Breaking down the Florida Gators RB room / projected depth chart

With the season around the corner and fall camp underway, Gator Country gives you an in-depth breakdown of the position groups and a projected depth chart. 

RUNNING BACK

Running back is one position on the field that the Gators shouldn’t have to worry about entering the 2022 season. Florida lost their top two rushers from last season in Malik Davis and Dameon Pierce (NFL), however, with Nay’Quan Wright, Lorenzo Lingard, and a pair of newcomers stepping foot in Gainesville, the Gators will be just fine. 

It will be extremely tough to accurately predict the Gators RB depth chart, as the staff is frequently changing who is working with the first team. The Gator running backs all offer something different, which the staff can utilize during the game. 

Nay’Quan Wright

Wright is entering his fourth year as a Gator and is primed to have his best season yet. Wright’s versatility at the position will earn him a lot of playing time this year. Wright carried the ball 76 times for 326 yards and a touchdown last season. Wright has also shown the ability to catch the football out of the backfield, totaling 401 receiving yards on 34 receptions in his time at Florida. Wright received high praise from coach Napier during the offseason for his resiliency after suffering an ankle injury at the end of last season. Napier noted that Wright is very important to this team. With Wright fully healthy and participating in fall camp, you can expect for him to push for the starting job. 

Montrell Johnson 

The Louisiana Lafayette RB followed in Billy Napier’s footsteps and transferred to the Gators this offseason. Johnson is another RB that will compete for the starting job this fall. Johnson started his college career with a bang as he rushed for 838 yards on 162 carries, punching his ticket into the endzone 12 times as a freshman. Johnson earned 2021 Sun Belt freshman of the year for his performance. Johnson is a bigger back (5-11, 218 pounds), but does not lack speed. Napier has previously stated that Johnson was clocked at 21.5 MPH in the open field last season for Louisiana.  Many speculated whether Johnson would be able to maintain this production in the SEC. Johnson quickly answered that by impressing Gator fans in the spring game. Johnson rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown, all while playing for both teams. Johnson knows Napier’s system, which could give him a leg up early in the season. I think it’s possible that Johnson leads the team in rushing yards and TD’s this season. 

Lorenzo Lingard

Lingard is a player that could see the largest jump in playing time as he ran the ball just 11 times for 43 yards last season. Lingard reportedly had an amazing spring camp and made a pair of nice plays during the spring game, despite limited touches. Lingard is known for his speed; it will be interesting to see how the staff draws up plays to get him into open space. Lingard appears to be in the mix to earn a lot of playing time this season and he is certainly a player to watch out for. 

Trevor Etienne

Etienne could very well receive more playing time than you would expect this season. With just four scholarship running backs, Etienne’s number will get called on. Napier has shown he will use several running backs and doesn’t care if you are a true freshman; you are expected to be ready. Luckily for the Gators, Etienne has looked the part thus far in fall camp. If an injury or two were to occur at RB, Etienne would be asked to play a huge role for the Gators this season. The staff will look to get him prepared during fall camp. Walk-on RB Gabriel Ortiz is likely to be next in line for touches after Etienne. 

PROJECTED DEPTH CHART

Starter- Nay’Quan Wright or Montrell Johnson 

Backup- Lorenzo Lingard 

Third String – Trevor Etienne

I know everyone hates the “or”, but this could go either way. I think Wright and Johnson earn a similar amount of snaps this season as they have elevated themselves above everyone else.  Wright is a better pass catcher and Johnson is great at finding the endzone. Wright missed all of spring so it’s tough to tell where he’s at on just a few fall practices. The Gators RB room has versatility and can beat you in a variety of ways. It remains to be seen whether Lingard and Etienne are capable of producing when their number is called, but thus far it looks as if the Gators have two solid options off the bench. 

Nick Marcinko
Nick is a recent graduate from the University of Florida with a degree in Telecommunications. He is passionate about all sports but specifically baseball and football. Nick interned at Inside the Gators and worked part time with Knights247 before joining the Gator Country family. Nick enjoys spending his free time golfing and at the beach.