Jadan Baugh – Syndication Server

Florida Football 2024 Position Preview: Running Backs

Montrell Johnson Jr. looks to carry the load for the Florida Gators offense this season, but who else can step up in the running backs room?

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.

Florida running back target backs off Arkansas commitment

Florida never stopped pursuing running back Jadan Baugh when he committed to Arkansas, and now he’s re-opening his recruitment.

Columbia High (Decatur, Georgia) running back [autotag]Jadan Baugh[/autotag] backed off his commitment to the University of Arkansas on Monday, posting a message to Twitter thanking the university and its coaches.

“After lots of prayer and talks with my circle I’ve decided to decommit from the University of Arkansas,” Baugh wrote ” I’d like to thank Coach Pittman and Coach Jimmy and all of Arkansas for believing in me and for the opportunity.”

With the Razorbacks out of the picture, Baugh’s recruitment shifts focus to a final two of Alabama and Florida. Georgia Tech has also been in the mix, but Baugh is more likely to land in the SEC.

Baugh’s commitment comes just after an official visit with the Crimson Tide, so Nick Saban and Co. might be the group to beat. Florida running backs coach Jabbar Juluke has been the Baugh family’s main connection to the university, and the Gators are down a running back with Trevor Etienne in the transfer portal.

Baugh is a four-star recruit, according to On3 and Rivals, but 247Sports and ESPN only have him as a three-star. The On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average of all four systems, grants him four-star status and puts him at No. 357 overall in the class of 2024.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Three-star Arkansas commit is still listening to what Florida has to offer

Three-star athlete committed to Arkansas says he enjoyed his experience at UF, listening to what the recruiting staff has to offer.

The Florida Gators had a few special guests on the sidelines for its meeting with the Arkansas Razorbacks last Saturday.

One prospect, whom the Gators have as listed as a priority, is three-star Arkansas commit [autotag]Jadan Baugh[/autotag]. The 2024 recruit likes the environment in Gainesville and wants to make another visit.

Swamp247 asked the three-star about his experience in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

“It was a great atmosphere,” Baugh said. “It was very competitive, and it made me excited about watching the game today.”

Baugh is listed as an athlete on 247Sports, but it seems that the Gators would most likely use the multi-tool athlete as a running back. The Decatur, Georgia, native was observant of how the Gators utilized their running backs, Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson.

The three-star took time to speak with Florida running back coach Jabbar Juluke.

“It was great, I just told coach Juluke; I love seeing it in person rather than seeing it on TV to see how everything works behind the scenes,” Baugh said. “On TV, you only see highlights and stuff. I like seeing the whole game. They got me excited about what’s to come in the future.”

Florida head coach Billy Napier also spoke with Baugh, giving his pitch despite the overtime loss to Arkansas. When asked what was said, Baugh explained that the Gators are doing what they can to get him in Gainesville.

“Their main message to me is that they’re making me a priority and they want me to get back down here, and that’s what I did today,” Baugh said.

Baugh is labeled as a “hard commit” to Arkansas but is clearly still listening to what the scouts have to offer. The relationship between Baugh and the UF coaching staff is becoming stronger with each visit.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Razorbacks land 2024 four-star running back Jadan Baugh

Four-star athlete Jadan Baugh commits to Arkansas.

Running back shouldn’t be an issue for the Hogs the next couple of seasons, adding another to the depth chart.

Listed as a four-star athlete, Jadan Baugh announced during his high school’s spring game he will play his college ball at Arkansas next year. Baugh picked the Hogs over Florida, Louisville, and Georgia.

Running back coach Jimmy Smith was in charge of recruiting Baugh for the Hogs. Baugh already has an excellent reputation in Georgia, and while other schools were looking to put Baugh on the defensive side as a linebacker, Pittman sent Smith to add Baugh to the deep running back room.

Baugh is the first Georgia player of the 2024 class to commit to Arkansas, bringing the total to ten. He is the second athlete of the class, joining JuJu Pope, who committed last month.