The lengthy saga of whether Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh would enter the NCAA transfer portal amidst interest from the Texas Longhorns and other powerhouse programs came to an end on Tuesday when Baugh opted to remain in Gainesville under new head coach Jon Sumrall and his staff.
Baugh has two seasons of eligibility remaining after rushing
for 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns on 220 carries in 2025, a breakout season that vaulted him into the spotlight and onto the wish list of the Texas staff after rushing for 107 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries in the stunning upset by the Gators over the Longhorns to open SEC play.
If the odds of landing Baugh mildly increased with the expected termination of head coach Billy Napier only two weeks after the win over Texas, hiring former Gators running backs coach Jabbar Juluke last month seemed to increase them substantially for the Horns.
But Texas never even officially had the chance to pursue Baugh, a recruitment that instead took place behind the scenes in communication with his representation in the current Wild West era of college football, and misses out on the big-bodied back in the wake of Louisville standout Isaac Brown, another running back linked to Texas, opting to remain with the Cardinals.
Those are big 1-2 punches to catch the Longhorns in the jaw only days after the portal opening, forcing the staff to move on their backup plan for Baugh as a long-held dream died on Tuesday.
