Tag: Jadan Baugh

Three takeaways from Florida’s blowout win over Kentucky

Football is fun again! DJ Lagway and Jadan Baugh led Florida into a new era on Saturday with a big win over Kentucky.

Florida played its best game under Billy Napier on Saturday night, defeating the Kentucky Wildcats 48-20 to advance to 4-3 overall on the year.

The offense looked revitalized with [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] under center, the defense looked better than it ever has under [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and a four-touchdown margin usually means happy times for the victors.

The best part about the win is that Lagway didn’t need to throw a single touchdown to win the game by 28 points. Sure, he handed a few scores to fellow true freshman [autotag]Jadan Baugh[/autotag] with deep balls that placed Florida in the red zone, but there have been plenty of times when the Gators haven’t scored those touchdowns in a similar situation.

Not only was this win badly needed, but it’s a breath of fresh air before the bye week that will give a young team confidence against the toughest four-game slate in the country coming out of the break.

DJ Lagway has arrived

Lagway’s future has always been incredibly bright, but no one expected him to carve up an SEC secondary like this on his first go. Putting up 400-plus yards against an FCS team is one thing, but this was a deep ball clinic from start to finish.

He made one bad decision in the second quarter, which led to an interception, but it didn’t shake his confidence at all. Lagway ended the day with six completions over 20 yards, five of which went for 40 or more. That’s the kind of performance that changes the way defenses play against a team.

The SEC is on notice, and Lagway might already be the best deep-ball threat in the conference.

Batman has to have a Robin

If Lagway is the Dark Knight sent to save Gotham, Jadan Baugh is the Robin by his side. Okay, it’s not the best analogy, but the point is that teams aren’t going to be able to exclusively focus on the passing game or run game when playing Florida.

Baugh is also a true freshman, and he just tied a school record with five touchdowns in his second career start. Montrell Johnson Jr. is still the lead back on this team, but he’ll be elsewhere in a year and there’s no need to rush him back with Baugh looking as good as he did. Baugh had three rushes for 10 or more yards this week — a 27-yarder, a 16-yarder and a 10-yard touchdown.

It’s going to be fun to watch Baugh and Lagway grow alongside each other.

The defense is legit

There have been flashes of greatness from Florida’s defense over the past few years, but this might be the best three-game stretch put together since the pandemic season.

Forcing three turnovers is always good for a defense’s confidence, especially considering the guys who came away with the interceptions. Junior linebacker Shemar James caught the first off a tipped pass, sophomore cornerback Devin Moore caught the second and former five-star recruit Cormani McClain took the final one to the house.

James has had ups and downs this year after entering the season as one of the defensive leaders of the team, Moore has dealt with injuries his entire career and McClain has hardly played after transferring from Colorado as a walk-on — although, it’s hard to see him not being on scholarship next year. All three of these players deserved a moment.

The bad news is that Florida’s top corner, Jason Marshall Jr., got hurt and returned to the field with his arm in a sling. That probably means he’s out for a bit, but McClain made his case for more playing time. Moore now moves into the No. 1 spot until Marshall is back, but he’s showed a ton of promise when healthy.

Getting Ja’Keem Jackson back would give the Gators a formidable threesome at corner, and let’s not forget about Dijon Johnson.

BONUS: Billy Napier’s hot seat cooled off

It’s trendy among Florida fans to hate anything and everything Billy Napier does, but the facts are that he recruited several talented players and they all believe in him. Saturday night was the first time we saw that belief turn into results, and the guy deserves some credit.

Napier could still get the axe at the end of the season, but a 6-6 regular-season finish should keep him in Gainesville another year. To reach six wins, Florida has to beat Florida State at the end of the year and pull off one upset against Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss or Texas.

It won’t be easy to get there but if Florida plays like it did tonight, a bowl game is within reach. Don’t get it twisted. The seat warmers are still on, but Napier’s vision was realized today and that turns things down a notch in this writer’s eyes.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida football fans react to Lagway, Baugh performances vs. Kentucky

Gator Nation react to the big performances by DJ Lagway and Jadan Baugh against Kentucky.

Florida football had one of their best all-around performances of the season as they defeated the Kentucky Wildcats, 48-20, in the Swamp.

Quarterback DJ Lagway and running back Jadan Baugh were a big part of Florida’s offensive attack against Kentucky. The two true freshmen served as the Gators’ heartbeat on offense.

Lagway was 7-for-13 through the air with 259 yards passing and one interception. Lagway also had 46 rushing yards on 10 carries.

Baugh had 22 carries for 106 yards rushing and five touchdowns. With those five touchdowns, Baugh tied the Florida football program record.

Here’s what Gators fans thought of their performances.

Coming up for Florida

The Gators are off next week due to their bye week. The next matchup for Florida will be against the Georgia Bulldogs on Nov. 2 in Jacksonville. That game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Energized Gator Nation fuels Florida’s first half success vs Kentucky

DJ Lagway and Jadan Baugh steal the show for the Gators offense in the first half against Kentucky.

In a game under the lights in the Swamp on Saturday night, Florida football hosted the Kentucky Wildcats for its 2024 homecoming game. It was a wild first half, with the Gators leading 27-13 after 30 minutes of play.

To get things started and get the crowd energized was Gators legend running back John L. Williams who served as the game’s honorary Mr. Two Bits. The 1984 SEC Championship team was also honored as well.

Florida received the ball first and as true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway trotted out onto the field, chants of, “DJ Lagway!”, echoed throughout Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

First half overview

The Gators moved down the field in a hurry and with ease on their opening possession. Lagway’s first pass completion was to receiver Eugene Wilson III for a gain of 40 yards and Florida made it into the red zone, but couldn’t punch the ball into the endzone.

Instead, they were forced to attempt a 29-yard field goal which was drilled by Trey Smack to give the Gators an early 3-0 lead.

The Florida defense started out strong and was all over the field as they forced Kentucky to punt on their first two possessions. But, it was the same story for the offense in terms of the struggles to get touchdowns in the red zone.

Florida was marching down the field on their third offensive drive of the half, but as soon as they reached the 20-yard line, the offense stalled. Smack managed to knock in the 33-yard field goal to give Florida a 6-0 lead at the beginning of the second quarter.

Kentucky finally got their offense going on their third drive as quarterback Brock Vandagriff connected with receiver Barion Brown for a 45-yard touchdown. However, the game stayed tied 6-6 after Kentucky’s kicker missed the extra point.

With just over eight minutes to go in the first half, Lagway completed a 50-yard throw down the middle of the field to Elijhah Badger to put the Gators on Kentucky’s 7-yard line. That set up a touchdown run by Jadan Baugh to give Florida their first touchdown of the night and a 13-6 lead.

The following drive for Kentucky ended with an interception by defensive back Trikweze Bridges to set the Gators up with possession at midfield. But it didn’t matter because Lagway threw an interception two plays later.

But remarkably, Florida’s defense held their ground as Kentucky was inching towards the goal line and forced a turnover-on-downs. Florida was able to score a touchdown on the ensuing drive thanks to a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Baugh.

But things continued to go Florida’s way as Devin Moore picked off Vandagriff to set the Gators up with Baugh’s third touchdown of the first half.

Kentucky returned the kickoff immediately after the Gators scored for a 99-yard touchdown.

Florida’s first-half stats

Looking at the first-half stats for the Gators, Lagway was 4-for-11 with 152 yards passing. Lagway also had 40 rushing yards on seven carries.

Baugh really played a perfect first half of football, rushing for 88 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries.

The Gators’ defense forced two interceptions and allowed just 159 total yards in the first half.

Let’s see if Florida can keep it going in the second half.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Montrell Johnson’s injury not a ‘long term issue’, per Billy Napier

Gators running back Montrell Johnson Jr. isn’t expected to be out for a significant amount of time after suffering an injury.

“We don’t anticipate it being a long term issue,” Florida football head coach Billy Napier said during Monday’s press conference when discussing the severity of running back Montrell Johnson Jr.‘s injury.

Johnson suffered an injury during last week’s game against the Tennessee Volunteers, but it has not been revealed what the injury exactly was. Napier didn’t give a specific timetable for when Johnson will be able to return.

Johnson, a senior from the state of Louisiana, is in his third season with the Gators and has the most rushing yards (373) out of the rest of the team’s running backs.

Johnson put together a solid performance against the Volunteers before leaving the game. He had 12 carries for 85 yards with his longest rush of the night being a total of 23 yards.

If Johnson won’t be ready for Florida’s game this week against Kentucky, it will be expected that running backs Jadan Baugh and Ja’Kobi Jackson will handle the majority of the load in the backfield.

Baugh is a freshman who has 31 carries for 153 yards on the ground this season. Jackson is a redshirt junior who has 19 carries for 109 yards and three touchdowns. Both backs are tough, physical runners. But Jackson is a guy who can push through the middle of the field in those short down situations.

Coming up for the Gators

The Gators host the Kentucky Wildcats inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19. Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Breaking down PFF grades for Florida’s run game against UCF

Florida’s running game didn’t light it up against UCF, but PFF still believes this was the Gators’ best rushing performance since Week 2 vs. Samford.

Florida’s run game against UCF was far from perfect, but Pro Football Focus gave the Gators their highest run grade (68.1) since facing Samford (69.3) in Week 2.

Coming into the season, the rushing attack was thought to be Florida’s biggest strength, but the loss of Trevor Etienne has proved costly for the Orange and Blue. We can’t forget that lead back Montrell Johnson Jr. underwent minor knee surgery during fall camp.

It was a good bounce-back week for Johnson and the guys behind him following the bye. Let’s take a look at what Pro Football Focus had to say about the running backs and offensive line in Week 6.

Check out our breakdown of Florida’s passing game against UCF using PFF grades, too.

Running backs

Florida utilized a trio of running backs this week — [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. started the game and played 40 snaps, followed by true freshman [autotag]Jadan Baugh[/autotag] with 21 snaps and JUCO transfer [autotag]Ja’Kobi Jackson[/autotag] rounds out the list with six snaps.

The carries were split a bit differently, with Johnson getting 10 attempts, Baugh getting nine and Jackson getting three.

Johnson ran for 54 yards (5.4 per attempt) and a touchdown, earning a 69.6 overall grade and a 68.7 grade on run plays. Although neither of those figures led the rushing corps, Johnson was the most sure-handed rusher for Florida with a 73.4 fumble grade.

What’s most impressive about Johnson’s performance is that he gained 45 of his 54 yards after contact, forcing three missed tackles and breaking off a long run for 34 yards. However, any smart football fan will quickly point out that the bulk run saved him from an otherwise unseemly outing.

Johnson tried hitting all the holes, but he did most of his damage in the gap between the center and right guard.

Baugh put up the highest overall grade (73.5) and run grade (73.4) in the position room, but he only managed 30 yards on nine carries (3.3 yards per attempt). However, it’s the six forced missed tackles that stand out when going over his numbers. Baugh is proving to be an elusive back for Florida and could be the No. 1 instead of Treyaun Webb next season.

He likes going up the middle, hitting the gap on either side of the center, but he was most effective of the left end against UCF.

Jackson doesn’t get a ton of opportunities, but he always seems to do a lot when he gets on the field. In Week 6, Jackson ran for 25 yards on three carries (8.3 yards per attempt), and he scored a touchdown.

A chunk play for 19 yards accounts for the bulk of Jackson’s yards, but it’s still impressive to see him break those kinds of plays when he knows he’s only getting a handful of opportunities each game. Jackson earned a 65.2 overall grade and a 64.8 rushing grade this week.

Wide receiver Tank Hawkins also got a run in this week, going for four yards and earning a 57.9 run grade.

Quarterbacks

Florida’s quarterbacks tend to run a few times a game, be it a scramble or a designed run. Those designed runs usually go to DJ Lagway, but Graham Mertz had six carries this week, and only two of them were on scrambles.

Mertz ran for six yards on as many attempts, and Lagway went for 11 yards on three carries. Neither put up a strong run grade — 56.6 for Mertz and 53.3 for Lagway.

Mertz made the most of his scrambles, going for seven yards on two carries, but his keepers didn’t go as well — minus-5 yards over three carries. Mertz needs to make the right decision on those option plays a bit more often, based on these numbers.

Lagway is best when he scrambles (five yards on one carry) but his designed runs yield positive results as well (six yards on two carries). Keeping the true freshman healthy is paramount this season. Expect Lagway to run a bit more often when he’s fully in control of the offense next year.

Run Blocking

As usual, Gators Wire will discuss the offensive line from left to right. Remember, this analysis is mostly focused on run plays; however, we will provide overall grades as well to keep the bigger picture in mind.

Left Tackle

[autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag] delivered his best run-blocking performance of the year against UCF, posting a 70.8 grade over all 29 run plays Florida ran. Barber was more effective on gap runs (74.1) compared to zone runs (63.3).

The Gators never hit the left tackle in Week 6, but Barber was surely a factor on the five plays that went all the way out to the left end (beyond the tight end). Not coincidentally, Florida’s highest average came off the left end (7.4 yards per attempt).

Left Guard

[autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] got the start for Florida at left guard, with Bryce Lovett as his backup.

Harris was excellent against the pass rush this week (85.1), but he struggled a bit more on run plays (63.2). He posted the lowest run-blocking grade among the five starters, but there’s a reason he stays out there. Harris was solid on zone runs (68.8) but struggled on gap plays (54.1).

Lovett only saw the field for seven run plays, and his numbers were terrible. A 43.8 run-blocking grade is almost half the 81.1 pass-blocking grade he put up, which explains why Harris is getting 30 more snaps a game. It also provides an explanation for Lovett’s brutal 48.7 overall grade on offense.

Florida rushers only hit the gap between the left tackle and left guard twice for one yard. The middle left gap (between the left guard and center) yielded better results (12 yards on four carries), but still isn’t the best option.

Center

[autotag]Jake Slaughter[/autotag] earned a 66.0 run-blocking grade against UCF — 69.1 on gap runs and 61.1 on zone plays. He ranked fourth overall on the team this week and third among offensive linemen. It’s his second-worst performance of the year as a run blocker, but he’s still incredibly solid overall.

We already talked about Slaughter helping to make runs to the middle-left effective, but it’s on the right side where he made the bigger difference. Florida rushers ran for 54 yards on eight runs between Slaughter and the right guard. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Right Guard

[autotag]Damieon George Jr[/autotag]. didn’t have the best day as a pass-blocker, but he was solid on run plays at right guard for Florida. George took the majority of the run plays (22) in front of Kamryn Waites (7) and earned the higher run-blocking grade (65.3). George was better on zone plays (68.0) than gap plays (58.1).

Waites only saw the field for zone runs, posting a 62.5 run-blocking grade.

Despite some pedestrian grades from PFF, Florida’s right guard tandem deserves some credit for the 58 yards gained off the middle-right gap. However, Florida rushers gained zero yards on two attempts to the gap between the right guard and right tackle.

Right Tackle

[autotag]Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson[/autotag] was Florida’s best offensive lineman against UCF, earning team-high grades all-around — 85.4 as a pass blocker and 74.3 as a run blocker. His 75.1 overall grade is second only to Graham Mertz throughout the entire offense.

Crenshaw-Dickson posted strong grades on both zone plays (72.5) and gap plays (67.5). Florida rushers ran off the right tackle just three times for eight yards, but that could be a weakside-strongside issue.

Tight Ends/Receivers

Florida runs a lot of two-tight-end sets, which means Arlis Boardingham and Hayden Hansen are asked to block quite often. Neither performed well as run blockers, posting grades of 52.3 and 55.2, respectively.

Hansen was decent on zone runs (64.1), but that’s not a big enough silver lining to save him.

Receivers aren’t expected to do much as run blockers, but Chimere Dike deserves a shoutout for his 74.1 run-blocking grade against UCF. He led the team on zone plays (77.2) and finished second overall behind BCD.

Understanding PFF grades

The grading scale ranges from minus-2 to plus-2 with increments of 0.5, and players are given a grade on every play they are on the field for. A zero grade means a player did his job, while the two ends of the scale represent extreme success or failure — think red zone interception at the end of a game or a game-winning touchdown pass when applying it to quarterbacks.

There’s a level of subjectivity to it, but each grade is reviewed at least once. Once all plus-minus grades are in, the numbers are converted to a 0-100 scale to easily compare players. There are some loosely defined tiers within the system — 90-100 is elite, 85-89 is Pro Bowl level for NFL players, 70 to 84 is a starter and 60-69 is a backup. Anything 59 and below is considered a replaceable talent.

Since we’re looking at college athletes with a system designed for the pros, we will consider anything above 65.0 as a solid performance.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Billy Napier impressed with depth in running back room

Florida is waiting for its starting running back, Montrell Johnson Jr., to return from minor surgery, but the rest of the room is stepping up.

As Florida starting running back [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. continues to recover from minor knee surgery, the rest of the position room is thriving.

Head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] spoke to the media on Monday, following the team’s final scrimmage of the fall and provided an update on Johnson.

“Montrell is doing fantastic,” Napier said. “He’s been able to do a few things. We expect him to be able to participate in practice, whether that’s modified and at some point full speed, but we’ll give you an update.”

While it’s good news that Johnson is close to returning to the field, Napier’s comments came less than two weeks out from the season opener against Miami on Aug. 31. There is a growing concern among the fanbase that Johnson might not be ready for what feels like a must-win game, but confidence is growing when it comes to rest of the position room.

“We have confidence that Montrell’s doing great and feel good about his return. I do think that the four other kids have had fantastic training camps. It is extremely competitive. I couldn’t tell you who’s running out there next right now.”

Most are expecting sophomore Treyaun Webb to step in Johnson’s place, but true freshmen [autotag]Jadan Baugh[/autotag] and [autotag]KD Daniels[/autotag], as well as JUCO transfer [autotag]Ja’Kobi Jackson[/autotag], are standing out.

“Webb has game experience, and I trust him,” he said. “He’s by far the best protector. He’s tough, he’s durable, he’s smart, but also standing back there behind it, and I’m watching Jadan Baugh and Ja’Kobi and KD in these two scrimmages, we feel good about that room.”

Napier says experience matters. Running back is about more than just finding holes and hitting the open field. Playing without the ball is half the position, and Webb’s pass protection gives him the leg up.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida Football 2024 Position Preview: Running Backs

Montrell Johnson Jr. looks to carry the load for the Florida Gators offense this season, but who else can step up in the running backs room?

After previewing who the Gators have at quarterback, it’s time to dive into Florida’s running back room for the 2024 season.

Make no mistake, it’s tough to ignore the offseason departure of last year’s starting running back Trevor Etienne, but it looks like the Gators will have plenty of solid playmakers at the running back position this upcoming year.

Montrell Johnson Jr. will look to carry a bulk of the load in the backfield this season despite undergoing knee surgery a few weeks ago.

But for a position that requires a lot of depth, who will fill those backup spots for the Gators?

Starter: No. 1 Montrell Johnson Jr. (Sr.)

Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun

Rushing Stats:

Year GP ATT YDS AVG TD Long AVG/G
2021 14 162 838 5.2 12 99 59.9
2022 13 155 841 5.4 10 62 64.7
2023 12 152 817 5.4 5 52 68.1
Total 39 469 2,496 5.3 27 99 64.2

Receiving Stats:

Year GP REC YDS AVG TD Long AVG/G
2021 14 6 53 8.8 0 15 3.8
2022 13 12 58 4.8 1 18 4.5
2023 12 30 236 7.9 1 19 19.7
Total 39 48 347 7.2 2 19 14.9

Now with his third season coming up with the Gators, Johnson looks to step into the starting running back role and serve as a leader for the offense.

Johnson is a very versatile back and can bring a lot to the table. He has great vision, can run between the tackles and be a threat with his pass-catching abilities.

However, Johnson lacks speed and open-field elusiveness.

Although Johnson is currently rehabbing from his recent knee surgery, head coach Billy Napier mentioned it as “minor.” With Week 1 against the Miami Hurricanes just a couple weeks away, it’s tough to tell whether Johnson will be ready to play. He is currently listed week to week.

Backups: No. 5 Treyaun Webb (So.) and No. 24 Ja’Kobi Jackson (R-Jr.)

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

Rushing Stats (Webb):

Year GP ATT YDS AVG TD Long AVG/G
2023 11 26 163 6.3 2 43 14.8

Receiving Stats (Webb):

Year GP REC YDS AVG TD Long AVG/G
2023 11 4 18 4.5 0 12 1.6

Treyaun Webb is a sophomore from Jacksonville who has the most experience out of anyone behind Johnson.

After winning a couple of state championships at Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, the former four-star recruit played his first season with Florida last year and as a freshman, was able to log a couple of touchdowns.

Expect Webb’s workload to increase a lot more.

Ja’Kobi Jackson transferred from Coahoma (Mississippi) Community College and redshirted last season.

In his last season at Coahoma, Jackson led the team in rushing yards (661), touchdowns (7) and average per game (73.44).

Jackson looks to make it a competitive fight for that backup running back spot.

Freshmen: No. 13 Jadan Baugh (Fr.) and No. 21 KD Daniels (Fr.)

Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun

Jadan Baugh and KD Daniels are the two true freshmen in the running backs room.

Baugh was ranked as a four-star recruit out of Columbia High School in Decatur, Georgia, and turned some heads after playing well in the Orange & Blue game this past Spring.

Daniels was also a four-star recruit who has been performing well in training camp.

Coming out of West Point, Mississippi, Daniels has plenty of potential and looks to make an impact in the years to come.

Injury/Walk-Ons: No. 27 Cam Carroll (R-Sr.) and No. 25 Anthony Rubio (R-Fr.)

Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun

Cam Carroll transferred from Tulane last year but suffered a season-ending knee injury on the last day of fall camp.

It’ll be interesting to see if Carroll will see some time on the field this season, but it’s also tough to take some time away from the guys ahead of him.

Anthony Rubio, son of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, joined the Gators as a walk-on last season. Rubio went to Belen Jesuit in Miami.

I don’t expect these guys to see the field this season.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida running back target backs off Arkansas commitment

Florida never stopped pursuing running back Jadan Baugh when he committed to Arkansas, and now he’s re-opening his recruitment.

Columbia High (Decatur, Georgia) running back [autotag]Jadan Baugh[/autotag] backed off his commitment to the University of Arkansas on Monday, posting a message to Twitter thanking the university and its coaches.

“After lots of prayer and talks with my circle I’ve decided to decommit from the University of Arkansas,” Baugh wrote ” I’d like to thank Coach Pittman and Coach Jimmy and all of Arkansas for believing in me and for the opportunity.”

With the Razorbacks out of the picture, Baugh’s recruitment shifts focus to a final two of Alabama and Florida. Georgia Tech has also been in the mix, but Baugh is more likely to land in the SEC.

Baugh’s commitment comes just after an official visit with the Crimson Tide, so Nick Saban and Co. might be the group to beat. Florida running backs coach Jabbar Juluke has been the Baugh family’s main connection to the university, and the Gators are down a running back with Trevor Etienne in the transfer portal.

Baugh is a four-star recruit, according to On3 and Rivals, but 247Sports and ESPN only have him as a three-star. The On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average of all four systems, grants him four-star status and puts him at No. 357 overall in the class of 2024.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Three-star Arkansas commit is still listening to what Florida has to offer

Three-star athlete committed to Arkansas says he enjoyed his experience at UF, listening to what the recruiting staff has to offer.

The Florida Gators had a few special guests on the sidelines for its meeting with the Arkansas Razorbacks last Saturday.

One prospect, whom the Gators have as listed as a priority, is three-star Arkansas commit [autotag]Jadan Baugh[/autotag]. The 2024 recruit likes the environment in Gainesville and wants to make another visit.

Swamp247 asked the three-star about his experience in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

“It was a great atmosphere,” Baugh said. “It was very competitive, and it made me excited about watching the game today.”

Baugh is listed as an athlete on 247Sports, but it seems that the Gators would most likely use the multi-tool athlete as a running back. The Decatur, Georgia, native was observant of how the Gators utilized their running backs, Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson.

The three-star took time to speak with Florida running back coach Jabbar Juluke.

“It was great, I just told coach Juluke; I love seeing it in person rather than seeing it on TV to see how everything works behind the scenes,” Baugh said. “On TV, you only see highlights and stuff. I like seeing the whole game. They got me excited about what’s to come in the future.”

Florida head coach Billy Napier also spoke with Baugh, giving his pitch despite the overtime loss to Arkansas. When asked what was said, Baugh explained that the Gators are doing what they can to get him in Gainesville.

“Their main message to me is that they’re making me a priority and they want me to get back down here, and that’s what I did today,” Baugh said.

Baugh is labeled as a “hard commit” to Arkansas but is clearly still listening to what the scouts have to offer. The relationship between Baugh and the UF coaching staff is becoming stronger with each visit.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Razorbacks land 2024 four-star running back Jadan Baugh

Four-star athlete Jadan Baugh commits to Arkansas.

Running back shouldn’t be an issue for the Hogs the next couple of seasons, adding another to the depth chart.

Listed as a four-star athlete, Jadan Baugh announced during his high school’s spring game he will play his college ball at Arkansas next year. Baugh picked the Hogs over Florida, Louisville, and Georgia.

Running back coach Jimmy Smith was in charge of recruiting Baugh for the Hogs. Baugh already has an excellent reputation in Georgia, and while other schools were looking to put Baugh on the defensive side as a linebacker, Pittman sent Smith to add Baugh to the deep running back room.

Baugh is the first Georgia player of the 2024 class to commit to Arkansas, bringing the total to ten. He is the second athlete of the class, joining JuJu Pope, who committed last month.