There is this part of us in the transfer portal era that tries to convince ourselves that when players transfer out, it’s okay because we can just go out and get a replacement. Florida fans have had to come to this conclusion with a number of players in recent years, including DJ Lagway, Trevor Etienne, and Sharif Denson.
But after the drama that unfolded in December over whether or not Jadan Baugh was going to stay or leave, it is safe to say that there are some players who are worth keeping. And Jon Sumrall’s efforts to keep Baugh have paid off in 2026.
Jadan Baugh should be a Heisman frontrunner in 2026
Hey, remember when, around this time last week, there were a ton of Auburn fans who were trying to convince everyone that Baugh was simply a merchant of playing two bad teams?
Those were fun times.
Ole Miss fans showed way more restraint this week, and for good reason. Baugh popped off for 142 yards and three touchdowns. The thing about Baugh is that he didn’t have wide-open running lanes all night long. The Rebels did ask questions of Baugh, and the problem for Ole Miss is that he answered them every time.
As a side note, we would be remiss if we didn’t highlight the night of Duke Clark, but that is a piece for another day.
For as much of a “merchant” Baugh was labeled for racking up yards against two softer opponents to open 2026, the fewest yards Baugh has compiled in four games was against Campbell. He is up to 600 yards just four games into the season. There are entire seasons when we would squint and try to justify 600 yards over a 12-game slate.
The sad part is that the Heisman Trophy is skewed towards QBs and tends to overlook the fact that what Baugh is doing is truly elite. There are obviously other components to Florida’s offense, but the fact that the Gators put up 52 points on Ole Miss starts with the threat of Baugh.
Sumrall could have chosen not to fight and retain Baugh. He could have chalked it up to the modern era of the transfer portal. Instead, Sumrall has one of his workhorses who could just power Florida to the playoffs and beyond all by himself.
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