Evan Pryor didn’t come to Florida to chase 20 carries a week. He came to fit into something bigger.
That’s the reality of the Gators’ running back room, where preseason All-American Jadan Baugh sits at the top of the depth chart and the touches won’t be handed out freely. Pryor knew that when he transferred from Cincinnati, and he was fine with it.
“I was never a guy who needed 20, 25 carries to be productive, or have two touchdowns, or go over 100 yards,” Pryor said, “so Jadan's gonna do what he does with his amount of carries, and I feel like whatever comes after that between us and the backs, we'll work it out, and it'll be fine.”
That mindset is part of why Florida wanted him. The 5-foot-10, 189-pound back has bounced through a career that started at Ohio State, where he was stuck behind TreVeon Henderson as a true freshman. An injury wiped out his entire 2022 season, and after logging just 19 carries in 2023, he moved on to Cincinnati.
That stop showed what Pryor can bring when the ball finds him in space. In 2024, four of his six rushing touchdowns came on runs of 55 yards or longer, and he added an 80-yard catch-and-run touchdown against West Virginia.
“I've had three carries in some games and had over 80-something yards,” Pryor said, “so whatever my team calls on me to do whenever I need, I'm there. I'm going to make the play when my number's called.”
Florida has had this kind of back before. During the Urban Meyer years, speed backs like Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps gave the offense a different gear. Demps, who ran 10.37 seconds in the 100 meters at the Florida state finals and also competed for the Florida men’s track and field team, later went on to a professional track career.
Pryor could give the Gators a similar spark.
“He's a smart kid,” Florida football coach Jon Sumrall said. “He's got some slashing, running style ability.
A little different runner than Jadan. A different body type for sure, a little bit different of a run style.
He's got good ball skills. He can catch the ball out of the backfield.”
Baugh, listed at 6-1 and 228 pounds, brings a different kind of threat. He’s a power-speed blend, and the numbers back it up: third in the SEC in rushing with 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025. Pryor doesn’t see that as competition so much as a shared opportunity.
“I view myself as a top back in the country as well,” Pryor said, “so we both get a chance to feed off of each other. I’ve fed off of other backs in the past and vice versa.”
Pryor’s role has already started to open up in fall camp. An injury to returning redshirt freshman Duke Clark created more reps for him in Florida’s first intrasquad scrimmage on Aug.
- Clark has since returned to practice, and Pryor is still battling for touches with East Carolina transfer London Montgomery and redshirt freshman Byron Louis, a former Under Armour All-American.
“Our room is as deep as anyone in the country,” Pryor said. “I feel like we have the best room in the country.
Duke coming back, and Duke just adds to that, so if all five of us can find a way to feed off of each other, through special teams as well - it'll just propel us. Our team would just be great.”
In Other News...
Florida May Have Found The Perfect Back To Complement Jadan Baugh
Evan Pryor arrived from Cincinnati with a chance to carve out a role in Floridas backfield, and the fit could be more interesting than the usual transfer storyline. With Jadan Baugh already positioned as the lead runner, the real question around camp has become who can give the Gators the best complementary option behind him, and Pryors experience gives him a legitimate path into that conversation.
Under Buster Faulkners offense, Florida may be able to use Pryor in ways previous staffs did not, which is part of what makes this battle worth watching. If he earns meaningful snaps, the Gators could end up with a versatile piece who does more than simply spell Baugh, and Pryor sounds intent on making the most of whatever time he gets. [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 🡒]