Despite the departure of Trevor Etienne in December of last year, Florida’s running back room should take no steps back with a group that arguably has more talent and depth than it did last season. The Gators hold a total of six scholarship running backs compared to last year’s total of five that included an injured Cam Carroll.
With just five weeks now until Florida faces Miami in the Swamp, I breakdown Florida’s running back room that consists of a returning starter, two talented freshmen and several other reliable options.
Montrell Johnson Jr.
In his final season of collegiate football as a Florida Gator, returning starter Montrell Johnson will once again lead the Gators’ running backs in 2024. With former backup running back Trevor Etienne no longer in the picture, the workload will only increase as this staff looks to rely on the four-year player even more this season.
“I expect to get the ball more coming into the future this next season. I’m not too worried about it, because I feel like I can hold the load on my own and just going out there and making sure I play mistake-free football,” Johnson said.
In 2023, Montrell Johnson was a major threat in the passing game as he totaled 236 receiving yards and a touchdown while averaging 7.9 yards a catch on 30 receptions. I expect Johnson to beat those numbers this upcoming season, as he seems to expect that himself.
“I would say my catching ability,” Johnson said on what skills he wants to put on display. “Honestly, I just want to catch more balls out of the backfield and just get in space more and show my ability to, you know, make the first defender miss, stuff like that.”
The Louisiana native thrived the most on the ground last season while coming up 183 yards short of becoming the first running back to rush for 1,000 yards since Kelvin Taylor did back in 2015. With Trevor Etienne in Athens, there’s a world where Johnson easily becomes the first back in nine years to reach that mark in 2024. The senior running back has recorded 1,658 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in his two seasons as a Gator, and I think he has his best season yet before leaving for the NFL.
Treyaun Webb
After sitting third on the depth chart, Jacksonville native Treyaun Webb is ready to take on a bigger role in his second season in the Orange and Blue. As a true freshman last season, Webb opened some eyes as he rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns on 26 attempts while averaging 6.3 yards a carry. It’s hard to do that as a freshman in the SEC, especially when you’re sitting behind two talented running backs.
“It’s here now, it’s a big opportunity, I plan on taking full advantage of it, that’s kind of really about it. I mean, playing in Trinity Christian in Jacksonville I’ve always played in big games, so I feel like no opportunity is too big for me,” Webb said on his opportunity. “I plan on just being me, going out there and doing what I was recruited for.”
For a young and inexperienced running back going into last season, Webb’s ability to pick things up and read defenses was way beyond his years as a true freshman running back. In the classroom, Webb has a 4.3 grade point average and is one of the smartest players on the team, which has clearly helped him become the running back he is today on the field.
“I felt like I’ve always been blessed with the ability to like, think fast, think quick on my feet, kind of memorize stuff so I kind of use that to my advantage,” Webb said. “Just seeing stuff before it happens, seeing the defenses, seeing how they rotate, on different motions, I feel like it all comes with being a student of the game, so it kind of helps me a lot.”
With Florida’s season approaching, I expect Treyaun Webb to get the majority of second touches behind Montrell Johnson in 2024. With a bigger opportunity on the way, Webb has a chance to make a case to be the starting running back in 2025 if he performs like he’s capable of.
Jadan Baugh
One specific running back that I’m looking forward to watching the most this season is true freshman running back Jadan Baugh out of Decatur, Georgia. The former three-star running back was an extremely underrated recruit that Coach Jabbar Juluke made a priority to land as he beat out Alabama and Arkansas for the talented prospect back in December of last year. At Columbia High School, Baugh was a two-sport athlete playing basketball while also taking snaps at quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback and safety on the football field. Baugh totaled 1,898 yards with 22 touchdowns on just 130 rushing attempts in his three seasons played on Varsity for the Eagles at running back.
The 6-0.75, 237-pound running back first took Gators’ fans by storm after his impressive showing in Florida’s spring game back in April, and the hype has been real ever since. Jadan Baugh finished Florida’s spring game with 77 rushing yards on 12 attempts after breaking open a big 25-yard run that got the ball to the Blue 24-yard line for Team Orange. Not only are the fans excited, but so are the players.
“I would say Jadan Baugh, our freshman running back,” Montrell Johnson said on who could have a break-out year. “He’s been shocking me every single day the way he preps, coming to work every day, and the way he attacks. Him being a freshman is kind of surprising to me.”
I expect Baugh to get similar treatment to how we saw Treyaun Webb get utilized as a true freshman, with an increased workload as the season goes on depending on how things go. Baugh is exactly the running back Florida needs in their room with Trevor Etienne gone, and I think he’ll quickly become more of a fan favorite for Gators’ fans this upcoming season.
KD Daniels
The other true freshman running back that fans are looking forward to watching is KD Daniels out of West Point, Mississippi. The former four-star running back played a major role in leading West Point to a state championship and a record of 11-3 while winning Mississippi Gatorade Player of The Year. In his career, Daniels rushed for 5,541 yards and had 58 touchdowns in four years. 2,730 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns came from his senior season alone while averaging 9.6 yards a carry.
“He’s a team captain. He won a state championship. He’s Player of the Year in his classification at Mississippi,” Napier said on Daniels. “He’s got a phenomenal story when you get a chance to get to know KD and the things he’s overcome and the people that have impacted his life, the program that he plays for, the toughness. If you’re from West Port, Mississippi, you’re a tough dude. He’s been a guy that sets the tone in the program. Not only a tough program, but we got the toughest dude out of a tough program. So, KD, it’s impressive to watch his body of work as a runner.”
The former Top 200 running back was the 10th ranked running back in the Class of 2024 according to On3. Daniels committed to Florida in April of 2023 and held offers from teams like Alabama, Oregon, Auburn and Mississippi State.
The speed and talent is there, and I expect Daniels to play a major role for the Gators in future years.
Who else could see the field?
Redshirt senior Cam Carroll and redshirt junior Ja’Kobi Jackson are the two remaining scholarship running backs that complete Florida’s running back room for 2024. Cam Carroll is coming off an unfortunate knee injury that prevented him from seeing the field last season. Jackson is a guy with elite speed but hasn’t seen the field at UF since transferring from the JUCO ranks. Both Carroll and Jackson could see the field if injuries occur in 2024.
RB1: Montrell Johnson
RB2: Treyaun Webb
RB3: Jadan Baugh or KD Daniels
Other backs: Cam Carroll and Ja’Kobi Jackson