If the Heisman Trophy is truly given to college football's best player, let's put Jadan Baugh's name in the hat because he's making a heck of a case for himself.
Baugh was big time in the Florida Gators' SEC opener against Auburn, a 44-39 win that lifted the Gators to 3-0 for the first time since 2019. With a 162-yard, three-touchdown performance, Baugh has established himself as the best running back in the country and the clear favorite for the Doak Walker Award.
Jadan Baugh has unlocked explosiveness that he did NOT have last year
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) September 20, 2026
Easily my RB1 and a legit 1st round talent at RB pic.twitter.com/Li9YBB65wx
The Gators haven't had a running back selected in the first round in nearly 30 years (Fred Taylor, 1998 NFL Draft), but Baugh is definitely in line to be the next.
Jadan Baugh takes another step to Florida greatness
Baugh is no longer simply a great running back. He deserves to be mentioned with some of the greatest Florida Gators to ever tote the rock. Taylor, Neal Anderson, Errict Rhett, Earnest Graham and, yes, even Emmitt Smith. Baugh, much like Smith, had some of his best seasons on some lackluster Gator teams. His 266-yard effort against Florida State last year was only overshadowed by the fact that Florida went 4-8.
Now it looks like Baugh is on a team that is worthy of his greatness, has a coaching staff that knows how to use him and is surrounded by other playmakers that force defenses to stay honest because they can't just focus on one guy.
Even the most optimistic Florida fan couldn't be sure about how Jon Sumrall's first season would turn out. If things weren't going well on the field, would Buster Faulkner just work to get Baugh big numbers that would increase his standing in the history books? But with a road win at Auburn to kick off a very challenging upcoming schedule, everything the Gators want is in front of them. They will probably be ranked in the next updated AP top 25 poll and games against Ole Miss, Georgia, Texas and Oklahoma have an increased importance now.
That doesn't mean that Baugh isn't going to get his numbers. It just means he's going to be getting a lot more national attention as the Gators go through this SEC gauntlet. And he deserves it. Baugh has kept his head down through all the tribulations and kept his belief in Florida getting it right despite schools like Texas throwing him a ton of money to transfer,
Sometimes the good guys win and Baugh is getting everything he deserves.
Add us as a preferred source on Google