Another day has passed, and Florida fans are still waiting on white smoke to emerge from the Jadan Baugh camp. Even though other reports have indicated that the star running back for the Gators is a likely candidate to hit the transfer portal and play elsewhere in 2026, Florida hasn’t been willing to give up its pursuit just yet.
A new report from 247 indicates that members of Florida’s coaching staff are going to spend their Christmas Eve trying to convince Baugh to ultimately remain in Gainesville.
Florida is trying to retain Jadan Baugh
Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports has reported that Jon Sumrall, Buster Faulkner, and new running backs coach Chris Foster will travel on Christmas Eve to meet with Baugh as part of their continued pursuit to get Baugh back for 2026.
Sources tell @CBSSports that Florida OC Buster Faulkner and new running backs coach Chris Foster are set to travel with head coach Jon Sumrall tomorrow to meet with Jadan Baugh in hopes of keeping the All-SEC running back at Floridahttps://t.co/9gqZEsoVT6 pic.twitter.com/cENskactOO
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 23, 2025
It is a massive domino that could shape the entire outlook for the Gators entering Sumrall’s maiden voyage.
Given Sumrall’s own tendencies at Tulane, having a running back like Baugh could be the perfect complement for how he prefers to close out games. Florida’s roster still has some other intriguing options in the running back room should Baugh not return, but there is no replacing in full the production of the first running back at Florida to eclipse 1,000 yards in a decade.
As we have stated before, it is also a massive optics test for Sumrall as he gets underway in his first full week at Florida since Tulane was eliminated from the playoffs. It’s one thing when someone like DJ Lagway opts to leave, given the 2025 season he had and the fact that it doesn’t appear Sumrall tried real hard to keep him. It’s another thing when Baugh was mentioned by name in Sumrall’s introductory press conference and is going through this much effort to retain him.
And as of now, nobody knows what Baugh’s main motivations are, whether it’s NIL money, best fit, or just a chance to be on a winning team.
If it is NIL money, Sumrall has no control over that. If it is anything else, Christmas Eve might be his last chance to sell his vision ahead of the 2026 season.