Florida running back Jadan Baugh made program history Saturday.
Baugh eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards against Florida State, making him the first Gators running back to exceed the four-digit rushing mark since Kelvin Taylor in 2015. He also etches himself on an elite list of Gators running backs to reach the yardage total as underclassman, joining Errict Rhett (1991) and Emmitt Smith (1987).
Baugh surpassed the total on a 4-yard run in the second quarter. When he reached the millennium mark, Baugh had 16 carries for 96 yards against the Seminoles.
In a year where Florida football struggled to find its footing on offense, the Atlanta native has been one of the few bright spots for the Gators. The sophomore carried the ball 182 times for 904 yards and six touchdowns entering the matchup against Florida State. He also added 33 catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns through 11 games.
“He works his tail off,” senior offensive lineman Jake Slaughter said Monday. “We're gonna do what we can to get him there. I'm excited for him as a man, as a player."
Baugh had arguably his best game against Mississippi State, where he rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown. Florida won every game the sophomore running back eclipsed 100 yards. He tallied at least 46 yards in each game this season.
Baugh quickly emerged as an important element in the Gators’ offense during his freshman year. He earned his first start against Kentucky on Oct. 19, 2024, and ran for five touchdowns, tying a program record set by Trey Burton and Tim Tebow.
Eventually, he finished the year with 133 carries for 673 yards and seven touchdowns.
“Jadan’s a workhorse,” Gonzales said Monday. “He's an extremely gifted young man.”
The last time a Florida Gator rushed for 1,000 yards in a season, Jim McElwain was head coach of a 10-4 UF team, quarterback Will Grier was suspended, Gators defensive lineman Dante Fowler Jr. was selected third overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL Draft and the Gators took down Georgia 27-3 on Halloween.
Florida leads 10-7 against Florida State with 6:27 remaining in the second quarter.
Contact Curan Ahern at cahern@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @CuranAhern.
Curan is a third-year journalism-sports & media major who currently serves as the football beat reporter for The Alligator, now in his third semester with the paper. When not at his computer screen writing, Curan enjoys spending time outdoors, hanging with friends, family and pets, and watching the Patriots lose (no, he doesn't miss Brady).
