Jadan Baugh, No. 16 Florida ready to move on, but that's easier said than done

The Florida Gators came crashing back to earth in Week 5 of the 2026 college football season.

Heading into their game against the Missouri Tigers, Florida was the nation's hottest team after beating No. 4 Ole Miss in The Swamp.

The Gators were ranked No. 8 (now at No. 16) and were the favorites against No. 25 Missouri. They boasted new head coach Jon Sumrall, who brought a ton of energy and hype to the table with him, as well as a Heisman Trophy candidate in running back Jadan Baugh.

Missouri beat the Gators, 45-17. It wasn't even close. In fact, there was a time early in the fourth quarter when Mizzou was up by 35 points.

Crashing down to earth is the perfect way to describe Florida's Week 5 loss, and with the Gators' tumble came a huge bump in the road for Baugh's Heisman campaign.

After rushing for 611 yards and 11 touchdowns in the first four games of the season, the stellar back from Atlanta, Georgia, was held to just 13 yards on 12 carries by the Tigers. 

He averaged just 1.1 yards per carry, and on Monday, Sumrall revealed that the running back made a promise to him after the loss.

After the game, Baugh texted Sumrall.

“He’s like, ‘Coach, I’m sorry. I won’t let that ever happen again. I didn’t play my best,'” Sumrall told the media. “I love Jadan because he owned it and he’s ready to move forward."