Last year, the Gators’ offense struggled to throw the football. On the contrary to that, they had one of the deadliest running games in the country. The 2022 season was highlighted a lot by two guys: Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne. The good news for the Gators is those two stars are coming back and a lot more talent is coming in.
Trevor Etienne
Etienne, a rather small back, is very elusive. His vision of the field is very good, which helps him exploit gaps. Not only can he exploit gaps, but he also does a really good job of using his speed in open space. The explosive ability was shown a lot last season. In his freshman year, he totaled 118 carries for 719 yards and six touchdowns.
The long-awaited debut of Etienne came in game one of last season, which was arguably one of UF’s biggest games of the season. Even though the freshman back had only run the ball five times that game, he ended up totaling 64 yards on the ground. The Gators ended up winning that game against Utah in the final seconds.
Montrell Johnson
Johnson, a bigger back, is more of a brute. He does an excellent job of breaking tackles and making people miss in the open field. Unlike Etienne, this is one guy you don’t want to meet at the line of scrimmage. Montrell can very easily put his shoulder down and drive through people. One thing that separates him from other backs is that he never stops moving his feet.
In his sophomore season, Johnson totaled 155 rushing attempts for 841 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Coming into 2023, Johnson will be expected to crush these numbers. Even though he’ll be sharing carries with Etienne, be prepared for Johnson to see more of the load later in games.
Treyaun Webb
Heading into the 2023 season, Gator fans will get the opportunity to watch Treyaun Webb. The highly touted true freshman from Jacksonville, Florida, has a lot to offer. Webb stands at 6-0 and weighs 190 pounds. Just like Etienne, his vision of the field is very good. He does a great job of using his speed to beat defenders to the outside in the open field.
While Webb has a lot of speed, he also can break tackles. Similar to Johnson, he has the strength to shed off tackles at the line of scrimmage. Furthermore, Webb will play a third or fourth role back. The Gators will get good use of him considering Etienne and Johnson will split carries. Regardless, Treyaun is one to keep an eye on as the season goes on.
Cameron Carroll
Carroll, a sixth-year senior, has had some moments of excellence in his time playing college football. Carroll spent five years with Tulane before transferring to UF. In his time with Tulane, the veteran back saw good minutes in 2020 and 2021. In 2020, he carried the ball 122 times for 741 yards and 12 touchdowns. The following year, he ran 111 times for 516 yards and three touchdowns.
Even though Carroll is approaching his sixth year, he can play a vital role as a third or fourth-string back. Carroll is a big back but has a lot of speed to him. He’s very good at making people miss at the line of scrimmage whether that’s by juking or running through people. The veteran back brings a lot of leadership and experience, which can be of help to the younger backs on the team. Furthermore, he’ll have to work for a lot of his carries, but Cameron Carroll is a very good addition to the Gators backfield.
Gator Potential
Johnson and Etienne are two stellar backs who have the ability to make a formidable one-two punch. Webb is a young speedster who can very well make some noise as a third or fourth-string back. Lastly, Carroll has more potential than anyone to make a new name for himself in his last season of football.
As the off-season winds down, the Gators will start to prepare for their first game against Utah on August 31st. Just like last year, the Gators running game will be a big part of their offense considering the depth they have at the back position. The potential is so high for the Gators in the running game and will hopefully live up to all the hype.
Photo courtesy:Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports
