RUNNING BACKS: It May Be A Four-Headed Dragon In the Backfield, But The Dragons Look Strong
The two off-season additions to the room were four-star recruit Travis Etienne, brother of current Jacksonville Jaguars running back Trevor Etienne. The other was a sophomore transfer from Louisiana that played for Napier last year, Montrell Johnson.
By KYLE CURTIS
GatorBaitMedia.com
With the departure of Dameon Pierce and Malik Davis to the NFL draft, the Florida Gator running back room took a hit but was able to rebound and reload in a big way. Run-heavy coach Billy Napier will need it.
All running backs in the room will have a chance to shine and establish themselves in this offense.
The two off-season additions to the room were four-star recruit Travis Etienne, brother of current Jacksonville Jaguars running back Trevor Etienne. The other was a sophomore transfer from Louisiana that played for Napier last year, Montrell Johnson.
Johnson, Sun Belt Freshman of the year and second team all-conference, has been impressive in spring scrimmages. Last year he ran for 838 yards and 12 touchdowns and added 6 catches for 53 yards. He has had an outstanding spring in the eyes of the coaches and will make an immediate impact.
Returning for another year from last year’s Gator team are former five-stars Lorenzo Lingard (redshirt senior) and Demarkcus Bowman (redshirt sophomore) along with junior back Nay’Quan Wright.
Wright served as a change of pace back last year and has emerged as a leader of this team. He had 76 carries for 326 yards with one rushing touchdown along with 14 catches for 178 yards and another touchdown. He is expected to have a bigger role in this year’s offense and just recently has recovered from an ankle injury.
Wright, Bowman, Lingard and Johnson will all play a significant role in the offense. While Etienne is a talented back, it is likely he takes a backseat in his freshman campaign.
Both Bowman and Lingard were some of the most highly recruited backs in their class. Through injuries and transfers, both players have struggled to find their homes. Their skill set has never been in doubt, however, and Bowman has been showing some of that in spring ball.
Florida’s four-headed dragon backfield could give Gator opponents a nightmare preparing for each week. The running backs will be the focal point of the offense. It is hard to say that there is a feature back when each back brings something new to the table.
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