Jadan Baugh returns to Florida Gators in 2026: Jon Sumrall achieves biggest recruiting victory yet

Football

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Image Credit: UAA

Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh has decided to remain with the program for his junior season rather than enter the transfer portal amid a coaching change. A former four-star prospect who largely committed to the Gators as other programs were recruiting him at linebacker, he gained 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, plus 210 yards and two more scores through the air in his sophomore campaign.

Baugh agreed to a NIL deal that will pay him around $1 million, according to CBS Sports’ Richard Johnson.

Baugh in 2025 became the first Florida player to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing in a season since Kelvin Taylor in 2015, the 10th to do so in program history and the third to accomplish that feat as an underclassman (the first since Emmitt Smith in 1987). As a true freshman, he rushed for 673 yards and seven touchdowns despite not beginning the 2024 season as the starter.

His recommitment to the Gators marks new head coach Jon Sumrall’s biggest recruiting victory yet. Sumrall, members of his family, to-be-announced running backs coach Chris Foster and other staff met with the Baugh family on Christmas Eve in their home of Atlanta, hours after Sumrall attended his father’s funeral.

Beyond the head coaching change, there was concern that Baugh might follow ex-Florida running backs coach Jabbar Juluke to Texas — especially considering Sumrall’s initially targeted replacement, Derrick Nix, chose instead to coach wide receivers at Alabama.

Baugh led the way in UF’s season-ending 40-21 win over Florida State, proving to be the bell-cow back most following the program have long known he could be. He registered two touchdowns along with career-highs of 38 carries and 266 yards, becoming the first Gators player to eclipse 200 yards in a single game since Ciatrick Fason in 2004 and just the fifth man to run past that total. His 266 yards that night were the most ever against FSU and the second-most in a single game at Florida behind only Smith’s 316-yard performance against New Mexico in 1989.

With redshirt senior Ja’Kobi Jackson, redshirt sophomore Treyaun Webb and redshirt freshman KD Daniels as three of four running backs entering the transfer portal — plus no incoming freshman recruited to play the position — the Gators need to rebuild their rushing room behind Baugh before the 2026 season commences.

UF took a step toward that end Tuesday when Cincinnati RB Evan Pryor committed to the program out of the transfer portal.

Florida was also in the market for a starting or developmental quarterback after sophomore DJ Lagway announced his intention to enter the transfer portal earlier this month. Georgia Tech signal caller Aaron Philo will join the program to compete with freshman Tramell Jones Jr. and incoming freshman Will Griffin, a fellow four-star prospect.