Following a 4-8 season for the Gators – one in which they saw their head coach fired and their lead back rush for over 1,000 yards for the first time since 2015 – a revamped coaching staff is prepared to turn a new leaf in Gainesville.
When UF added a slew of new coaches ahead of its spring campaign, one mantra rose above the cacophony of noise from the personnel shake-up: retain your big playmakers.
On Jan. 6, the Gator faithful’s prayers were answered as sophomore running back Jadan Baugh resigned with Florida for the 2026 season. … And it all started with a visit to Atlanta.
Newly hired UF head coach Jon Sumrall, offensive coordinator Buster Faulker and running backs coach Chris Foster made a visit to Baugh and his family in Atlanta on Christmas Eve to have a conversation with the sophomore about returning to Florida.
Less than two weeks later, Baugh was headlining stories across the country for his commitment to the Gators – one made possible by the persistence of UF’s coaching staff.
“It was all about selling who I was as a person,” Foster said. “He talked about how relationships was important to him, and so I wanted him to see who I was as a person, more importantly than football and all that — that stuff didn’t matter.”
Within a month of his pledge to return to UF, Baugh found himself stepping up as a leader and impressing coaches at practice. In particular, UF director of football performance Rusty Whitt spoke highly of what he’s seen out of Baugh in morning workouts.
Whitt called the sophomore back “exceptional,” and highlighted Jayden Woods and Brendan Bett as players who have made good first impressions on the gridiron as well.
“They’re dialed in the right way, and they’re bringing their teammates with them,” Whitt said Feb. 6.
Foster’s decision to join the Gators arguably may have been an easier decision than that of Baugh, who reportedly had $1 million worth of reasons to return a Gator. Coming off of an ACC Championship title at Duke in 2025, Foster gained the experience and prestige needed to land a job in the Southeastern Conference, especially one at a storied institution like Florida.
He received a call from Sumrall in December gauging his interest in a potential job and couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Foster referred to his position as one of the best jobs in the country because of UF’s historical foundation of winning both SEC and national championships while producing Heisman Trophy winners.
“I was more than interested,” Foster said. “That was a no-brainer to come here.”
However, when he left Baugh’s house in Atlanta, Foster said he wasn’t positive Baugh would return to Florida. Though he said he “felt really good” about their meeting, it took weeks for Baugh to finally make his decision.
In his short time at Florida thus far, Foster has worked with Baugh enough to deem him “an unbelievable human.” He harped on the intangibles of Florida’s lead back, noting that Baugh is respectful, always on time and carries himself like a professional.
Foster was particularly impressed by Baugh’s ability to hold the running back room to “a higher standard” and keep his teammates accountable, adding that the sophomore “does all the little things right.”
“He’s one of the best human beings that you can be around,” Foster said. “I knew he was a very talented player, but if you get to spend time with him, he is amazing, he is awesome and he is really good for that room.”
Contact Curan Ahern at cahern@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @CuranAhern.
Curan is a junior sports journalism student in his fourth semester at The Alligator. He is currently the sports desk's football and enterprise beat writer, and previously served as a reporter for men's tennis, sports enterprise and football. He is currently pursuing a public relations minor and is an avid Duval sports fan. (#DTWD)
