Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway headlined the newcomers who debuted in front of Florida fans at the Orange & Blue Game.

Lagway was one of several young offensive players who made his presence known on Saturday.

The Gators' rushing game was dominated by freshman running back Jadan Baugh, who showcased his talents in front of Gator Nation for the first time. Baugh carried 12 times for 77 yards for the Orange Team.

On the Orange's second drive of the game, he displayed a combination of speed and toughness with a 25-yard run that announced his arrival.

"Yeah, he's a very hard runner," said junior defensive back Devin Moore. "He's definitely been coached very well, and just his frame, and for a guy that big, too, he got some juke moves and stick to him, too, so you can't just come up there and cut him. You have to make sure you wrap up and make the tackle."

While Baugh did not get the chance to score during the game, he made it difficult for himself to be tackled and created opportunities for his team to earn points every time he ran the ball. Baugh had 60 yards in the first half and helped his team grab the lead until Team Blue won 19-17 on a field goal by Trey Smack as time expired.

A 6-foot, 237-pound back from Columbia High in Decatur, Ga., Baugh signed with Florida over Alabama in a back-and-forth battle. As a senior, he rushed for 1,583 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Baugh impressed one of his young teammates, sophomore receiver Eugene Wilson III, another talented offensive player who had a big game Saturday.

"Oh, shoot, them boys, like I said, their ice is breaking. Especially Jadan Baugh," said Wilson. "When I first met him, I'm not going to lie. I didn't really know too much about him from the recruiting angles and all that. Seeing his first couple of days at practice, I knew he was going to make some shaking, and he most definitely showcased it. Most definitely." According to Napier, Baugh was a jack-of-all-trades before Florida, playing linebacker, quarterback, safety, receiver and running back for his high school team. Capitalizing on this kind of athleticism in the running back position is crucial for the Gators.

With the loss of Trevor Etienne to Georgia during the offseason, many fans have been questioning who will take his place. Based on Baugh's performance, there is a strong hope that he is up to the task of manning the running back position alongside veteran running back Montrell Johnson Jr. and returning young players Treyaun Webb and Ja'Kobi Jackson. The Gators also signed freshman running back KD Daniels, who rushed six times for 13 yards Saturday.

Baugh did most of his damage in the first half as the starter for the Orange Team.

"I think we'll look back at that one, and that's going to be good for the Gators,'' Napier said of the recruiting win to sign Baugh. "I think we saw a little flash of that today."

Another piece of the offense that was in question for the Gators was how things were going to look without Mertz's favorite target, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, on the field. Many have hoped that Wilson will take over the role for the 2024 season. Based on his performance, things are looking bright for the sophomore wide receiver.

"Every time I see 3 (Wilson), matching up against 3 (cornerback Jason Marshall Jr.), I know it's going to be a battle," Moore said. "He is going to bring the best out of me. I'm going to bring the best out of him.

"You know you have to switch it up versus him because he's very shifty and very explosive. Every time I see him, it's on. It's going to be a great battle."

Wilson led the team in receiving yards with 128 yards for Team Blue, including the longest reception of the game, a 60-yard touchdown that put Team Blue in the lead 13-7 in the second quarter.
"He picked up where he left off. Just so explosive in what he does," Mertz said.

After one season with the Gators, Wilson has acclimated to playing in the Swamp quite nicely and has been training ever since to help prepare him for the next season. However, other things are contributing to his early success.

"The other thing that I think is beneficial is he observed Ricky Pearsall all summer and all season, and Ricky was a professional in terms of the way he approached the game. Much like DJ is getting to observe Graham, I think Tre got a chance to observe Ricky last year, and that's contributing to what we see there," said Napier. "We're going to get our money's worth out of Tre Wilson. I can promise you that."

As Napier enters his third season, he already understands what to expect from the team's young offensive weapons, such as Wilson and Baugh. They didn't disappoint on Saturday's big stage.