Florida: Jadan Baugh Suggests 'Inside Stuff' Under Billy Napier Caused Issues
· Yahoo Sports
There were questions as to if Jadan Baugh would even want to return to the Florida Gators for his final season in college football after Billy Napier was fired last season.
New head coach Jon Sumrall and his staff worked hard to retain the running back, and Baugh is expected to be one of the focal points of the offense as he proves why an NFL team should take him with a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
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Baugh had a breakout season in 2025, rushing 220 times for 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns on the 4-8 Gators team. He added another 210 yards and two touchdowns in the passing game.
On Wednesday, Baugh was asked by reporters at the SEC Media Days in Tampa Bay, Florida, what one of the bigger differences was between Sumrall and Napier's regime. Baugh suggested that internal issues were the cause of some dysfunction under Napier, though he didn't use his former coach by name.
"We always had the pieces," Baugh said, via USA Today. "It was just more of the inside stuff with the team as to buying into the process, understanding the process a lot more just to keep going.
"And I feel like this year we have a lot of guys who want to and a lot of guys who are willing to sacrifice anything for the team."
This summer, Napier, now the head coach at James Madison, took responsibility for the team underperforming last year. He admitted he should have given up play calling sooner during his tenure with Florida, something Baugh suggested as an issue as he thinks the new staff has better defined roles.
"Well, I can say for a fact that the coaching staff now, we have a lot more guys into certain areas as we have OC, we have a defensive coordinator," Baugh said. "You have the guys who stand around and help, you know?
"They all coach us like it's the last day. And with that, I feel like that makes us better each and every day and they push us 24/7."
Based on Baugh's comments, it seems like the players in the locker room are better responding to Sumrall. We'll see if that translates through training camp and into the regular season.