Picking Up the Slack for Gators RB Montrell Johnson Jr.

The Florida Gators have several good options to not only pick up the slack for Montrell Johnson, but lighten the load once he returns.

Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh is a big back who offers the offense a different look. / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

Despite Montrell Johnson returning to practice, running on the sideline, Florida stands at a rather intriguing position in regards to running backs. The Gators, as anyone that watches the games can tell you, want to pound the ball, in order to draw the defenders closer, helping the passing game.

Although Johnson, by all reports shouldn't miss too much time, if any, solely banking on Johnson to shoulder the burden, even when healthy could jump up and bite the offense. What should the Gators do to reap the rewards of their running game.

Knee Instability

Now, to a regular person, knee injuries would set you back. When you feel fully healed, a sense of worry sets in for a while. For football players, especially running backs, knee injuries need extensive rehab and aftercare. Without sitting in those medical meetings, Johnson's actual status remains unknown. However, knees can give players problems for the duration of a season. 

Can Florida trust Johnson's knee to stay stable enough to trudge through an entire SEC season. More importantly, with so much riding on the season, should they? You can deal with linemen with broken hands and quarterbacks with balky quads, but when your job includes the word running, entrusting the majority of your run game to one person coming off an injury does not feel like a strong idea.

Full House Backfield

When Johnson does return to the fold, Florida should split the carries evenly. Under those circumstances, the offense can keep a fresh back on the field for an entire game. Line play usually devolves into a battle of attrition. Rotating backs, especially ones that possess above-average burst will absolutely terrorize a defense.

Freshman Jadan Baugh sits third on the depth chart. While that may not mean much in August, Baugh's potential as a change-of-pace back at roughly 6'1 and 230 pounds will benefit Florida's offense.

In providing Baugh with five to eight touches, especially as body shots up the middle. Those bruising carries will not only fatigue opposing linemen, but it plants the seed of question in the defense. Simply having to key on Baugh opens the door for freshman phenom DJ Lagway, should they choose to use him in specific packages. 

While Lagway waits in the wings, allowing him to carry the ball in specific situations offers a different look than starter Graham Mertz as well as gives the freshman valuable experience.

Lagway puts future pressure on opponents. RPO and the occasional keeper will generate chunk yardage.

In conclusion, Montrell Johnson needs to get healthy enough to play. Meanwhile, Florida cannot solely rely on him to provide a rushing spark.

It could be the freshmen who pick up the slack sooner rather than later.