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Florida Gators' Freshman Running Back Continues to Impress

Freshman running back Jadan Baugh has been a standout on the team despite being underutilized by the Florida Gators

Kyle Lander

Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh has stood out despite being underutilized this season [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh has stood out despite being underutilized this season [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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It is not always easy for freshmen to acclimate themselves to the college level – and the SEC level at the same time – but Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh has certainly found his footing. 

Despite only rushing the ball 19 times this season, Baugh holds the highest yards per carry (6.7) among all Gators with 10 or more rushing attempts. Yet, despite being the leader in this unit for yards per carry, he’s tied for third on the team in total carries. That’s too far down the pecking order for someone who is doing the most damage when the ball is in his hands.

However, the positive going into the game against Tennessee is that Baugh should most likely see an increase in carries. The negative to it is that it is coming at the hands of Treyaun Webb missing-in-action for the second straight week. With Webb out last week, Baugh had a season-high in rushes (9). 

It would be beneficial for the Gators offense for Baugh to continue this uptick in carries because at this point, he isn’t just a fairytale. Baugh has shown that what he is putting on the field is consistent. He has been a tough tackle for any team, and he can be a more-than-capable blocker in passing situations. 

Oh, there’s one more thing also. Baugh has been the SEC’s most successful rusher among players with a minimum of 16 attempts, per SEC Stat Cat. Baugh leads this category with a 63.16 success percentage. 

This is over 10 percent better than Tennessee’s starting running back Dylan Sampson (51.65), who has been one of the most dangerous backs in the SEC this season. 

But the stats don’t stop there. According to SEC Stat Cat, Baugh is also third in the conference for average yards after contact (YAC), averaging 4.53 YAC. 

It is one thing to deny his abilities if you haven’t watched him, but facts don’t lie. He has been, statistically, one of the best Gator backs this season. And when adding these stats into the mix, he has also been a top back in the SEC.

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Kyle Lander
KYLE LANDER

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