While Florida can still add to its roster, the Gators appear largely finished in the transfer portal after 28 additions. Head coach Jon Sumrall’s roster unofficially stands at 106 players as of Friday, January 23rd.
Florida’s first spring practice is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3, with the annual Orange and Blue Game set for Saturday, April 11.
With the roster mostly complete, Gator Country has started breaking down each position group. Next up is running backs.
Florida’s running back room stands among the deepest and most experienced in the country entering the 2026 season. Led by star junior Jadan Baugh, Florida’s running backs have combined for 4,087 career rushing yards and 34 rushing touchdowns.
After losing Chad Gasper Jr., KD Daniels, and Ja’Kobi Jackson to the transfer portal, Florida needed to restock its depth. The Gators responded by adding two portal backs while retaining Jadan Baugh, Duke Clark, and Bryon Louis, giving them five scholarship running backs.
Jr. Jadan Baugh
Jadan Baugh will enter the 2026 season as one of the best running backs in college football after a standout sophomore campaign. The 6’1, 231 pound running back was selected to the All-SEC Second Team after rushing for 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns on 5.3 yards per carry.
Baugh became the first Gator since Kelvin Taylor in 2015 to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. He also ranked third in the SEC in rushing yards and 14th in all of FBS.
The Atlanta, Georgia native also proved his worth as a three-down back, hauling in 33 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns while showcasing strong pass protection abilities.
Baugh is among the nation’s best at shedding tackles and generating yards after contact, a testament to his sheer strength. But he’s also uniquely light on his feet and quick out of the backfield, making it difficult for defenders at any level to stop him.
There’s no question Baugh’s return was a major win for head coach Jon Sumrall, significantly boosting his chances of success in his first season in Gainesville.
R-Jr. London Montgomery
Despite Baugh’s return, the Gators were able to land the 10th best running back in the transfer portal in East Carolina’s London Montgomery. As a redshirt sophomore in 2025, Montgomery led the Pirates with 742 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
Montgomery began his collegiate career at Penn State in 2023, redshirting without appearing in a game. He transferred to East Carolina in 2024, where he rushed for 359 yards and two touchdowns on 5.1 yards per carry.
The 5’11, 197 pounds back also brings experience in the return game, totaling 114 yards on five kickoff returns in 2025, including a long of 53 yards.
Grading as East Carolina’s fourth best offensive player via Pro Football Focus, Montgomery averaged 2.78 yards after contact, forced 22 missed tackles, and recorded seven runs of 15+ yards.
Montgomery is an intriguing depth piece given his experience and two years of eligibility.
R-Sr. Evan Pryor
The depth doesn’t stop there. Florida also added Cincinnati running back Evan Pryor this offseason, a rising redshirt senior who rushed for 522 yards and three touchdowns with the Bearcats last season.
Over the past two seasons, Pryor has totaled 940 yards and nine touchdowns as Cincinnati’s backup running back. The 5’9, 195 pounds back also caught 25 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns during that span.
The most impressive mark is his 7.12 yards per carry over the 2024–25 seasons, showcasing elite efficiency and home-run potential.
18 of Pryor’s 76 rushing attempts in 2025 went for 10 or more yards, the second most in the country among running backs with less than under 100 attempts, according to Dylan Olive of SI.
Pryor led the Bearcats’ backfield last season with an average of 4.2 yards after contact, showcasing his physical running style. In 2024, Pryor averaged 5.04 yards after contact. Over the past two seasons, Pryor has forced 25 missed tackles on just 132 rushing attempts, including 15 on 76 carries in 2025 and 10 on 56 rushes in 2024.
Pryor’s addition means Florida will enter the 2026 season with three running backs who rushed for at least 500 yards last year, two of whom (Baugh and Montgomery) cleared the 700+ yard mark.
The Gators clearly prioritized building a deep and versatile running back room this offseason.
R-Fr. Duke Clark
Duke Clark is back in Gainesville for his second season after recording 58 rushing yards on 15 carries as a rookie.
Although he appeared in only four games and redshirted, Clark played a key role in Florida’s upset of Texas, totaling 38 yards on nine carries as Baugh’s backup due to multiple injuries. Clark ran tough against a talented Texas front that limited Baugh to just 4.0 yards per carry in the contest.
The 6’1, 211 pounds back also caught two passes for 14 yards last season.
R-Fr. Bryon Louis
Bryon Louis is back for year two after redshirting in 2025. He saw action in only one game, a blowout loss to Kentucky, running twice for minus two yards. Louis was a summer enrollee which made it difficult for him to carve out a significant role in year one.
Louis stands at 5’11.5, 211 pounds.