Jadan Baugh returned to Florida, prepared to carry offense in 2026

First in a four-part series, Faces of Football 2026, featuring intriguing college and high school players and coaches.

On the job as Florida’s new football coach for four weeks and 8 1/2 months away from his debut game, Jon Sumrall knew the importance of retaining Jadan Baugh.

Sumrall knew the Gators’ young quarterbacks would benefit from a proven difference-maker at running back and knew he needed an early win.

And Sumrall acted accordingly.

“I had never done an in-home visit on Christmas Eve,” he said.

Accompanied by his mom, wife, kids and even his mom’s dog, Sumrall visited Baugh and his family to present his vision for how he wanted to rebuild the Gators up from last year’s 4-8 record and several years of irrelevance. Obviously, Baugh would be well-compensated financially, but he also wanted to have hope for success.

Sumrall delivered.

“We sat there and talked about everything and (visiting on Christmas Eve) stuck out to me the most because that showed he cares,” Baugh said. “It showed a guy with character.”

Baugh decided to stay at Florida for his junior year and should be the catalyst for an offense that too often in the recent past has underutilized their most talented players and was, well, boring to watch.

The 18th-leading rusher in FBS last year (1,170 yards, the most at Florida since 2004), expect Baugh to be the kind of workhorse who could end up being a first- or second-round NFL draft pick next April. He’s that good and the UF coaches know it.

“We want to get our best players and football and he’s one of them,” Sumrall said last month at SEC Media Days in Tampa.

MORE FROM RYAN O'HALLORAN: Jon Sumrall says Florida Gators have 2 starting QBs. They need 1 by Auburn

Underutilized by UF in 2025

The beginning of the end for coach Billy Napier was last Sept. 6 against South Florida. And as the play-caller that night in The Swamp, he had only himself to blame. Thing is, it all started so well for the Gators’ offense in general and the running game in particular.

Just on the opening possession …

Baugh rush right 14.

Baugh rush right 15.

Baugh rush middle 10.

Baugh rush left 7.

Baugh rush middle 5.

It was going to be a night UF would cruise to a 2-0 record entering the gauntlet of their schedule (at LSU, at Miami, vs. Texas and at Texas A&M) and Baugh would carry them.

But then, not.

The drive stalled with three pass attempts totaling nine yards. On the next 12-play drive, Baugh carried only twice. On the third drive, only three carries on the seven plays. And then to start the second half, only one carry in a span of 16 plays.

Baugh finished with 18 carries for 93 yards in an 18-16 loss that sent the Gators’ season off the rails, a 4-8 debacle that saw Napier fired after a win over Mississippi State.

Baugh would finish with 220 carries (15th in FBS) and eight touchdowns (tied for 36th). He rushed 38 times (38!) for 266 yards (266!) in the season-ending 40-21 rout of Florida State, the second-highest yardage total in UF history, behind only Emmitt Smith’s 316 against New Mexico in 1989.

It will be surprising if he doesn’t eclipse his yardage, carry and touchdown totals this year. The new UF staff will make sure.

’Best back in the country’

Count on this UF staff, led by offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, to fully utilize Baugh.

Baugh won’t get 30-plus carries a game, of course, but last year, he had only three games of more than 19 attempts. Inexcusable. He rushed 27 times for 107 yards in an upset win over Texas, followed by 23 times for 150 yards in a win over Mississippi State and the aforementioned win over Florida State.

“There are a lot of areas where Jadan is already a proven player and there are areas where I think we can help him improve and grow and maybe create more special plays for him,” Sumrall said. “He’s physical, he’s strong and he’s faster than he gets credit for.”

How many carries is too many?

Last year in the SEC, Ole Miss’ Kewan Lacy led FBS with 306 carries (20.4 average) and Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy was fourth at 256 (19.7).

Using 20 carries per game as a working number, that would put Baugh at 240 for the regular season (12 games). But at a sturdy 225 pounds, we shouldn’t put reaching 250 carries beyond his reach.

“With Jadan, the one thing about him is he is built to last,” Faulkner told reporters earlier this month. “We want to make sure we utilize him in a bunch of different ways, probably more so than he has over the last couple of years.”

Baugh has been recognized by several preseason teams and watch lists, including second-team All-SEC. The buzz is real and so are the expectations.

Looking for a face of this Florida football team? It will be Baugh.

“In my opinion,” UF linebacker Myles Graham said, “he’s definitely the best back in the country.

Coming Wednesday, Aug. 19: After seven years coaching at high schools in Georgia and Florida, Baker County’s Jamie Rodgers is back at his alma mater to lead the Wildcats.

Contact O’Halloran at rohalloran@gannett.com or on X at @ryanohalloran. Listen to Ryan on 1010AM on Tuesdays (6:35 p.m. on “Into The Night"), Thursdays (1:15 on "XL Primetime") and Fridays (4-7 p.m.).

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jadan Baugh returned to Florida, prepared to carry offense in 2026