After previewing who the Gators have at quarterback, it’s time to dive into Florida’s running back room for the 2024 season.
Make no mistake, it’s tough to ignore the offseason departure of last year’s starting running back Trevor Etienne, but it looks like the Gators will have plenty of solid playmakers at the running back position this upcoming year.
Montrell Johnson Jr. will look to carry a bulk of the load in the backfield this season despite undergoing knee surgery a few weeks ago.
But for a position that requires a lot of depth, who will fill those backup spots for the Gators?
Starter: No. 1 Montrell Johnson Jr. (Sr.)
Rushing Stats:
| Year | GP | ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | Long | AVG/G |
| 2021 | 14 | 162 | 838 | 5.2 | 12 | 99 | 59.9 |
| 2022 | 13 | 155 | 841 | 5.4 | 10 | 62 | 64.7 |
| 2023 | 12 | 152 | 817 | 5.4 | 5 | 52 | 68.1 |
| Total | 39 | 469 | 2,496 | 5.3 | 27 | 99 | 64.2 |
Receiving Stats:
| Year | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | Long | AVG/G |
| 2021 | 14 | 6 | 53 | 8.8 | 0 | 15 | 3.8 |
| 2022 | 13 | 12 | 58 | 4.8 | 1 | 18 | 4.5 |
| 2023 | 12 | 30 | 236 | 7.9 | 1 | 19 | 19.7 |
| Total | 39 | 48 | 347 | 7.2 | 2 | 19 | 14.9 |
Now with his third season coming up with the Gators, Johnson looks to step into the starting running back role and serve as a leader for the offense.
Johnson is a very versatile back and can bring a lot to the table. He has great vision, can run between the tackles and be a threat with his pass-catching abilities.
However, Johnson lacks speed and open-field elusiveness.
Although Johnson is currently rehabbing from his recent knee surgery, head coach Billy Napier mentioned it as “minor.” With Week 1 against the Miami Hurricanes just a couple weeks away, it’s tough to tell whether Johnson will be ready to play. He is currently listed week to week.
Backups: No. 5 Treyaun Webb (So.) and No. 24 Ja’Kobi Jackson (R-Jr.)
Rushing Stats (Webb):
| Year | GP | ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | Long | AVG/G |
| 2023 | 11 | 26 | 163 | 6.3 | 2 | 43 | 14.8 |
Receiving Stats (Webb):
| Year | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | Long | AVG/G |
| 2023 | 11 | 4 | 18 | 4.5 | 0 | 12 | 1.6 |
Treyaun Webb is a sophomore from Jacksonville who has the most experience out of anyone behind Johnson.
After winning a couple of state championships at Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, the former four-star recruit played his first season with Florida last year and as a freshman, was able to log a couple of touchdowns.
Expect Webb’s workload to increase a lot more.
Ja’Kobi Jackson transferred from Coahoma (Mississippi) Community College and redshirted last season.
In his last season at Coahoma, Jackson led the team in rushing yards (661), touchdowns (7) and average per game (73.44).
Jackson looks to make it a competitive fight for that backup running back spot.
Freshmen: No. 13 Jadan Baugh (Fr.) and No. 21 KD Daniels (Fr.)
Jadan Baugh and KD Daniels are the two true freshmen in the running backs room.
Baugh was ranked as a four-star recruit out of Columbia High School in Decatur, Georgia, and turned some heads after playing well in the Orange & Blue game this past Spring.
Daniels was also a four-star recruit who has been performing well in training camp.
Coming out of West Point, Mississippi, Daniels has plenty of potential and looks to make an impact in the years to come.
Injury/Walk-Ons: No. 27 Cam Carroll (R-Sr.) and No. 25 Anthony Rubio (R-Fr.)
Cam Carroll transferred from Tulane last year but suffered a season-ending knee injury on the last day of fall camp.
It’ll be interesting to see if Carroll will see some time on the field this season, but it’s also tough to take some time away from the guys ahead of him.
Anthony Rubio, son of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, joined the Gators as a walk-on last season. Rubio went to Belen Jesuit in Miami.
I don’t expect these guys to see the field this season.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.