Jadan Baugh, RB, Florida
College football season is back, and that means Sportsvival will once again spend the season studying game film and taking a closer look at some of the top prospects who could hear their names called in the 2027 NFL Draft. We will break down their backgrounds, production, strengths, weaknesses, NFL comparisons and where they currently project at the next level.
After opening the series with Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, we head to Gainesville for one of the most physical running backs in college football.
Florida running back Jadan Baugh has the combination NFL teams still covet at the position. He has size, power, contact balance and enough burst to turn a crease into a big play. After emerging as one of the SEC's best running backs in 2025, Baugh has started his junior season looking like a player who could challenge to be one of the first running backs selected in the 2027 NFL Draft.
JADAN BAUGH
Position: Running Back
School: Florida
Class: Junior
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 225 pounds
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
High School: Columbia High School
2027 NFL Draft Eligibility: Eligible
Baugh enters his junior season as a Florida Gator. He arrived in Gainesville as part of Florida's 2024 recruiting class after becoming a four-star prospect at Columbia High School in Georgia. He originally committed to Arkansas before reopening his recruitment and eventually choosing Florida over a group of programs that included Alabama, Miami, Michigan, Tennessee and Texas.
Baugh was much more than simply a running back in high school. He saw action at running back, quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back. During his senior season, he rushed for 1,583 yards on only 113 carries, an incredible 14.0 yards per attempt, while scoring 19 touchdowns. Defensively, he recorded 54 tackles, seven pass breakups and six interceptions.
That versatility helped show the athletic ability that has become increasingly evident during his career at Florida.
COLLEGE CAREER
Baugh did not need much time to make an impact.
As a true freshman in 2024, he played in all 13 games and made four starts. Baugh carried the ball 133 times for 673 yards and seven rushing touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He also caught four passes for 33 yards and another touchdown.
His breakout performance came against Kentucky in his first career start.
Baugh rushed for five touchdowns, tying the Florida single-game record previously shared by Trey Burton and Tim Tebow. Those five touchdowns were also the most ever by a Florida player in his first career start.
The following season Baugh became the centerpiece of the Gators' running game.
In 2025, he started all 12 games and finished with:
220 carries
1,170 rushing yards
5.3 yards per carry
8 rushing touchdowns
31 receptions
185 receiving yards
2 receiving touchdowns
Baugh finished third in the SEC in rushing and earned Second-Team All-SEC honors.
Then came his monster performance against rival Florida State.
Baugh carried the ball 38 times for 266 yards and two touchdowns in Florida's 40-21 victory. The 266 rushing yards were the second-most in a single game in Florida history and the most ever by a Gator against Florida State. The performance also pushed Baugh over 1,000 rushing yards for the season.
That put him in some impressive company. Baugh became only the third Florida underclassman to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, joining Emmitt Smith and Errict Rhett.
2026 SEASON
If Baugh entered 2026 needing to make an early statement to NFL scouts, consider that accomplished.
In Florida's season opener against Florida Atlantic, Baugh carried the ball just 14 times and exploded for:
160 rushing yards
11.4 yards per carry
3 rushing touchdowns
Career-long 61-yard run
Florida credited Baugh with nine forced missed tackles and 120 yards after contact in the game. He surpassed 2,000 career rushing yards and 20 total career touchdowns during the performance.
Through September 11, that is his only game of the 2026 season, with Florida scheduled to play Campbell on September 12.
WHAT SPORTSVIVAL LIKES
Size and Power
The first thing that jumps out about Baugh is his NFL-ready build. At 6-foot-1 and around 225 pounds, he already looks like an NFL running back.
He runs like one too.
Baugh does not go down easily on first contact. He keeps his legs moving, runs through arm tackles and has the lower-body strength to turn what should be a two-yard gain into four or five yards.
There is a physical attitude to his running style that should translate well to the NFL.
Contact Balance
This may be Baugh's best trait.
Defenders can hit him without necessarily tackling him. Baugh consistently maintains his balance after contact and has the strength to bounce away from smaller defensive backs.
His performance against Florida Atlantic was a perfect example. Florida credited him with 120 yards after contact on only 14 carries.
Patience
Baugh is not simply a power runner who lowers his head and runs into the line.
He shows patience behind his blockers and allows running lanes to develop. Once he identifies the opening, he can plant his foot and get downhill quickly.
That combination of patience and power gives him the ability to succeed in multiple blocking schemes.
Short-Yardage Ability
Baugh should have immediate value around the goal line and on third-and-short situations.
At 225 pounds, he can move piles and finish runs falling forward. His five-touchdown performance against Kentucky as a freshman was an early indication of just how dangerous he can become near the goal line.
Workhorse Potential
Baugh has already demonstrated that he can handle volume.
The best example came against Florida State when Florida gave him 38 carries and he responded with 266 yards.
NFL teams are increasingly using running back committees, but Baugh has the physical profile to become one of the backs capable of handling 18 to 22 touches when needed.
Receiving Potential
Baugh is not simply an early-down runner.
Florida has used him in the passing game, particularly on checkdowns, screens and underneath routes. His receiving production grew considerably during his sophomore season.
He has enough natural hands to develop into a legitimate three-down option.
WHAT BAUGH NEEDS TO IMPROVE
Top-End Speed
Baugh has enough speed to produce explosive runs, but Sportsvival does not see elite home-run speed as one of his greatest attributes.
He can break into the secondary, but he may not consistently outrun NFL defensive backs once he gets there.
His game is built more around power, balance, vision and acceleration than pure track speed.
Pass Protection
This will be one of the most important areas NFL scouts evaluate during the remainder of the season.
Baugh has the size and willingness to become a good pass protector, but his recognition, technique and positioning still need refinement. Pass protection is often what determines whether a young NFL running back can remain on the field on third down.
Other early scouting evaluations have also identified pass protection as an area where Baugh can improve.
Receiving Polish
Baugh can catch the football, but there is a difference between being capable of catching checkdowns and becoming a true weapon in an NFL passing game.
Scouts will want to see him run a more developed route tree, separate from linebackers and become more dangerous after the catch.
If that part of his game develops, his draft stock could rise significantly.
Lateral Quickness
Baugh is at his best when he makes one cut and attacks.
He is not the type of runner who is going to make three defenders miss with sudden lateral moves in a small area. Against NFL defenses, there will be plays where the blocking breaks down and he will need to create something without having a clean running lane.
That is one area where his 2026 film will be important.
NFL COMPARISON
James Conner
There are some similarities between Baugh and former Pitt star and current NFL running back James Conner.
This is a stylistic comparison, not a prediction that Baugh will have the same NFL career.
Both are big, physical backs who can punish defenders between the tackles. Both run with excellent balance, consistently fall forward and are capable of handling a substantial workload. Neither needs elite track speed to create productive NFL runs.
Conner also developed into a much more valuable receiver than many expected when he entered the NFL. That is a path Baugh could follow.
Baugh may possess a little more natural burst than Conner did coming out of Pitt, but he still needs to prove that he can become the dependable three-down player Conner developed into.
SPORTSVIVAL'S EARLY PROJECTION
Projected Round: Late First Round to Second Round
Baugh enters the 2026 season as one of Sportsvival's running backs to watch closely for the 2027 NFL Draft.
Running back value will always make the first round difficult to predict, but the talent is there.
Baugh already has NFL size. He already has SEC production. He already has experience carrying a heavy workload. Most importantly, he has the power and contact balance that should translate immediately to Sundays.
The next step is proving he can become a complete three-down running back.
If Baugh improves in pass protection, expands his receiving ability and continues producing explosive plays, he could put himself firmly into the conversation to be one of the first three running backs selected in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The 160-yard, three-touchdown performance against Florida Atlantic was a tremendous start.
Now Sportsvival wants to see what Baugh does when the Gators get into the heart of SEC play.
Reminder to all you college football fans, get your College Football Notebook today!!! Go to www.sportsvival.com
If not for sports, how would we survive.