Tennessee football: Five key Florida Gators to watch for against Vols
![Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson (15) tosses the ball to Florida Gators running back Montrell Johnson Jr. (2) d1hds at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 17, 2022. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs South Florida Bulls](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Ff54d9c1ae766122c6a08fcb2abd2ac2de4e5f6f9b1b339799e404d80bab0d229.jpg "Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson (15) tosses the ball to Florida Gators running back Montrell Johnson Jr. (2) d1hds at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 17, 2022. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs South Florida Bulls")
![Florida Gators running back Montrell Johnson Jr. (2) rushes for a touchdown during the second half against the South Florida Bulls at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 17, 2022. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs South Florida Bulls](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F7a7b3417c7eca524d71018cb0217d08b112ed0463c9095badbaecd7e83387009.jpg "Florida Gators running back Montrell Johnson Jr. (2) rushes for a touchdown during the second half against the South Florida Bulls at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 17, 2022. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs South Florida Bulls")
Sophomore. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 840. Running back. Montrell Johnson. 4
5’11” 218 pounds
Welcome to the first player Billy Napier brought with him from Louisiana. Montrell Johnson was one of the star running backs on the team that won the Sun Belt last year, and joining an SEC team hasn’t resulted in any drop-off for him. In fact, his production has increased, and that’s a scary thought for everybody facing him.
Johnson has 25 carries for 240 yards on the year and a touchdown. In case you’re wondering, that’s an average of over nine and a half yards a carry. Just last week against the South Florida Bulls, he had an incredible six carries for 103 yards and a touchdown, and he’s been getting better each week.
Those stats against USF don’t really skew his average either, as he averaged just under nine yards a carry against the elite defense of the Kentucky Wildcats, and he averaged over six yards a carry against the Utah Utes. Simply put, he’s a legitimately elite running back.
In their one Power Five matchup against the Pittsburgh Panthers, Tennessee football struggled stopping the run. As a result, Johnson could torch them if they aren’t careful. They gave up a huge run early to Pitt that dug them a whole, and they can’t afford to do that in this game.