Pivotal Meeting Between Gators and Jadan Baugh Looming

The Florida Gators are set to meet with their star running back this week to help determine his future with the program

Jadan Baugh is still deciding if he'll stay at Florida | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A big week is on the horizon for Florida Gators football head coach Jon Sumrall. Having ended his Tulane career on Saturday, he is now set for a meeting with Gators star running back Jadan Baugh this week, looking to convince him to stay another season, according to On3’s Zach Abolverdi.  

This is a pivotal moment in the early parts of Sumrall’s Gator career. One path has him keeping Baugh, who is one of the best backs in the SEC. The other has him finding a replacement from the transfer portal, one that is most likely not at the same level of talent. 

The more desired outcome of the Baugh situation is retaining him for 2026. It gives offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner a dangerous option to mix in with the passing game. 

Baugh became Florida’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2015 and the 10th player overall in school history to accomplish it. He also became the third Gator underclassman all-time to reach 1,000 yards in a season, putting him next to Emmitt Smith and Errict Rhett. 

Additionally, his season total of 1,170 rushing yards placed him sixth all-time in UF history for most in a single season. As for the 2025 season, he finished third in the SEC in the regular season for rushing yards and 14th in the FBS. 

Another strong piece of evidence in Baugh’s favor is his ability to play through contact and fight for extra yards. Of his 1,170 yards, 767 of them came after contact, according to PFF. 

He is more than just a running back, though. The All-SEC Second Team honoree provides a receiving threat for any offense, making him a viable option on all three downs. He recorded 33 catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns this season. 

More names will flood into the transfer portal over the final weeks of December, whom Sumrall can look at. However, this meeting with Baugh needs to go in favor of the Gators to make his life much easier moving forward. The transfer portal opens just after the new year on Jan. 2. 

There are not many proven in-house options to replace Baugh with. The oldest and most experienced is redshirt sophomore Treyaun Webb, who has battled injury. After him, it is Duke Clark, Byron Louis and Chad Gasper Jr., who all just wrapped up their first years in the orange and blue.