Florida football will enter the 2026 season with the most effective running backs within the SEC, if not the nation.
Gators junior Jadan Baugh rushed for 1,170 yards and eight TDs final season, rating third within the SEC and changing into UF’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Kelvin Taylor in 2015.
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What can Baugh do for an encore? Under new Florida coach Jon Sumrall and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, the probabilities are limitless. Faulkner recruited Baugh out of Columbia High in Atlanta when he was at Georgia Tech and understands the strengths of the 6-foot-1, 228-pound running again who started his highschool profession as a linebacker.
“He always told me these are the things we can do with you, play can play running back, quarterback, receiver, whatever you want to do,” Baugh mentioned, “Being with an offensive coordinator like that, to have so much creativity and being able to put players in great positions, I feel like it’s very exciting.”
At 1,843 profession dashing yards, Baugh has an opportunity to surpass 3,000 profession dashing yards with an enormous junior season. That would put him among the many prime 5 UF rushers of all time, an inventory that features Fred Taylor, Earnest Graham, Neal Anderson, Emmitt Smith and Errict Rhett.
Creating a legacy factored into Baugh’s choice to remain at Florida for his junior season reasonably than enter the switch portal.
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“My dad, my mom, everybody in my inner circle felt that, too,” Baugh mentioned. “It was like, you can do something special and in the next 15 or 20 years have records that your kids and their kids will look at.”
Here’s three questions for UF’s running backs getting into the 2026 season.
Can Florida football RB Jadan Baugh rush for 1,000 yards once more this season?
Baugh seems decided to cross the 1,000-yard plateau once more for the Gators in 2026. The Atlanta native has ready his physique to deal with the trials of 20-30 carries per sport and improved his pace through the offseason.
“Each and every day I try to be in the weight room, try to put my body in certain conditions where I’m at a disadvantage so I can just overcome it,” Baugh mentioned.
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Baugh averaged 18.3 carries per sport final yr. When Baugh was requested if he may tackle a much bigger workload this season, he replied: “Any time the ball is my hands, coach Buster knows, that we already have a game plan as a team, running the ball. Everyone knows that. We’re fixing to run the ball and you’re gonna know it.”
Can high quality depth emerge behind Florida football RB Jadan Baugh?
Redshirt freshman Duke Clark is coming off a powerful spring and confirmed flashes as a real freshman running again (58 yards on 3.9 ypc in 4 video games) earlier than taking place with a collarbone harm.
“Duke is going to bring a different element for us in that backfield,” Florida running backs coach Chris Foster mentioned. “Duke is very explosive. Duke, right now, doesn’t know how good he can be. But he’s a guy that I have to challenge every day. He’s a guy that has all the ability and tools, but he has to be consistent. And that’s something we’re working on.”
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Evan Pryor (Cincinnati) and London Montgomery (East Carolina) had been added as transfers through the offseason. The 5-10, 190-pound Pryor, who started his profession at Ohio State, brings a house run factor to the run sport along with his pace. Pryor rushed for 940 yards over his final two seasons with the Bearcats on 7.1 yards per carry and had 4 TD runs of 55 yards or extra in 2024.
Redshirt freshman running again Byron Louis, a former Under Armour All-American from Miami, additionally confirmed promise this previous spring.
How a lot will Florida’s RBs be utilized within the go sport?
Baugh has displayed set of fingers since arriving on campus, with 37 catches for 243 yards and three TDs over two seasons. Foster is assured that Baugh will proceed to get targets in Faulkner’s offense.
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“This offense is an NFL style offense, in which it allows him to showcase his ability in all phases of the game, blocking, catching, all the different run schemes,” Foster mentioned.
Pryor additionally confirmed he may make performs catching the ball out of the backfield at Cincinnati with 25 catches for 288 yards and a couple of TDs over two seasons with the Bearcats.
“He’s pretty natural at catching the football,” Foster mentioned.
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat author. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1.
This article initially appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida football 2026 running backs position breakdown