Florida’s backfield is shaping up around Jadan Baugh, but the Gators may have more than one answer coming out of the transfer portal.
Baugh is expected to carry the load in Gainesville, and Jon Sumrall made keeping him a priority when he took the job. That much is clear. What’s less settled is who claims the next spot in line, and Evan Pryor is making a strong case to be the wild card.
Pryor arrived from Cincinnati without much noise, but the film hinted at something more. He already showed he can be a useful receiver out of the backfield, with 25 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns with the Bearcats, and he has also flashed big-play ability with a 7.1 yards per carry average over two seasons.
On Tuesday, Pryor spoke about his path and made it plain that 2026 is his chance to put everything together.
“These last two years at Cincinnati, I was building my game and putting things back together. So I feel like here, my last season of eligibility at Florida, you know, it's my time to really just put it all together as my final product.“
What makes the fit intriguing is that Pryor and Baugh bring different things to the table. Pryor said that separation mattered in his decision to come to Florida.
“We're two different types of backs. That went into my decision as well. You don't want to go somewhere where they already kind of have your role sketched out for someone else.”
That’s where Buster Faulkner’s offense could open the door. The idea is simple: if defenses start dropping deep to handle receivers like Vernell Brown III or Dallas Wilson, space opens underneath. Pryor has the kind of burst that can turn that into an easy chunk play in a hurry.
He still has to beat out Duke Clark for those snaps, but Pryor looks like the kind of transfer who could matter a lot more than his arrival suggested. Florida may have found a real home-run threat to pair with Baugh in 2026.
In Other News...
Florida May Have Found The Perfect Backfield Fit Behind Jadan Baugh
Evan Pryors move from Cincinnati to Florida added another layer to a backfield that already had a clear headliner in preseason All-American Jadan Baugh. Pryor arrived with a reputation for speed and big-play ability, and his addition gave the Gators another back who can compete for snaps in a room that is already crowded with options.
Jon Sumrall has liked what he has seen so far, calling Pryor a smart player with a different running style than Baugh. That kind of fit matters in a rotation, especially when a team is trying to sort out who can complement its lead back most cleanly, and Pryors skill set suggests Florida may have found a useful piece even if the workload will not be easy to earn. [Read more 🡒]
Ty Jackson Is Pushing For A Bigger Florida Defensive Role
A year into his Florida career, Ty Jackson is starting to look like a linebacker the Gators can trust more often. The rising sophomore has drawn notice throughout fall camp for how much he has cleaned up his game, and head coach Jon Sumrall has pointed to Jacksons physical tools and football IQ as reasons the staff believes he is trending the right way. The growth has been especially noticeable in the areas that matter most for a young linebacker, with better vision and improved spatial awareness helping him handle the speed of practice.
Brendan Bett has seen it up close from the other side of the ball, and his takeaway fits the general sense around camp: Jackson is making plays with more force and confidence. For Florida, the question now is how quickly that progress translates into a real spot in the linebacker rotation, because a player showing this kind of upward climb in August can force decisions once the season begins. [Read more 🡒]