Jadan Baugh is out of the Heisman Trophy race. That does not matter to him, though, as the Florida Gators approach a matchup against No. 3 Georgia.

"That's an award that is independent, and I'm not looking too much more independent right now," he said on Monday. "I'm looking more of a team. And our team has so much talent to put out there and display on the field to a point where those accolades will come. And I'm ready to just go out there and play football and play at a high level."

Rushing for 600 yards and 11 touchdowns across Florida's first four games of the 2026 season, Baugh was in the midst of the best rushing start for a Gator in program history, while solidifying himself as a top back nationally, arguably the top back in the 2027 NFL Draft class and an early contender for the Heisman Trophy, which he celebrated with a pose after every touchdown run.

His next two games quickly saw his chances to be Florida's fourth Heisman Trophy winner disappeared. A 13-yard effort on 12 carries against Missouri was shocking. A 59-yard effort on 15 carries with one garbage-time touchdown a week later against South Carolina was just as disappointing.

Baugh, also dealing with a hand injury, took the struggles in stride and bounced back nicely with a 91-yard effort and fourth-quarter touchdown in the upset win over Texas,

"Everybody faces adversity," Baugh said. "Me going into it and those games that didn't go our way, I didn't look at like me. We were all just doing wrong and you know, we just needed to lock in, you know, prepare ourselves a lot better. I feel like those games we took Ls and did face adversity, we didn't prepare ourselves the right way. And if we do that better, then it could help us more."

Most impressive, though, was the way Baugh got his 91 yards. He recorded just two rushes of over 10 yards: a 13-yard rush in the fourth quarter before an 11-yard touchdown to give the Gators a 10-point lead. Rather than his usual big runs, his constant yards wore down Texas' defense, even with Baugh exiting the game due to an injury issue before returning to help seal the win.

"He's a trooper, and like I said earlier, he practices that way," center Harrison Moore said. "He’s somebody that during practice he touches the ball he’s going to sprint 50 yards and score a touchdown like he would if it was a real game, you know, like full speed everything, and he’s been a really good leader for us, making sure that everybody is working really hard during practice and that’s why he’s been able to play as good as he has.”

Head coach Jon Sumrall said that Baugh was the "poster child" of the Gators' offense in the win.

"He embodied how we played that game, which was kind of just one play at a time," Sumrall explained. "Doesn’t have to be a big play, doesn’t have to be a home run, but just keep competing and good things will happen. Our offense reflected that; our team reflected that.”

JADAN BAUGH JUST WALKED INTO AUSTIN AND TOOK IT 🐊🔥

25 CAR, 104 YDS, 1 TD vs Texas

They said he was done after two bad weeks. He answered against a top-20 run defense with a backup QB, on the road, against No. 7. pic.twitter.com/YK7YjyqGQK

— CFB Performances (@performancesCFB) October 17, 2026

The Gators now enter a crucial game against third-ranked Georgia, with Florida somehow still alive for an SEC Championship and a playoff spot despite its two losses. For Baugh, Saturday's game also comes with personal ties.

The game, moved for two seasons away from Jacksonville, will be played in Atlanta, less than 10 minutes away from Baugh's hometown of Decatur, with around 30 family members in attendance if Baugh secures enough tickets.

"Some of them are Georgia fans, some of them are Florida fans," Baugh said. "But when it comes to this game, they're all Florida fans."

He also spent part of the bye week in the area and was surprised by his high school, Columbia, which retired his No. 3 jersey during Friday's game.

There is also the Georgia factor. Baugh, a four-star running back in the 2024 recruiting class, was recruited by Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann to play linebacker. When Baugh, who eventually committed to Arkansas before flipping to Florida, expressed his desire to play running back, they went in separate directions.

Georgia went on to sign former Florida back Trevor Etienne out of the portal in addition to three high school backs, including leading backs Dwight Phillips and Nate Frazier. Florida added Baugh, who led the team in rushing as a true freshman before becoming the program's first 1,000-yard rusher in 10 seasons as a sophomore.

"It wasn't too hot (of an interest)," Baugh said of his recruitment with Georgia. "Like I said, they was looking over me and I didn't too much care. But Florida gave me a platform. They brought me in with open arms to just go out there and play the best ball I can play."

A win would give Florida its best start (6-2) and its first win over Georgia since 2020, putting the Gators back into the playoff conversation with three top-10 wins. Baugh will also get his chance to make his mark on the personal rivalry as he looks to become the Gators' first back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher in program history.

"It's a big opportunity," Baugh said. "Coach told us this morning, everything we want is going to be there. We're going to be in a great position to show our talent and I can't wait to see our team show their talent. Forget what I do. I just can't to see them boys go out there with smiles on their faces and just play the game we love."