Florida RB Montrell Johnson suffers knee injury, classified as week-to-week

Florida‘s top running back, senior Montrell Johnson, has suffered an injury and will have to be monitored closely over the coming days, according to a report from GatorsOnline.

The publication reports for On3 that Johnson suffered a “minor knee injury” and underwent routine arthroscopic surgery to clean it up. He is expected to be week-to-week with the injury, and he is not expected to be out for an extended period of time.

Still, the injury has to be concerning for Florida fans.

Johnson was the team’s top running back and while the position is relatively deep going into 2024, the Gators lost Johnson’s would-be backup to the transfer portal this offseason. That happened when third-year running back Trevor Etienne transferred to Georgia.

A Louisiana transfer, Johnson has been a staple in the backfield since following coach Billy Napier to Florida prior to the 2022 season.

Johnson has tallied more than 800 yards in three straight seasons, reaching 817 yards rushing last season for the Gators. He scored five touchdowns rushing, while also snagging one receiving. Johnson caught 30 passes for 236 yards last season, showing some real versatility out of the backfield.

Along with quarterback Graham Mertz, Johnson is expected to lead a much more experienced Florida offense in 2024. The running back was looking forward to an increased workload at SEC Media Days in the middle of July.

“I expect to get the ball more coming into the future this next season,” Johnson said. “I’m not too worried about it because I feel like I can hold the load on my own and just going out there and making sure I play mistake-free football.”