweep against High Point, when he allowed three runs over 2/3 of an inning in a 12-11 loss.
Against SEC teams, Blair threw a combined three innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks while striking out five. Blair finished the season with a 4.82 ERA and a 3.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He'll spend next year with the USF Bulls. Blair has three years of eligibility remaining.
McCall Biemiller is the only one of this trio who pitched this season, and it was for a total of three batters faced. He threw more as a freshman, making 11 appearances, but the numbers weren't great. Biemillier had a 5.93 ERA and almost as many walks (17) as strikeouts (18) over 13 2/3 innings in 2025. He's headed to North Carolina State next season.
Matthew Jenkins spent his first two seasons with Santa Fe College playing at the JUCO level, and he made the jump to the SEC in 2025. Despite flashing a fastball that ran up to 97 mph in the preseason, he got no playing time in 2026. That's because Jenkins' numbers in 2025 were rough. He finished with a 9.64 ERA over 14 innings in nine appearances (four starts). Jenkins will play for Charlotte next season.
Finally, there's Cooper Moss, a true freshman who didn't pitch this season. He's also headed to USF with Blair.
Outfielder Blake Brookins, left-hander Rivers Kurland and right-hander Christian Rodriguez have yet to make any announcement.
Florida earned its first transfer commitment from former FGCU catcher Jon Embury, the 2026 ASUN Player of the Year, on June 4, followed by Jacksonville State right-hander Maddox McDougall on June 9.
Oregon State southpaw Trey Morris and Utah State infielder Kyle McDaniel committed on June 16, and FAU infielder and former Gator John Martinez announced his return to Gainesville on June 18. On June 20, Oregon State right-hander Zach Edwards joined Morris in transferring from OSU to UF.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida baseball transfers finding new homes across the nation
Continue reading...
It's hard to blame guys who spent years on the bench for leaving the program for a chance at more playing time, especially when it's not within the conference. All of these guys have dreams of making it to the MLB, and that doesn't happen by riding the pine.
So, for those who enjoy a good ol' #OldFriendAlert, this list is for you. Who knows? Maybe some of these guys end up back in Orange and Blue as John Martinez did.
INF Kolt Myers (R-So.)
Kolt Myers came to Florida in 2025, fresh off the first state championship in St. John's Country Day history. A middle infielder with good contact skills and some hidden pop, the No. 5 shortstop in Florida, according to Perfect Game, had the makings of a future starter in Gainesville. With Bobby Boser, Colby Shelton and Kurland holding down the starting spots on the infield, from left to right, Myers redshirted his freshman year.
Brendan Lawson shifted over to shortstop in 2026, and Ethan Surowiec split time between first and third earlier on. Injuries to Lawson and Kurland opened the door for more starting opportunities, and Myers started 22 games for Florida. While he had some good days against non-conference teams, SEC pitching proved difficult for him. Myers slashed .185/.250/.247 over 81 at-bats.
He recently committed to Grand Canyon University, where he should get plenty of chances to play and refine his hitting skills against mid-major arms. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
LHP Eli Blair (So.)
Eli Blair was one of two freshman left-handers that Kevin O'Sullivan tried to fit into the bullpen mix early on in the year. The true freshman made nine relief appearances and had more good outings than bad ones. His worst came in the sweep against High Point, when he allowed three runs over 2/3 of an inning in a 12-11 loss.
Against SEC teams, Blair threw a combined three innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks while striking out five. Blair finished the season with a 4.82 ERA and a 3.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He'll spend next year with the USF Bulls. Blair has three years of eligibility remaining.
Cooper Moss (R-Fr.), McCall Biemiller (R-So.) and Matthew Jenkins (R-Jr.)
McCall Biemiller is the only one of this trio who pitched this season, and it was for a total of three batters faced. He threw more as a freshman, making 11 appearances, but the numbers weren't great. Biemillier had a 5.93 ERA and almost as many walks (17) as strikeouts (18) over 13 2/3 innings in 2025. He's headed to North Carolina State next season.
Matthew Jenkins spent his first two seasons with Santa Fe College playing at the JUCO level, and he made the jump to the SEC in 2025. Despite flashing a fastball that ran up to 97 mph in the preseason, he got no playing time in 2026. That's because Jenkins' numbers in 2025 were rough. He finished with a 9.64 ERA over 14 innings in nine appearances (four starts). Jenkins will play for Charlotte next season.
Finally, there's Cooper Moss, a true freshman who didn't pitch this season. He's also headed to USF with Blair.
Outfielder Blake Brookins, left-hander Rivers Kurland and right-hander Christian Rodriguez have yet to make any announcement.
Florida Gators transfer additions
Florida earned its first transfer commitment from former FGCU catcher Jon Embury, the 2026 ASUN Player of the Year, on June 4, followed by Jacksonville State right-hander Maddox McDougall on June 9.
Oregon State southpaw Trey Morris and Utah State infielder Kyle McDaniel committed on June 16, and FAU infielder and former Gator John Martinez announced his return to Gainesville on June 18. On June 20, Oregon State right-hander Zach Edwards joined Morris in transferring from OSU to UF.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida baseball transfers finding new homes across the nation
Continue reading...
