Jadan Baugh Named Alexander Award Player of the Week

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In a spot start for senior running back Montrell Johnson Jr., all Florida freshman running back Jadan Baugh did was tie a school record for touchdowns on his way to being named the Week 8 Shaun Alexander Award Player of the Week by the Maxwell Football Club on Oct. 22 for the Gators (4-3, 1-4 Southeastern Conference). 

Despite facing a top 10 defense in Kentucky (3-4, 1-4), Baugh helped the Gators notch their first SEC win of the season by carving up the Wildcats defense for 109 yards on 22 carries (4.95 yards per carry) and 5 touchdowns in a 48-20 win on Oct. 19. Baugh’s 5 scores tied the Florida record for touchdowns in a game with Tim Tebow (2007 vs. South Carolina) and Trey Burton (2010 vs. Kentucky). 

In his first career start, Baugh got his record-tying day started off in the second quarter with 3 touchdowns in the final 10 minutes of the first half. The 6-foot-1, 227-pounder from Atlanta scored his first touchdown of the day on a 7-yard run with 8:15 left in the second quarter, then scored on a 10-yard run with 2:10 left in the second quarter and capped off his first half with his third on a 1-yard run with 1:44 left in the first half. Baugh’s fourth score came on a 1-yard run with 3:27 left in the third and he tied the school record with 3:31 left in the game on a 1-yard run. 

Baugh and fellow freshman quarterback DJ Lagway helped the Gators rack up 476 yards of total offense against the then No. 4-ranked defense in the nation. The win also gave Florida its third victory in its last four games after starting the season 1-2. 

On the Season

Prior to his first start of the season, Baugh had just 31 carries and 150 yards, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Baugh has now rushed for 259 yards on 53 carries (4.9 ypc) this season. 

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Florida will have a bye this upcoming week before facing one of the toughest four-game stretches in the country. The Gators will square off against rival No. 2 Georgia (6-1, 4-1) on Nov. 2 in Jacksonville, Fla., then take on No. 5 Texas (6-1, 2-1) on Nov. 9 in Austin, Texas, followed by two home games against No. 8 LSU (6-1, 3-0) on Nov. 16 and against No. 18 Ole Miss (5-2, 1-2) on Nov. 23. 

The Shaun Alexander Award

One of the Maxwell Football Club’s most prestigious awards, the Shaun Alexander Award is presented to the best freshman player in college football each year. Originally named the College Football Freshman Player of the Year Award, the award was established in 2019. The inaugural winner was quarterback Trevor Lawrence of Clemson, while former Alabama and current Ohio State defensive back Caleb Downs won the award in 2023.