Whoever takes over as the next Gators football coach, they better make it a priority to retain the services of sophomore running back Jadan Baugh, who steamrolled FSU for 266 yards rushing in Florida's 40-21 victory over the Seminoles.
Whoever Florida Athletic Direcor Scott Stricklin winds up hiring as the next Gators head football coach, here’s a no-brainer for the new guy:
Keep sophomore Jadan Baugh in Gainesville and out of January’s transfer portal.
Baugh’s performance Saturday night in The Swamp against Florida State was epic. It was historic. His 266 yards rushing not only led the Gators to an emphatic 40-21 win over the Seminoles, it represented the second highest rushing total in school history.
Only UF legend and ex-NFL star Emmitt Smith ran for more yards in a single game, gaining 316 against New Mexico in 1989.
Baugh’s other notable benchmarks Saturday might put his NIL value through the roof in the coming months. His achievements Saturday also included:
- The first Gator running back in 10 years to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark.
- The first 200-yard rusher by a Florida player since 2004.
- The 7th 200-yard effort in program history.
- The third most carries (38) in program history, behind Smith’s 39 in 1987 and Errict Rhett’s 41 in 1993.
“I had a mindset of just preparing the right way, preparing my body for a lot of carries,” Baugh said. “I understood that if we run the ball enough, it's gonna get the result we wanted and I felt like the team took on that same approach and we got the job done today.
“When we’re clicking on all cylinders, moving the ball down the field, it’s just electric. It feels like a different type of team every time we do it. It was a rough season but when we get it clicking, I feel like nobody in the country can play with us.”
Yes, the Gator football program finished the 2025 season at 4-8, tying its worst record since 2013 when Will Muschamp was coach. And Florida still has the same foundational problems its had for more than a decade, including a revolving door of highly-paid head coaches that now has its fifth vacancy since Urban Meyer departed in 2009.
But if the next coach can convince players like Baugh to stick around – and maybe even keep interim head coach Billy Gonzales as his receivers coach – they’ve got a decent shot at moving the program back in the right direction.
“Obviously we didn’t finish (the season) with the overall record we wanted to,” said Gonzales, who recorded his first victory in five games at the helm. “But this (win) will propel this football team for the future, for whoever comes in next for them.”
Another key player the Gators should find a way to retain is sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway. He’s had an up-and-down season, but Saturday Lagway put together four quarters of consistently good play under center. He still needs to improve his footwork and the touch on some of this pass attempts still need work, but Lagway looked far more poised Saturday against FSU than he has most of the season.
With Baugh keeping the Seminoles’ defense reluctant to blitz, Lagway completed 15 of 24 pass attempts for 168 yards, tossed three touchdowns and had one interception. Led by that tandem, Florida scored in all four quarters for the first time since its season-opening rout over Long Island University.
The next Gator coach will also need to convince key defense players to stay. Sophomore linebacker Myles Graham was dominant again Saturday, recording eight tackles, a sack of quarterback Tommy Castellanos and one hurry. Another sophomore linebacker, Aaron Chiles, produced five tackles. At one point during the game, Gonzales said he had four true freshmen playing on defense. On the night FSU had 407 yards of offense but twice turned the ball over on downs, lost a fumble and had one interception.
The bonus for Gators on Saturday was the satisfaction of knowing they’ve ended the season of their arch-rivals. The Seminoles, who have gone two straight years without a road win, finish 5-6 and are officially ineligible for a postseason bowl game. But, hey, at least they have a g head coach for another season.