As the Florida Gators and head coach Jon Sumrall begin to prepare for a new era of football in Gainesville, one of the program’s top returning players has quickly emerged as a frontrunner for a prestigious award in 2026.

In his latest article predicting the award recipients for the 2026 college football season, CBS Sports’ Austin Nivision claimed that Gators’ star running back, Jadan Baugh, will win the Doak Walker Award, given to the best running back in the nation.

“There's a reason Texas tried to throw a boatload of cash at Baugh in the offseason, and there's a reason Florida ponied up to keep him,” Nivison wrote. “At 228 pounds, Baugh has no business moving as well as he does, and that's what makes him so special. Last year, even on a bad Florida team, Baugh piled up 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground while amassing 210 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air. Now, just imagine what Baugh could do on an offense that averages more than 21.6 points per game.”

Baugh, as a former four-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle, was widely considered to be one of the best playmakers in the state of Georgia. As soon as he arrived in Gainesville, the talented playmaker made his presence felt on offense during the 2024 college football season, finishing the year with 673 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 133 carries.

Throughout his freshman season, Baugh carved out a role in a loaded backfield, and in the two games that he received over 20 carries, he averaged 128 yards. In addition to receiving an increased workload towards the end of the season, the lethal running back had an all-time performance against the Kentucky Wildcats in 2024, rushing for 106 yards and five touchdowns.

While there was plenty of dysfunction on offense during his sophomore season with the program, along with a coaching change midway through the season, Baugh managed to reach the 1,000 rushing yard mark, finishing the year with 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns on 220 carries. During that stretch, Baugh one-upped his remarkable 2024 performance against Kentucky with a massive 226-yard, two-touchdown effort against the Florida State Seminoles to end the season.

Now, with the backfield to himself heading into 2026, Baugh is set to have another incredible season with the Gators. His elite blend of size and speed will allow him to be successful on offense with the ball in his hands, and he will play a key role in newly-hired offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner’s system.

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