Jadan Baugh made another Heisman statement in Week 4, and it looks like the national media is finally taking notice and Vegas is also beginning to take note.
Baugh's odds to win college football's top individual trophy have been raised to +1300, putting him in a tie for the sixth-best odds with Notre Dame QB CJ Carr, according to FanDuel.
Baugh leads the nation with 11 rushing touchdowns and is second in the country with 600 yards, just behind Duke's Nate Sheppard (644 yards). His 7.2 yards per carry is in the top five among Power 4 backs with 50 or more carries. In Week 4, Baugh had 142 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Florida Gators to a 52-28 win over Ole Miss.
Should Jadan Baugh be in Heisman conversation? 🤔@RJ_cfb and @BMac_SportsTalk say YES!#CFBScoreboard pic.twitter.com/Y9nyFZlpl9
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) September 27, 2026
Baugh's ascension up the Heisman odds has been remarkable over the past month. The junior running back was at +17500 after his Week 1 performance against Florida Atlantic and was still +6500 less than a week ago after he ran through Auburn.
But another three-touchdown performance — Baugh's third in four games — was enough for him to get the respect he deserves. Baugh is now in the first tier of Heisman contenders, who are well clear of the rest of the field.
Top Heisman Contenders by odds from FanDuel:
Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith (+280)
Miami QB Darian Mensah (+370)
Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor (+750)
Alabama QB Keelon Russell (+1100)
Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss (+1100)
Notre Dame QB CJ Carr (+1300)
Florida RB Jadan Baugh (+1300)
Odds change periodically and are subject to change.
Jadan Baugh is officially in the Heisman conversation
We've basically conceded that the Heisman has become a quarterback's award. Since 2000, there have only been three running backs (Reggie Bush, Mark Ingram II and Derrick Henry) that have won the award and all three played on teams that either won or played for the national championship. Two other non-quarterbacks have also won — DeVonta Smith and Travis Hunter.
That's how rare it is for a non-quarterback to win this award. Hunter had to play darn near every single snap in the game on both sides of the football to accomplish it in 2024 when there wasn't a standout quarterback in the country (Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty finished in a close second).
Baugh is still fighting an uphill battle because there are some good quarterbacks in the league throwing up some gaudy stats, and he's also battling against some SEC peers that will also have the ability to showcase their skills in marquee games against top 10 teams over the next two months. Baugh's biggest games will be in October when the Gators play at Texas on October 17 and against Georgia in Atlanta on October 31. Those games will go a long way to determining Baugh's Heisman hopes and Florida's CFP aspirations.
But that shouldn't deflect from the fact that Baugh is having a special season and even if he just wins the Doak Walker and gets invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony, that alone should make it clear that he was the best player in the sport.
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