Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh has been on a complete tear to start the 2025 college football season, and his first-round NFL Draft case is becoming difficult to dismiss. With 600 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns already on his resume, Baugh has been the driving force behind Florida’s strong start.

The conversation around where the talented back will land in the 2027 NFL Draft is heating up quickly.

Baugh is making a legitimate first-round case

Baugh may not fall into the same tier as Ashton Jeanty or Jeremiyah Love, but his case for being a first-round pick is strengthening by the week. If Jadarian Price could go in the first round, the door is open for Baugh to do the same. By some evaluations, Baugh is a better prospect than both Price and Omarion Hampton, who each went in the first round.

The most encouraging development has been Baugh’s ability to create explosive plays. Coming into the year, he had only one rush over 25 yards all of last season, a 26-yard gain. That number has already improved significantly. Florida offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner deserves credit for scheming opportunities that allow Baugh to break away from defenders, but the talent is undeniable.

The Le’Veon Bell comparison feels apt. Baugh runs with quick feet, patience, and high cut ability as a bigger back. He profiles more as a Bell-type runner than a Najee Harris-type, and that distinction matters for his NFL projection.

Low mileage adds to the appeal

One of the quieter advantages in Baugh’s draft profile is the tread on his tires. Florida also has Duke Clark, who has been phenomenal in his own right as a shifty, playmaking complement. That tandem means Baugh does not need to carry the ball 25 times every single week. Some weeks he may need to shoulder that load, but there will be others where 15 carries is enough.

The Florida offense also features talented wide receivers, including Eric Singleton Jr. returning from injury and Vernell Brown. That supporting cast prevents opposing defenses from zeroing in on Baugh exclusively.

Beyond the split workload, Baugh does not take a lot of unnecessary hits. He possesses a decisiveness in the open field that allows him to avoid contact in one-on-one situations. He can deliver punishment because he is a strong back, but he does not seek it out. That elusiveness should help keep his body fresh heading into the draft process.

The 40-yard dash conversation is coming

One reality worth preparing for is the 2027 NFL Scouting Combine.

Baugh is likely going to run something around a 4.54 in the 40-yard dash, and some evaluators will overreact. He is not a 4.4 guy, and anyone expecting him to clock a time like Jeremiyah Love’s 4.36 will be disappointed. That misses the point entirely.

As long as Baugh runs sub-4.6, the number should not be a concern. Bell ran in the 4.6 range, and it did not stop him from becoming one of the most dynamic backs in the NFL. Baugh is a short-area, quick-twitch player. That is what matters.

His frame is a throwback. He has the kind of ridiculously big build that only seems to come around every 10 years, and he does not just put his head down and try to grind out a couple of yards.

He can be an every-down back. He has been impactful as a receiver. He can break away from defenders. Compared to a player like Ole Miss’s Kewan Lacy, who will always face questions about his size being a limiting factor for three-down upside and durability, Baugh does not carry those same question marks.

Trinidad Chambliss is trending upward

The Ole Miss quarterback also deserves mention coming out of the Florida game.

Despite losing, Chambliss was the only reason the Rebels stayed competitive. Ole Miss had almost nothing from its run game, with the leading back managing roughly 30 yards. Chambliss led the team in rushing himself and still made a number of impressive throws. His ability to consistently attack the middle of the field is a translatable trait to the NFL level.

Without Kewan Lacy, the Ole Miss offense became one-dimensional, but Chambliss still produced. That speaks volumes about his ceiling as a quarterback prospect. He is trending upward in terms of where he could ultimately be selected.

Baugh, meanwhile, is justifiably part of the Heisman conversation with what he has done for this Florida team through the early portion of the season. The growth in his game has been substantial, and the first-round talk is only going to get louder from here.