Jadan Baugh enters his junior season as the go-to player in Florida's backfield. (Photo: Hannah White/UAA Communications)
Gators Position Preview: Running Backs
Tuesday, September 1, 2026 | Football
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By: Ryan Roddy, FloridaGators.com Student Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Junior running back Jadan Baugh has a chance to make history for Florida this season.
He capped off his sophomore campaign with a dominant performance against rival Florida State, rushing for 266 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the season with 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, along with 210 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He became the first Gator to rush for 1,000 yards since Kelvin Taylor in 2015 and is one of three to do it as an underclassman, joining Errict Rhett (1991) and Emmitt Smith (1987).
Uncertainty surrounded the program after a coaching change. It was undetermined whether Baugh would finish what he started in Gainesville. However, new head coach Jon Sumrall made it a priority to retain the Atlanta native, famously making a Christmas Eve home visit at Baugh's grandmother's house.
"He's a very willing guy. He's coachable. He's a pleaser," Sumrall said. "He wants to figure out how he can do things to the best of his ability. And it's our job to push him every day."
If Baugh rushes for 1,000 yards again, he will be the first UF back to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Not even Smith, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, accomplished that feat.
Yes, the focus is on Baugh. For fans and opposing defenses. But that shouldn't undermine the talent in the rest of the room. While minimal, Florida returns three other running backs who saw snaps last season: Duke Clark, Anthony Rubio and Byron Louis. As a freshman last season, Clark operated as RB4 for the Gators. He had 15 carries for 58 yards and two receptions for 14 yards. Anthony Rubio and Byron Louis also saw snaps. After scoring a touchdown in the Gasparilla Bowl to cap off the 2024 season, Rubio had five carries for 27 yards against LIU in the 2026 opener. Louis had two carries against Kentucky. Like Rubio, returners Brian Case and Kelvin Jimenez joined the program as walk-ons. The Gators have no true freshmen running back on the roster. It is going to be hard to take the ball out of Baugh's hands, but the other backs can could see work in low-leverage situations, getting reps as needed.
Evan Pryor, a transfer from Cincinnati, finds running room in Florida's second scrimmage of preseason camp. (Photo: Sam Leventhal/UAA Communications
The two newcomers, Evan Pryor and London Montgomery, bring experience. Montgomery, who began college at Penn State, rushed for 737 yards and seven touchdowns for East Carolina last season, 437 of those yards coming after contact. In 2024, he logged 359 yards on 71 carries, to go along with two touchdowns. Pryor has had a different road. He entered college in 2021 at Ohio State, redshirted, and then dealt with an injury in 2022 that forced him to miss the season. After limited playing time in 2023, he transferred to Cincinnati, where he got his chance. In two seasons with the Bearcats, Pryor garnered 1,228 all-purpose yards and 11 all-purpose touchdowns in 22 games. Pryor, now entering his sixth year in college, has made strides in camp. Chris Foster coaches the group and comes to Gainesville after a year at Duke. Foster has coached the position since 2004 at different levels and conferences.
If season started today: Baugh would see a majority of the meaningful snaps and carries. It is hard to turn away from a 1,000-yard rusher who has proven himself at the SEC level. Baugh got over three-quarters of the snap share at running back last year. While it may not be that significant again, it should be close.
Speculation: A lot of talk has been made of Pryor. While he's expected to take the back seat to Baugh, he can be a much-needed complement. Pryor can also be used in the passing game. It may be beneficial for the Gators to offer a different look with Pryor out of the backfield.
Quote of note: "I like the depth of that room. It's been unfortunate having Duke (Clark) out recently, but I'm excited about him coming back. I'm fired up about him getting back full speed more this week. But Evan's done a great job. He's done a good job. Byron Louis has gotten better. London Montgomery is kind of the one; every time he gets it, I feel like he's kind of the forgotten guy in that room. He's good on kick return. He's sturdy, he's physical, he plays a little bit bigger than he is. He's a hard tackle. I like that room right now. I think we've got good players in there." — Jon Sumrall on running backs.
