If there had been one assistant coach most Gator fans would have liked to stick around on Jon Sumrall’s new staff, it would have been running back coach Jabbar Juluke. During his time with the Gators, the running back room was deep and felt like one of the biggest strengths of the team. It didn’t seem to matter who Juluke trotted out there; all of Florida’s running backs seemed ready and capable of rushing for 100 yards at a moment's notice.
But alas, Juluke didn’t stick around on Florida’s new staff, and it is his new home he just got hired at that also opens up question marks about whether Florida’s best player is going to follow him to that new home.
Jabbar Juluke hired at Texas
Texas has hired Juluke to be its running backs coach and as its associate head coach for the 2026 season. Juluke had been a target to land at Kentucky before opting for Texas.
Given how Sumrall has been assembling his staff, Gator fans should feel confident that someone notable is going to come in and fill his shoes. But given that the modern era is what it is, the immediate fear among Gator fans is whether or not running back Jadan Baugh is going to follow Juluke to Austin.
Sumrall made sure to highlight Baugh during his introductory press conference, and for good reason. After Baugh’s monster game against FSU, he ended the 2025 season as the first Florida running back since 2015 to eclipse 1,000 yards in a season. He also became the first Florida running back since Emmitt Smith to eclipse 1,000 yards in under 200 carries as an underclassman. Baugh’s 266 yards against FSU were also the 2nd most in a single game in Florida history, only behind Smith’s 316-yard performance in 1989 against New Mexico.
There is no official indication of which way Baugh might be leaning or if going to Texas has even crossed his mind. But this is the modern era of college football, where NIL and the transfer portal mean nothing can be taken for granted.
And so, until we get an update on Baugh’s plans, Gator fans will be taking notice of their former running backs coach's new home.