GAINESVILLE — Florida Gators tailback Jadan Baugh zigs when others zag — whether it’s with a football or an iPhone.
Baugh is cut from a different mold, both as a star player and a college student. He’s elusive for would-be tacklers — and for anyone else trying to contact him.
The 20 year old is fully committed to football, but largely unattached to his mobile device.
Leaving the Heavener Football Center on Wednesday, Baugh sauntered several hundred yards to his car without a phone in his hands — a rare sight among his fellow students on the UF campus. Walking a few steps ahead on a picture-perfect Gainesville afternoon, defensive lineman Emmauel Oyebadejo scrolled as he strolled.
“I’ve been like that all my life,” Baugh said. “My dad — they even had a problem with me not answering the phone because I’m more focused on what’s going on and where my feet are at.”
Baugh’s unique approach caused frustration during the offseason for incoming coach Jon Sumrall. Re-signing the Gators’ 1,000-yard rusher was a top priority for the new staff, but getting in touch with Baugh proved challenging as both Florida and Texas pursued him.
“I love this about him: He’s not one of those guys that’s just got his phone glued to his hand,” Sumrall said Tuesday. “In this day and age, you feel like everybody walks around with their phone constantly in their hand all the time. It’s like, if it leaves their hand, they’re gonna have some major life issue.
“The great thing about Jadan is that he doesn’t walk around with his phone glued to his hand. The bad part is when you are trying to get him to stay on the football team, you sometimes are like, ‘Hey, will you pick up the dagum phone?’”
Sumrall soon realized Baugh wasn’t ghosting the Gators.
On Christmas Eve, Florida’s new coach — along with his wife, four children, mother-in-law and her dog — broke bread with the Baughs in their Atlanta home, laying the groundwork for his return.
“For me being new, those visits while they were maybe a little bit anxiety-filled, because you don’t know what’s going to happen on the other side,” Sumrall recalled recently. “I really felt fortunate to be able to go sit in their houses. Because a lot of these guys I didn’t recruit out of high school.”
While Baugh had options, his heart never wavered.
“I knew where home is. I knew where I wanted to be,” he realled. “Florida is definitely the place.”
Sumrall’s visit — just days after his father died — sealed the deal.
“For him to bring his family to come see me and to say that his dad wanted to be here, that means the most to me,” Baugh said. “That shows that you really, really care about your job. You really, really care about what’s going on with your players that you want.”
Florida tailback Jadan Baugh and the Gators finished with just 74 rushing yards during the Gators’ 34-17 loss to the No. 5 Aggies Oct. 11, 2025 at Kyle Field. (Photo by Scott Wachter/Getty Images)
Baugh is a coach’s dream and a complete package at his position.
New offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner compared Baugh with San Franscisco 49ers All-Pro Christian McCaffrey, who totaled 2,126 yards from scrimmage in 2025.
Baugh developed his versatility playing safety, outside linebacker, running back, quarterback, receiver and returner at Decatur Columbia, a small 2A school east of Atlanta.”
At 6 foot 1, 225 pounds, he can run between the tackles, turn the corner, make tacklers miss and catch the ball in space. The Gators’ strongest player pound-for-pound, Baugh is also committed to mastering the details of the offense.
“Jadan has a great feel for the game — not just from the back field,” Faulkner said. “He’s got great hands. Really good route runner. We want to be able to take his game to the next level.”
Last season, he became the first Gator to rush for 1,000 yards during the regular season since DeLand’s Mike Gillislee (1,152) in 2012. Baugh tallied 10 touchdowns, including two receiving on 33 catches.
He closed 2025 with a record-setting performance in Florida’s 40-21 rout of Florida State, rushing for 266 yards on 38 carries. Despite the historic outing, the team’s 4-8 finish didn’t sit well.
“That whole season I was more focused on team success,” he said. “I was never just focused on what I could do. … It gives me a lot of drive.”
As motivated as Baugh is, he’s embraced being pushed during spring practice.
The no-nonsense Sumrall doesn’t play favorites.
“I love it,” Baugh said. “On the field, coach Sumrall is 24/7 on our heads. Even coach Buster’s like if I’m not running with the ball (to) chin, they’re on my butt every day.
“Being around coach Sumrall in these few months, he’s made me better and better.”
One lingering issue remains — and it’s one Sumrall has learned to live with. When Baugh isn’t on the field or at the facility, he’s just as slippery as with the ball in his hands.
“They tell me all the time I gotta work on communication,” he said. “It’s more of me just focusing in on myself and getting better every day. I tell the guys in my room every day, improvement is our best friend.
“I feel if I could improve every day that is something that is a distraction to me — my phone — I keep that away from myself.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com