Florida star RB Jadan Baugh shares special motivation provided by his father
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Florida standout running back Jadan Baugh has been tearing it up so far in 2026, and while his pure talent is probably enough to do that, the junior from Georgia revealed earlier this week that he has a special source of motivation.
Baugh has already amassed 458 yards on just 54 carries, which averages out to a whopping 8.5 yards a pop. If those numbers aren’t impressive enough, how about the fact that Baugh has already found the end zone 8 times in 3 games?
He’s got 3 100-yard games to his credit, which would make him 3 for 3 in that department. And Baugh’s touchdown breakdown goes like this — 3 TDs in Week 1, 2 more touchdowns in Week 2, followed by another 3 in last week’s SEC opener at Auburn. That adds up to 8 scores in just 3 games, which is setting a mighty pace.
Baugh, who’s in his 3rd year in the Florida program and who was a 2nd-team All-SEC selection last season after rushing for 1,170 yards, has already equaled his rushing touchdown total from 2025. He’s got major talent all by himself, but then there’s that special motivation provided by none other than his dad.
The Heisman Trophy could be in Baugh’s future in December if he keeps this up, and wouldn’t you know it, Baugh’s dad sends Jadan a picture of the Heisman each and every week, just to put a little more burst in his son’s step.
“My dad, he sends me the Heisman Trophy every Monday, so he tells me, ‘Go get that for me,'” said Baugh during an appearance with SEC Network earlier this week. “It’s just an extra push for me, and my teammates they know the goal I’m trying to get to. Each and every day they push me to be the best player I can be.”
Baugh will try to do special things again on Saturday afternoon (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC), when his Gators try to hand Ole Miss its first loss of the season. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about Baugh and Florida and what their chances are against the 4th-ranked team in the country:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
