3 Florida Gators Players to Watch vs. Texas Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns will travel to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators on Saturday, a matchup in which victory seems crucial to help their College Football Playoff campaign.

After a not-so-hot nonconference season, the Gators look to use this matchup to reenter conversations about potential SEC powerhouses in 2025. They have a long road ahead, but with several talented playmakers, their success doesn't seem entirely out of the realm of possibility.

Less than a week from this intraconference battle, here are a few key players on this year’s Florida team.

Jadan Baugh, Running Back

Florida Gators running back Jaden Baug — Sep 20, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh (13) carries the football against Miami Hurricanes defensive back Jakobe Thomas (8) during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Baugh has been somewhat of a bright spot for this struggling offense so far this season.

In the midst of quarterback DJ Lagway’s passing struggles and head coach Billy Napier’s unsuccessful play-calling, Baugh has recorded 289 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 49 carries.

The sophomore running back’s talent might not be enough to sustain the Gators in the event that the rest of the offense underperforms, but his abilities so far this season have helped establish him as a threat to opposing defenses.

That being said, one limiting factor for him so far has been the fact that Napier sometimes doesn’t get the ball into his hands very frequently. After accumulating 51 yards on five carries in the first drive of the Gators’ matchup against South Florida in Week 2, Baugh only had 13 carries throughout the rest of the game’s duration.

It’s possible that Florida will try to utilize him more heavily against the Longhorns this upcoming Saturday.

Myles Graham, Linebacker

Florida Gators linebacker Myles Grahama — Sep 6, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators linebacker Myles Graham (5) tackles South Florida Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown (17) during the first quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Florida’s defense seems to have outperformed their offense in several ways this season, and Graham has played an important part in their effort.

The sophomore has totaled 24 tackles across four games in 2025, with two of these matchups being against top 5 ranked teams. His composure in the middle of the Gators’ defense could prove crucial against an opponent like Texas, especially when it comes to slowing down quarterback Arch Manning’s rushing capabilities.

This defense has only allowed five touchdowns this whole season, with three of them being given up against the Hurricanes. Graham has proved to be an important part of this initiative so far.

Jordan Castell, Defensive Back

Sep 13, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers tight end Bauer Sharp (10) is tackled by Florida Gators defensive back Jordan Castell (14) during the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Castell is another key roleplayer among this defense, having recorded 17 tackles so far. He leads Florida’s secondary in terms of tackles, and with the depth Texas possesses within their pass catching room, he could need to find a new gear.

The Gators’ pass defense has helped Florida perform impressively in the red zone, allowing teams to convert in the red zone just 40 percent of the time. This could make things difficult for the Longhorns, who sometimes struggle to convert at the end of strong drives.

While the Gators have failed to put all the pieces together at this point in the season, several playmakers could challenge the Longhorns on Saturday at The Swamp.