Florida football Top 30 players from 1996: No. 26: Travis McGriff

It was a breakthrough national championship, highlighted by the Fun' N' Gun offense, a Heisman-winning quarterback and a visor-wearing coach with swagger that stretched from Key West to Pensacola.

Florida football won its first national title 30 years ago, capping a 12-1 season in 1996 with a 52-20 win over rival Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.

Two of the three statues erected in front of The Swamp played a key role in the championship season. Heisman winner Steve Spurrier, in his sixth season as UF coach, guided a UF offense that lit up scoreboards like a pinball machine. With Spurrier calling the plays, the Florida Gators led the nation in total offense (503.9 ypg) while leading the SEC in scoring offense (47.0 ppg, an SEC record that still stands).

Starting quarterback Danny Wuerffel won the Heisman Trophy in the 1996 season, passing for 3,625 yards and 39 TDs.

Defensively, Florida transformed into a more aggressive, blitzing unit under first-year coordinator Bob Stoops. UF wound up ranking third in the conference in total defense (250.2 yards per game allowed) and third in turnovers forced (2.2 per game).

To honor the 30th anniversary of 1996 national title team, the Gainesville Sun will count down the top 30 players from the team in the coming weeks. Here's a look at No. 26:

No. 26 Travis McGriff, WR

Why McGriff is No. 26: As a redshirt sophomore, McGriff was a key possession receiver in Spurrier's offense before going down with a season-ending knee injury prior to UF's game on Nov. 9, 1996, against Vanderbilt. McGriff finished the 1996 season with 14 catches for 167 yards and was named as UF's most improved player at wide receiver the following spring. The son of former All-SEC standout UF receiver Lee McGriff, Travis McGriff has remained in Gainesville, where he's the offensive coordinator at Buchholz High School.

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida football Top 30 players from 1996: No. 26: Travis McGriff