Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Senior running back Montrell Johnson Jr. has split carries in all three seasons he's played under head coach Billy Napier, dating back to his freshman year at the University of Louisiana.

However, with Trevor Etienne's transfer to Georgia, Johnson will have the opportunity to be the lead back for the first time in his career.

Johnson is the primary rusher going forward and an important veteran voice within the running back room.

Running backs coach Jabbar Juluke had high praise for Johnson's leadership earlier this week.

"Montrell is the ultimate pro," said Juluke. "He works hard, he practices the right way. He's been a leader. He's been a mentor. He's given the young men a great example of what it's supposed to look like."

This offseason, Florida added freshmen running backs KD Daniels and Jadan Baugh. Johnson's presence has garnered praise from his teammates in the young running-backs room.

"He's a great mentor," said Treyaun Webb, a redshirt freshman running back who played sparingly a season ago. "He does everything the right way. Just by watching him being a role model, I see that he's a pro. Being able to learn from him, it's been pretty good for me." Juluke has a special relationship with Johnson, whom he recruited at Louisiana and has coached all three of Johnson's college seasons. Juluke got emotional when speaking about the New Orleans native.

"Montrell has a story that's going to be told for a long time," says Juluke. "I don't know if you guys knew or not, but he speaks Spanish, he has a 3.5 grade-point average, and he's a really good football player.

"He's also a better human being than you can have around you. He makes me better because he doesn't complain. He practices every day the right way. He plays hard, he's consistent, and he could've left and went to the NFL or [to] another school, but he chose to be here because of our relationship and how we've been together for a long time. He loves this university."

Johnson has rushed for more than 1,600 yards in two seasons at Florida and enters his senior season with 2,442 career yards and 27 touchdowns.

"Montrell Johnson is the guy you want to date your daughter," Juluke added with a smile. "I get excited to talk about the things that he's done and the things he's going to continue to do. I love him to death."

Johnson spoke on his connection with Jaluke and the camaraderie in the running backs room.

"Juluke has a father-son relationship with all his running backs," said Johnson. "He cares for us like we're his sons. He helps us off the field. Anything [we] need, he'll help us. For Easter, we're all going to his house, and he's cooking for us. It's like a family. That's what you look for with a coach."

Despite rushing for over 800 yards for the second straight year, Johnson was unsatisfied with his performance in 2023. He has placed high expectations on himself for the upcoming season.

"Me, the coaches, the fans, I think we all agree that I didn't play well enough last year," said Johnson. "I wanted to come back and prove myself. I want to be the all-purpose back, that back Florida has been missing, that thousand-yard back."

Johnson explained how being draft-eligible proved to be a distraction last year. He said that he was overthinking things on the field, and it slowed him down.

"I feel like this is the year for me to put all things together and become the ultimate player and the ultimate person," said Johnson.

Besides Johnson, Webb, Daniels and Baugh, Ja'Kobi Jackson and Cam Carroll return in the backfield. Jackson played on special teams last season after transferring from a Mississippi junior college, and Carroll, a transfer from Tulane, suffered a season-ending knee injury in preseason camp.

The Gators have depth at the position – and a clear leader.

Johnson has also changed his jersey number to No. 1. He stated that he will be returning punts this year in an attempt to channel his inner Percy Harvin.

"Number one is a legendary number here," he said. "I'm honored to wear it. I just want to go and be a part of history."