Young RB Room Headed to Florida Gators Football

THE Florida Gators A year ago, there were two top running backs in the SEC. Now, they have just one after the star running back left. Trevor Etienne.

Former Gator Trevor Etienne crossed the state line and joined the Gators’ rival, the Georgia Bulldogs, in December 2023.

The Gators were left with just one experienced running back, Montrell Johnson Jr., and a group of players who have been largely untested so far in their careers.

If the Gators want to be better than in previous years, then the young guns will have to step up and prove that they won’t miss Etienne.

The star of the show

Montrell Johnson Jr will be the face of this position group. He is the most experienced and one of the best running backs in the SEC for next year.

Among SEC running backs returning, Johnson Jr. had the second-most rushing yards in 2023 with 817. The only player with more yards was Auburn’s Jarquez Hunter (909).

However, now that Etienne is gone, it’s not too crazy to predict that Johnson will top 1,000 yards next year.

He will be relied upon more than in previous campaigns, with the void left by Etienne and his teammates still early in their careers expected to earn more game time. However, it is not always the rushing attempts that count in Billy Napier’s attack.

Another aspect Johnson brings to the table is his physicality in pass protection. He doesn’t back down when asked to do so and can provide his quarterback with an extra second or two in the pocket, which can be crucial.

Johnson Jr. will need to have an even better season than his first two years in Gainesville if this Florida team wants to win games next season.

It may be a lot to ask of Johnson Jr., but it’s something he’s more than capable of.

New faces in the room

It may not be a shiny new toy, but Treyaun Webb Webb is still making progress in the SEC. His limited attempts have shown he has a bright future in the Orange & Blue.

On 26 rushing attempts, he has totaled 163 yards. That’s an average of 6.3 yards per carry, better than Johnson’s 5.4 yards in 2023.

Additionally, Webb had several games last year where he rushed for 70 or more yards. The most impressive came against McNeese in early September. In that game, he had 14 carries for 71 yards rushing and also added two touchdowns.

After Webb, there are two new faces with freshmen Jadan Baugh And KD Daniels Join the Gator program from the Class of 2024.

Baugh, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, appears to be a bigger guy than Daniels. He stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 230 pounds. He’s a big guy who should have no trouble punishing opposing defenders and will also be a capable running back who can block for his quarterback.

Additionally, Baugh rushed for 1,583 yards on 113 carries and recorded 19 touchdowns in his senior season of high school.

KD Daniels, Baugh’s freshman duo, hails from West Point, Mississippi.

He may not have the same size as Baugh, arriving in Gainesville at 5-foot-11.5 and 196 pounds, but he was one of Mississippi’s most impressive recruits last year.

Daniels was named MHSAA 5A Mr. Football after leading West Point to the 5A state championship and being named MVP of the championship game. He rushed for 2,737 yards on 288 carries and 29 touchdowns his senior year of high school.

While neither will be called upon to be the primary ball carrier in their first year with the Gators, they are expected to be worn throughout the season before one or both are likely to redshirt.

This position group has a lot of potential for the 2024-25 campaign, but will need to produce or this offense could become one-dimensional like last year and fizzle out in big moments.