Suspended Assistant Returns for Gators' Game Against Mississippi State

Jabbar Juluke was previously suspended for Florida's last three games.

Florida Gators associate head coach for running backs Jabbar Juluke was suspended for three games following an on-field altercation before the LSU game. | Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- One of the Florida Gators' top assistants is set to return from suspension.

Running backs coach Jabbar Juluke, who was suspended for three games following an on-field altercation before the LSU game, will be back on the sidelines for Saturday's homecoming game against Mississippi State, head coach Billy Napier confirmed on Wednesday.

"I think that he has done a great job handling the adversity," Napier said. "A lot of respect for the body of work, Coach Juluke's one of the best in the profession, and I think he took ownership, and he's moved forward, the team's moved forward and in general, it will be good to have him back."

Juluke, who followed Napier from Louisiana, was jointly suspended by Florida and the SEC after slapping LSU defensive back Joel Rogers.

“I, first, would like to apologize to both Florida and LSU universities, their teams, staff and fans. I also sincerely apologize to the young athlete and his family," he said in a statement after being suspended. "On Saturday, I reacted in a manner I’m not proud of.  There’s no excuse for my behavior and I take full responsibility for my actions. In this game, emotional situations occur and bad reactions happen. I regret my reaction and commit to using this moment to strengthen my emotional intelligence.

"I know more is expected of us as coaches, and I commit to living up to that expectation. I believe growth is in ownership and learning from the good and the bad.  I intend to use this situation as a teachable moment, not only for myself, but for those I impact. Again, I offer my sincerest apologies to both institutions and the staffs and families involved.”

A closer look at what led to Jabbar Juluke’s 3-game suspension.

Was originally in the clip that included former #Gators edge Jack Pyburn that was broadcast on ESPN pic.twitter.com/I2BNcE0DHI

— Cam Parker (@camparker25) September 17, 2025

Florida went 1-2 during Juluke's suspension with a loss to Miami, win over Texas and last week's loss to Texas A&M. Like the entire team's performance, the Gators' rushing attack was very inconsistent, with a 2.8-yard average for 80 total rushing yards against the Hurricanes, a 4.3-yard average for 159 yards against the Longhorns and a 3.1-yard average for 74 yards against the Aggies.

The Gators' running back room also was bit by the injury bug in Juluke's absence with Ja'Kobi Jackson and Duke Clark each suffering upper-body injuries.

Jackson, who missed the last two games, is questionable for Saturday's game, while Clark, who was injured against Texas, is out.

If Jackson is unable to go, starter Jadan Baugh will receive a heavy workload with KD Daniels being his immediate backup.

Baugh rushed for a career-high 107 yards on 27 carries against the Longhorns and had 18 carries against Texas A&M.

“I haven’t had many running backs argue that they wanted less carries," Napier said on Wednesday. "Most of the time it’s the opposite. I think you got to be smart with him during the week. You got to be smart with him during the week and get the horse to the race. But, yeah, the depth at that position has been challenged. And KD, B-Lou, Treyaun is in the same category as Ja’Kobi. Maybe at some point we get those guys back. So, yeah, in general, he's the lead horse and we'll ride it out.”

Kickoff against Mississippi State is at 4:15 p.m. with streaming coverage on SEC Network.