Duke Clark Solidifies Standing as Gators' RB2 in Win Over Ole Miss

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Jadan Baugh's Heisman Trophy campaign continued during the Florida Gators' 52-28 win over Ole Miss. Meanwhile, Florida also found a consistent support system behind him in sophomore Duke Clark, who rushed for a career-high 126 yards and a touchdown in the win.

Clark, who also had a touchdown in last week's win over Auburn, has quickly emerged as Baugh's immediate backup in what is a deep running back room.

"It's nice to have Jadan Baugh, who we all know of, and then you can put Duke in, and it's, like, you don't even feel a drop-off," head coach Jon Sumrall said. "I mean, Duke had 10 yards per carry tonight, 10.5, which is unbelievable."

DUKE CLARK MY GOODNESS 😱 pic.twitter.com/bGTg68BqfN
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 26, 2026

Clark was a headlining feature on offense in the win as the Gators moved away from passing the ball due to various injuries in the receiver room. As Baugh got breathers in the middle of his 142-yard, three-touchdown effort, Clark was ready for his moments. He recorded four rushes of at least 10 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown in the third quarter as the Rebels tried to mount a comeback and a 44-yard rush early in the fourth quarter to set up a touchdown.

"Man, it feels great," Clark said of the effort. "I just got to give it all to my o-line, them blocking their 'a' off, man."

Clark's emergence has been a long time coming. A four-star signee in the 2025 recruiting class, he originally began the season deep on Florida's depth chart before emerging as Baugh's backup due to injuries in front of him. As he was finding his groove in the win over Texas, a shoulder injury quickly ended his season.

Returning to Florida for his sophomore campaign, he, once again, returned to a deep room behind Baugh with a pair of veteran transfers in Evan Pryor and London Montgomery as well as four-star sophomore Byron Louis also in the room. However, consistency and physical running as allowed him to solidify his standing as Baugh's immediate backup.

"I thought Duke played out of his mind," Sumrall said. "He's got all the ability in the world. He can be as good as he chooses to be."

Duke Clark is having a DAY!

The Gators rushing attack is for real! pic.twitter.com/l4e663goHS
— Reason (@the_real_reason) September 26, 2026

For Baugh, now up to 600 yards with a career-high 11 touchdowns rushing through four games, mentoring Clark has been a focal point. Clark revealed earlier in the season that Baugh will coach him during film studies. The camaraderie has allowed the two to feed off each other as Baugh looks to cap off a terrific career in Gainesville and Clark looks to emerge as the future at the position.

"We just love to see each other be successful," Clark said. "Like I cheer him on, he cheers me on. We stayed together in the hotel before the game. So I mean, I've been with him since last year. So that's kind of my boy. Like, we've been kind of locked in ever since."

Florida exits Week Four with a perfect 4-0 record and 2-0 start in SEC play. With Baugh headlining the offense, Clark is finding his footing as the perfect complementary back as the Gators continue its quest for its first College Football Playoff appearance.

"He's just displaying his talent each and every week," Baugh said, "and I can't wait to see what he do next week."

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