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Montrell Johnson injury: Billy Napier shares latest on Florida RB
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Montrell Johnson was putting on a standout performance for Florida against Tennessee before his early exit due to an undisclosed injury. Understandably, Johnson’s injury got a bit overshadowed by the one to Graham Mertz that will sideline the UF quarterback for the rest of 2024, his final season of collegiate eligibility.
Fortunately for Florida, the news on Johnson isn’t as bad.
“We don’t anticipate it being a long-term issue,” Billy Napier said in his Monday press conference when asked about Johnson’s injury.
Johnson is Florida’s leading rusher with 70 carries for 373 yards and 4 touchdowns over 6 games. Against a Tennessee rush defense that ranks top-5 nationally, Johnson had logged 85 yards on 12 carries before leaving the game.
Napier did not reveal whether Johnson will be able to play on Saturday against Kentucky. If Johnson is out, it figures to be all hands on deck for the Gator ground attack. How many deckhands would be available, though, is not immediately clear.
Against UT, Florida turned to Jadan Baugh and Ja’Kobi Jackson in Johnson’s absence. Baugh, a true freshman, had 12 carries for 25 yards in the game, bringing his season numbers to 31 rushes for 154 yards. Jackson, a transfer who joined the team in 2023, rushed 5 times for 16 yards against the Vols, and has 19 carries for 109 yards with 3 touchdowns in 2024.
Treyaun Webb was Florida’s RB2 entering the season. He has logged 21 carries for 93 yards in 4 games, missing UF’s last 2 contests. True freshman KD Daniels has not played since Week 2 against Samford.
FanDuel Sportsbook has Florida as a 2.5-point home favorite against Kentucky. ESPN’s FPI gives the Gators a 59.4% chance of picking up the victory. The game is set for 7:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
