Image Credit: UAA

Florida Gators sophomore running back Jadan Baugh is considering entering the transfer portal a breakout second season with the team. Baugh, a former four-star prospect who largely committed to Florida as other programs were recruiting him at linebacker, may play for a different team in 2026 despite a tremendous Year 2 that saw him lead the Gators offensively.

Baugh is currently “50-50” to depart the Gators, according to On3, as Florida remains in open communication with his camp, attempting to rerecruit him to play for new head coach Jon Sumrall.

The program is in “active contract negotiations” to keep Baugh, “willing to do what it takes to retain the talented back,” per the report. Sumrall is planning to meet with Baugh next week after Tulane plays its first College Football Playoff game.

Baugh’s potential departure would come after Gators running backs coach Jabbar Juluke was hired away by Texas last week. Many believe he will follow Juluke, his high school recruiter, who was suspended three games this season for putting hands on an LSU player in a pre-game skirmish, to the Longhorns. Juluke was arguably one of Florida’s two best assistant coaches under former head coach Billy Napier.

Sumrall has not named a new running backs coach yet, which is likely playing into Baugh’s decision-making process. UF’s primary target, Derrick Nix, chose instead to coach wide receivers at Alabama.

Impressing as a true freshman when he was thrust into the starting role amid injuries, Baugh rushed for 673 yards and seven touchdowns. He was leaned on far more in 2025 as the primary ball carrier, gaining 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, plus 210 yards and two more scores through the air.

Baugh led the way in Florida’s season-ending 40-21 win over Florida State, proving to be the bell-cow back most following the program have long known he could be. He registered two touchdowns along with career-highs of 38 carries and 266 yards, becoming the first Gators player to eclipse 200 yards in a single game since Ciatrick Fason in 2004 and just the fifth man to run past that total. His 266 yards that night were the most ever against FSU and the second-most in a single game at Florida behind only Emmitt Smith’s 316-yard performance against New Mexico in 1989.

Baugh became the first Florida player to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing in a season since Kelvin Taylor in 2015, the 10th to do so in program history and the third to accomplish that feat as an underclassman, the first since Smith in 1987.

Redshirt freshman KD Daniels has already decided to enter the transfer portal. Redshirt senior Ja’Kobi Jackson has exhausted his eligibility, and redshirt sophomore Treyaun Webb’s status is unknown following a season missed due to injury. Should the Gators lose Baugh, they would effectively need to rebuild their entire rushing room ahead of the 2026 season with a starting ball carrier of primary importance.