How Speedster Evan Pryor Can Make Gators Offense Dangerous

The Florida Gators running back room starts and ends with Jadan Baugh. However, in the middle, Evan Pryor has the potential to make a talented Gators offense more dangerous in 2026.

A former composite top-100 Ohio State signee who was reported to run a 4.31-second 40-yard dash in high school, Pryor was a jolt to Cincinnati's rushing attack over the last two seasons after transferring to the program as a redshirt sophomore, averaging 7.2 yards per carry while breaking off 26 rushes for 10 or more yards. With a PFF rushing breakaway percentage of 51.9, the new Florida back brings a top-end speed to the backfield that is seemingly a perfect complement to the Gators superstar starter Baugh.

“Evan Pryor can roll. He's got great speed, short area quickness. I think he adds a little bit of a different dimension to the running back room.” Jon Sumrall said on Pryor's addition to the unit. “Obviously, I think it has to start with Jadan… That group, it'll be interesting to see who steps up.”

New #Gators transfer Evan Pryor

🐊940 yards rush., 288 receiving, 11 total TD last 2 years at Cincinnati. 7.2 YPC!
🐊194th overall transfer, 16 RB
🐊Ran a reported 4.31 40 in HS and a top 100 recruit
🐊2nd most runs of 10+ in the country with under 100 ATT
🐊82.9 PFF run grade pic.twitter.com/J7aeSSiDCe
— Dylan Olive (@DylanOlive_UF) January 6, 2026

After a year where the Gators rushers behind Baugh recorded more than 10 yards on just five of 77 attempts, averaging just 3.2 yards per carry, the depth of Florida’s running back unit was in dire need of a supplemental spark. Moreover, heavy offseason attrition at the position, seeing four rushers from the 2025 roster enter the portal, put the Gators new staff amongst one of the more aggressive shoppers in the transfer cycle.

While clearly needing bodies to fill out the room, Sumrall and his staff were still selective in looking for the type of addition that would truly ascend the attack around Baugh, rather than simply fill in when he needed a breather.

“We felt like we needed some juice. Some guys that had some home-run speed ability, and Evan presented that,” new running backs coach Chris Foster said on targeting Pryor. “ I knew Evan coming out of Charlotte…recruited him coming out. So I kind of knew about him, and of course, followed him very closely. And he was a guy that I feel like could give us a home-run guy that we didn't have.”

Pryor is arguably one of the biggest home-run threats in the entire country, yet for Foster, his unique speed will be nothing new to the long-time running backs coach. During his over 20 years of coaching experience, the former Duke assistant has developed multiple future NFL players, arguably none more exciting than East Carolina star and current Baltimore Raven Keaton Mitchell.

Running for over 1,400 yards in his junior season under Foster, the speedy back is the Pirates' fourth all-time leading rusher and has plenty of similarities to Pryor, according to Foster.

“A lot of similarities, a lot of similarities.” Foster said. “I'm excited about that."

While Pryor is unlikely to receive a role similar to the superstar Mitchell's, the big-play threat seems to perfectly fit a different one that the new staff envisions to complement Baugh, making for an exciting backfield duo heading into 2026.