Now that Tulane season is over, Jon Sumrall, the new HC of the Gators, is shifting his full focus to his Florida gig. The first task is to keep the house in order, and it starts with RB Jadan Baugh. After losing their RB coach Jabbar Juluke to Texas, Florida is going for an equally impressive name to keep the run game going.

Reports reveal that Sumrall is interested in Duke running backs coach Chris Foster, who flipped Duke’s worst offensive unit almost overnight. In 2024, the Blue Devils ranked 16th in the ACC in rushing yards per game (92.5), total rushing yards (1,202), and yards per carry (3.2). One season later, those numbers jumped to 132.5 yards per game, 1,722 total rushing yards, and 4.1 yards per carry, with Duke running the ball 38 more times than the year before.

At the heart of that comeback was 3-star freshman Nate Sheppard, who climbed off the depth chart to become one of the conference’s most prolific running backs. In 2025, Sheppard averaged 5.4 yards per carry on 178 runs, ranking second in the ACC in running yards (962) and fourth in rushing touchdowns (10) under Foster.

For Foster, this is nothing new. Keaton Mitchell, who had averaged 6.5 yards per run the year before, became a national outlier at East Carolina with 1,452 yards in 2022 and 7.2 yards per carry (second in the nation). Returning to Georgia Southern, Foster’s running back room finished sixth in the country with 267.1 rushing yards per game and 2,427 total yards, earning him a consideration for the Broyles Award.

That’s why this pursuit matters so much for Florida. Targeting a coach with a track record of transforming overlooked backs into conference leaders is a statement as Sumrall prepares to meet with Jadan Baugh and his family.

Jon Sumrall’s first big test looms

For Jadan Baugh, feeling valued after leading Florida through chaos is more important than jerseys and depth charts. Baugh continued to show up, crushing out yards and touchdowns when the Gators had very little margin for error as the offense faltered and the quarterback room struggled with injuries. It feels more intense now that Ohio State and Texas are circling. He’s no longer the 3-star kid hoping for a chance. As a seasoned SEC back, he is choosing where his peak years should matter the most.

Texas’s pull is obvious. Jabbar Juluke’s presence hits close to home, and the $1.5 million NIL move only adds fuel to the fire. Juluke had coached Baugh the past two seasons.

Ohio State, on the other hand, offers a different type of temptation as a program that is trying to improve a run game that hasn’t kept up with its passing firepower. Ryan Day needs a tone-setter. Baugh, a bruiser who can stabilize an offense and relieve pressure on a young quarterback in Columbus, is a great fit for that profile.

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That’s why Jon Sumrall’s upcoming meeting carries so much weight. The Gators know that they are up against programs with bigger wallets and louder spotlights. But it may be the first major victory of Sumrall’s era if they can convince their star that Gainesville is still home.