Louisiana running back, Montrell Johnson, entered the transfer portal on January 5th of 2022. Eight days later, Johnson transferred to the Florida Gators. This was one of the more impactful additions of the offseason.
Johnson was just a true freshman in 2021, but that didn’t stop Napier from giving him the football. Johnson ran the ball 162 times, totaling 838 rushing yards and a team high 12 touchdowns.
My preseason offensive MVP has not disappointed through six weeks of the 2022 season. Johnson has a team high 46 carries for 368 yards and five touchdowns, which ranks T-2 in the SEC. Johnson’s eight yards per carry ranks 2nd in the SEC, trailing only Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs.
Johnson’s 5-11, 218-pound frame has been tough for opposing teams to bring down this season. Johnson averages 3.57 yards after contact, which is good enough for 7th in the SEC amongst RBs. Johnson’s broken tackle rate is 39.96%, ranking 6th in the league. Johnson has impressive elusiveness for someone his size.
In 2021, Johnson logged a top speed of 21.5 mph in the open field. Johnson has frequently shown us that he’s not just a power back or a redzone threat.
His big run rate (run of 20+ yards) of 8.7% ranks 1st in the SEC. He also ranks 1st in explosive play percentage rate amongst SEC RBs.
The Gators’ offensive line is making the game way easier for Johnson and the rest of the running back unit. Johnson averages 4.46 yards before contact, which is the highest number amongst SEC RBs. The Gators’ OL has been one of the best in college football through six weeks, creating huge rushing lanes for their RBs.
Johnson’s explosiveness, vision, and speed has allowed him to take advantage of great offensive line play.
Alabama running backs, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jase McClellan rank 2nd and 3rd in yards before contact. Trevor Etienne ranks 6th in this category.
Johnson isn’t the only back in the Gators room that’s at the top of the SEC in multiple categories. Gators’ rookie running back Trevor Etienne averages 6.8 yards per carry which ranks 3rd in the SEC. His broken tackle rate of 44.44% ranks 3rd in the SEC. He ranks 5th in the league in YAC, with an average of 3.78 yards.
The advanced stats suggest that Florida’s offensive line and running backs are around the same level of Alabama’s in certain categories; that speaks volumes.
The Louisiana transfer has been a bright spot for the Florida Gators through six weeks. Johnson is only a sophomore; he’s got two more years of eligibility left.
It’s hard not to get excited about the future of the Gators’ running back room with Johnson and Etienne leading the pack. It’s early in both of their young careers, but they both have what it takes to play on Sunday’s.
Most of the statistics used in this article were found at Secstatcat.com.