With fall camp right around the corner, Gator Country has started previewing the 2023 football season by breaking down each position on Florida’s roster.
RUNNING BACKS
The Gators have five rostered scholarship running backs entering the 2023 season, a number Billy Napier and his staff will look to reach every year. Florida’s running back room projects as the clear-cut strength of the team in 2023.
MONTRELL JOHNSON
The Gators return their leading rusher in Montrell Johnson who ran 155 times for 841 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022. The rising junior has scored double digit touchdowns in both of his collegiate seasons as Johnson found the endzone 12 times in his freshman campaign at Louisiana under Head Coach Billy Napier.
Not only does the 5-11, 218 pound back have a knack for finding the endzone, but the New Orleans native is a big play waiting to happen. Johnson recorded a big run rate (20+ yards) of 6.49% in 2022, the 4th highest mark in the SEC, according to SEC Stat Cat.
Despite his size, Johnson logged a speed of 21.5 MPH in the open field during his freshman season at Louisiana. Johnson’s combination of speed, vison, and strength make him a force in the Gators’ backfield.
TREVOR ETIENNE
Trevor Etienne burst onto the scene in Gainesville during his freshman season, running 118 times for 719 yards and six touchdowns in 2022. Etienne’s 6.1 yards per carry ranked 4th amongst SEC running backs, according to SEC Stat Cat.
The Jennings, Louisiana native has shown the ability to make defenders miss early on in his collegiate career, posting a broken tackle rate of 33.33% in his lone season at Florida, which ranked 6th amongst SEC running backs. That statistic led Etienne to an average of 3.64 yards after contact, which ranked 4th amongst SEC running backs, according to SEC Stat Cat. Only 5.98% (7) of Etienne’s carries resulted in a negative play, the 3rd lowest figure in the SEC.
Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne are one of the best returning duos in college football and should lead the Gators’ backfield in 2023.
CAMERON CARROLL
The Gators added Tulane transfer running back Cameron Carroll to the unit during the offseason, an addition that provides experienced depth to an already loaded running back room.
Over the course of his five-year career, Carroll totaled 1,638 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground for the Green Wave. The Flowood, MS. native has also shown the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, posting 17 catches for 198 yards and three touchdowns in 2021. The Gators have yet to establish a receiving threat out of the backfield under Billy Napier, but the trio of Johnson, Etienne, and Carroll provides this staff with a variety of skillsets at the position.
Gator Nation got their first glimpse of Carroll during the 2023 Orange and Blue game, where the Tulane transfer hurdled defensive back Javion Toombs early in the second quarter, leading team Blue to their only touchdown of the game. Carroll finished with 39 yards on nine carries, an average of 4.3 yards per carry.
The 6-0, 228 pound running back is an above average athlete who excels is pass protection, an underrated skill for a running back. Carroll’s skillset makes him a strong candidate for a 3rd down back / special teams role in 2023.
TREYAUN WEBB
The Jacksonville native made some noise throughout his first spring camp after enrolling early from Trinity Christian Academy, where he recorded 3,488 rushing yards and 48 touchdowns in his high school career.
Webb led the Gators in rushing during the Orange and Blue game, totaling 53 yards on 12 carries, an average of 4.42 YPC.
The 5-11, 205 pound running back has showcased great vision and elusiveness throughout his short time in Gainesville.
With three quality backs ahead of him, Webb’s role is unclear for the 2023 season, but the staff speaks highly of the true freshman, and I expect him to see the field in some capacity this season.
JA’KOBI JACKSON
The latest addition to the running back room is JUCO running back Ja’Kobi Jackson, who transferred from Coahoma Community College back in May.
In three years at the JUCO level, Jackson appeared in 20 games, rushing 276 times for 1390 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 14 catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns in the passing game.
The Florida native attended high school at Pensacola Catholic where he earned division one offers from Charlotte, South Alabama, UAB, and Western Kentucky before deciding on the JUCO route. In his two seasons of varsity football, Jackson combined for 2141 yards and 25 touchdowns on 270 carries, an average of 7.9 yards per carry. The star running back was efficient in the passing game as well, totaling 761 yards and 10 touchdowns on 36 catches, an average of 21.1 yards per catch.
It’s unlikely that Jackson will take away many carries from any of the other four scholarship backs, but the rising junior adds experienced depth to one of the best running back rooms in the country.
Jackson’s 6-0, 215-pound frame will likely be heavily utilized on special teams, where the Gators ranked 96th in division one football in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus.
ANALYSIS
The Gators have one of the more productive and experienced running back rooms in all of college football with a combined 61 rushing touchdowns and 5,426 rushing yards at the collegiate level on their roster in 2023. Led by Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne, Florida will lean on this group of talented running backs next season.