What Buster Faulkner's Historical Data Means for Jadan Baugh and Florida's Rushers

After etching his name in Florida Gators history in 2025, running back Jadan Baugh returns to Gainesville with high expectations in what should be a much-improved offense in the first season under new head coach Jon Sumrall and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner.

Baugh’s 1,170-yard sophomore campaign with Florida has made him one of the top returning rushers in the country, and the Gators also added a duo of exciting transfers in Cincinnati’s Evan Pryor and East Carolina’s London Montgomery to their stable. Standout springs from two redshirt freshmen in Duke Clark and Byron Louis have solidified the unit's depth further, with the group having the potential to be one of the best in the conference in 2026.

Jadan Baugh could be Florida's first back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher in program history. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

Faulkner, Florida's new play-caller, adds to the Gators' rushing potential as well. Faulkner facilitated one of the better rushing offenses in the country at his last stop at Georgia Tech, with his attack ranking first in the conference in rushing, second in total offense and fifth in scoring offense.

His system has historically relied on a committee of rushers, with three ball carriers averaging over 80 carries per year and 400 or more yards on the ground in the last 12 seasons under Faulkner. Shockingly, no runner has reached the 1,000-yard mark in the regular season under the coordinator, while only one back has recorded 200 carries in a season, Warren Wand for Arkansas State in 2016.

Rushing Averages Under Faulkner

Faulkner’s historical data is somewhat unique due to his consistently shifting approach as well as his reliance on quarterback Haynes King as a rusher over the past few years. To account for this, I have included both the data with (listed as rusher) and without the quarterback position (listed as RB). Rushers were grouped by carries, meaning that each year's ‘leading rusher’ was the player with the most attempts.

Leading rusher averages:

Leading rushers under Faulkner have found plenty of success historically, most notably during his time at Georgia Tech, where a rusher finished with over 800 yards in all three seasons.

	Att.	YDs	TD	Avg.
Top Rusher	148	732	6	4.9

The Best: QB Haynes King, Georgia Tech (2025)

Uniquely, it is quarterback Haynes King with the best statistical rushing season under Faulkner as a coordinator. The signal-caller even gained over 1,000 yards on the season, though the college football rule that counts sack yardage losses towards total rushing yards stopped him from being the first to break the 1,000 total yard mark.

2025	Att.	YDs	TD	Avg.
Haynes King	185	953	15	4.9

Lead RB Averages:

Removing King drops the averages a bit, while lead running backs still have had somewhat successful years under Faulkner. Yet, none stood out as true workhorses such as Baugh. The expectation is that Baugh will be much more involved, having just surpassed 200 attempts last year, and the star back will likely have a chance to strongly surpass such numbers as a focal point of the offense in 2026.

	Att.	YDs	TD	Avg.
RB1	142	696	5	4.9

The Best: Jamal Haynes, Georgia Tech (2023)

Haynes’ efficient 2023 season stands as the best under Faulkner, while the rusher did eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in the Yellow Jackets' bowl game against UCF, in which he rushed for 128 yards on 18 carries. Still, the rusher just missed the mark over the regular season while splitting the backfield with King and two other backs.

2023	Att.	YDs	TD	Avg.
Jamal Haynes	156	931	7	6.0

Second -Leading Rusher Averages:

Faulkner’s second-leading rusher received 100 or more carries in all of the previous 12 seasons but one, a 2012 campaign in which MTSU rusher Benny Cunningham would only record 97 carries as the second back. In eight of 12 years, such rushers finished with five or more scores, headlined by Cunningham's 11 in the previously mentioned year.

	Att.	YDs	TD	Avg.
2nd Rusher	102	552	6	4.9

RB2 Averages:

Removing King again, who finished 2023 and 2024 as the Yellow Jackets' second-leading rusher, the averages still stay somewhat similar from just the running back position. The backup spot has been vital for Faulkner’s scheme, making the seemingly brewing battle for such a spot between Pryor and Clark this fall one to monitor.

	Att.	YDs	TD	Avg.
RB2	102	550	6	5.4

The Best: Warren Wand, Arkansas State (2018)

Wand shared the backfield with Marcel Murray in 2018 as a true 1A-1B duo, receiving the most carries of any second rusher under Faulkner and standing as the only ‘backup’ to rush for over 700 yards in such a role.

2018	Att.	YDs	TD	Avg.
Warren Wand	139	792	4	5.7

Third-Leading Rusher Averages:

The third rusher in Faulkner’s scheme has historically been more diverse over the years. Multiple runners reached over 600 yards while four finished under 300 yards. Considering the talent in Florida’s room, it should be expected for either Pryor or Clark to finish somewhere in the middle, though it will depend on just how much of the work Baugh can command.

	Att.	YDs	TD	Avg.
3rd Rusher	86	400	4	4.4

The Best: Reggie Whatley, Middle Tennessee (2014)

Whatley actually led Middle Tennessee in rushing yards in 2014, but saw fewer carries than both running back Jordan Parker and the Blue Raiders' quarterback Austin Grammer. He is somewhat of an outlier due to his incredible efficiency, though Georgia Tech’s Malachi Hosley finished with a close stat line in such a role in 2025 with 697 yards on 98 carries.

2014	Att.	YDs	TD	Avg.
Reggie Whatley	113	767	7	6.8

Fourth-Leading Rusher Averages:

Though the fourth rusher in Faulkner’s offense has not been extremely important, there have been some strong seasons in the role. Five of those finishers have been quarterbacks over the last 12 seasons, while it would not be surprising to see Aaron Philo or Tramell Jones Jr. finish in this slot for the Gators, depending on who wins the starting job.

	Att.	YDs	TD	Avg.
4th Rusher	52	186	2	3.6

The Best: Shane Tucker, Middle Tennessee State (2014)

2014	Att.	YDs	TD	Avg.
Shane Tucker	97	486	8	5.0

Quick Takeaways

Faulkner’s offense has almost always utilized multiple rushers over the years, with the top two running back options seeing lots of work. However, Baugh is arguably the best talent the coordinator has had in his career at the position, and it is clear that will make him focus on offense this season.

“We want to get our best players the football, and he’s one of them,” Sumrall said on the rusher when asked about his usage at SEC Media Day. “I’m fired up to watch him play in this system.”

Still, expect the winner of the second running back spot behind Baugh to see plenty of action in 2026, with both Pryor and Clark having the potential to add a different element to Florida’s attack.

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