Jadan Baugh Joins DJ Lagway as Future of Florida Gators

The Florida Gators have a pair of star freshman on offense. DJ Lagway has taken the reins at quarterback and it's time for Jadan Baugh to do the same at running back.

Florida Gators freshman running back Jadan Baugh rushed for five touchdowns against the Kentucky Wildcats. / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Jadan Baugh sits deep on the current depth chart for the Florida Gators. While that may not surprise anyone due to the fact that Baugh is a freshman, he doesn't look like a regular freshman at 6'1 and 230 pounds.

In fact, when given ample carries, he often shows that his football maturity belies his age. 

Baugh should start the rest of this season, and he should head into next as either the starter or a 1b in a two-back system. Basically, Baugh sits in two eras - he should start now and in the future for the University of Florida.

Known Ceiling

Montrell Johnson runs the ball well. He uses decent vision and feet to generate yards. However, after three seasons in Gainesville, do you truly believe that he will greatly improve over the next five games? Recently, the Gators offense started firing on all cylinders, with big plays in the pass and run. 

Yet, Johnson missed time with injury. Honestly, if healthy, can Johnson consistently provide a spark on the ground to keep defenses off balance? In a word, no. Granted, Johnson churns forward with force and timing, he looks maxed out when it comes to athletic palette.

Kentucky Breakout

Pressed into action, Baugh left Lexington after scoring five times in a rout versus Kentucky. Now, one cannot use a single game as the metric for measuring whether a running back must assume the role of starter. It should also be noted that Auburn’s Jarquez Hunter torched the Kentucky defense for 278 yards on Saturday, but Hunter is a senior, All-SEC running back – good company for Baugh.

Meanwhile, if you take the manner in which he scored those touchdowns, it further elucidates the argument. Four-one-yard touchdowns and a seven-yarder. That shows Baugh as a tough runner with a nose for the endzone. Yet, while returning kicks you can see the burst at work, enough to find an alley and head downfield, which is what any team needs.

Bottom Line

Jadan Baugh runs hard. Film exists of this occurring multiple times. With DJ Lagway and with less miles than Montrell Johnson, he needs to see starter reps or a much-earned increase. Football, in its purest form remains a meritocracy, of sorts. 

Baugh put in the effort and work to justify ascending to the starting spot. With Florida hunting for bowl eligibility, a back that can punish a defense, drawing defenders into the box makes the most sense.

Plus, with fewer bodies in space, that will open throwing lanes for the offense. Either way, Jadan Baugh will once again place his stamp on the Florida Gators before the final gun sounds.

That's not a prediction, more like a spoiler.