The Florida Gators almost lost running back Jadan Baugh to the transfer portal this offseason. As it turns out, though, new head coach Jon Sumrall did something extraordinary to keep the Atlanta product in Gainesville for the 2026 season.
Meanwhile, Pitt Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi had unfathomable trash talk for the SEC and the Big Ten during an interview with 680 The Fan at the 2026 ACC Football Kickoff. Narduzzi had one of the more interesting defenses of the ACC you'll ever hear.
Here were some of the gridiron headlines from the SEC this past weekend:
Florida RB Jadan Baugh on how Jon Sumrall kept him out of the portal
Talk about recruiting overtime. Sumrall went to Baugh's grandmother's house in Georgia on Christmas Eve this past December to convince the former 3-star-turned-top-50 player in college football to remain a Gator.
"For him (Jon Sumrall) to bring his family and himself to my grandmother’s house on Christmas Eve, I felt like that meant so much to me because it showed that he cared. Like he told me, his dad would want him to be here as well," Baugh said.
Sumrall lost his father six days prior to the visit. For Baugh to say that about Sumrall, it's clear that the two had a connection that went beyond football that kept him at UF. That sort of relationship tends to produce greatness on the field.
Sumrall proved with the Tulane Green Wave that his physical, blue-collar philosophies produce great defenses and running games. Tulane averaged 166.3 rushing yards per game and 4.5 yards per carry last year.
It won't be easy against SEC defenses, and his Troy Trojans tenure didn't provide the same results, but the Buster Faulkner hiring should provide stability there. Faulkner had the ACC's best rushing attack in 2023 with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during his first year in the ATL. Georgia Tech had the country's No. 12 overall rushing attack in yardage.
Baugh is clearly with a program that values him. Sumrall's act to keep him in orange and blue was spectacular, to say the least.
Tennessee RB pitches David Gabriel Georges, Texas guard sues the NCAA
Pitt's Pat Narduzzi calls out the SEC and Big Ten in a weird way
As for Narduzzi's comments, well, they were bold to say the least.
"(The ACC's) better than the Big Ten. It's got more skill," Narduzzi said. "You look at our record in bowl games against the SEC and the Big Ten. You look at our record in the regular season. We don't have losing records."
Pitt went 1-1 in a home-and-home against the Tennessee Volunteers in the NIL era and lost to the Michigan State Spartans in the 2021 Peach Bowl during that timeframe. The ACC has a losing record against both the SEC and Big Ten, collectively as a conference, since 2021.
It's unclear where this confidence is coming from. The Miami Hurricanes' recent run to the national championship game, perhaps? Hell, the Florida State Seminoles went 13-0 to win the ACC Championship and didn't even get a CFP invite in 2023.
Do we need to reference the recent recruiting rankings over the years? I feel like Narduzzi needs the raw numbers. ASAP.
Narduzzi is confident to a fault, but it's just unclear why or where this grudge with the SEC and Big Ten came from.
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