Under Jabbar Juluke, Florida's running game thrived again in 2024

TAMPA, FLORIDA — Because Florida quarterback DJ Lagway set a Gasparilla Bowl record with 305 passing yards en route to winning MVP honors when the Gators beat Tulane 33-8 on Friday, the team’s rushing total might have been overlooked. But by game’s end Florida had a robust 224 yards on 44 carries. It wasn’t an anomaly.

As the Gators’ finished the 2024 season on a four-game winning streak, their running game was central to that success.

Florida rushed for 235 of the team’s 368 total yards in a 31-11 late-November win over FSU. The week prior, the Gators gained 164 on the ground vs. a No. 9 Ole Miss team that allowed only 83 per game. In the 27-16 win over No. 22 LSU that started the streak, Florida ran for 116 yards — but only needed 14 carries to do it — an 8.3-yard average.

While the credit for that success should be shared (and don’t forget about offensive line), there’s no doubt running backs coach Jabbar Juluke deserves mention. “What I would say about Jabbar — he has the unique ability to get the most out of people,” Florida coach Billy Napier told Gators Online.

Jabbar Juluke was named one of the country’s top assistants

Juluke was named a 2024 Broyles Award nominee, awarded annually to the best assistant coach in college football. That recognition wasn’t a surprise to Florida players and coaches. To them, Juluke has produced in every facet, from recruiting, to development to production. Meanwhile, Juluke recently was interviewed for FIU’s then-open head coaching position.

“He’s phenomenal,” Florida co-offensive coordinator Russ Callaway said. “Not only as a good coach, technically. But they look at Coach Juluke — not just the players but the coaches — not that he’s old, but as a father figure. He’s a real high-energy guy. Does a really good job with the running backs obviously. Recruiting. Developing. Can’t say enough good things about Coach Juluke.”

Florida finished the season averaging 161 yards rushing per game. Three players had more than 500 yards — freshman Jadan Baugh (673), senior Montrell Johnson (593) and junior Ja’Kobi Jackson (509). The Gators rushed for 4.5 yards a carry as a team in 2024, up from 4.3 in 2023. In a season during which the Gators battled injuries at quarterback and started three different QBs before ultimately finding their man in Lagway (a true freshman still growing into the position), they needed every bit of rushing production they could get.

“I think Coach Juluke has done a great job,” Florida receiver Chimere Dike said. “I mean, if you just look at the depth, I think we have a lot of dudes who you could plug in. You know, Trell, J-Baugh (Jackson) — all those guys. They’re really capable.”

The Gators have hit big at running back on the recruiting trail

Florida’s running back recruiting under Napier and Juluke has been on point. It has included a mix of 4-stars (Baugh, Treyaun Webb and KD Daniels), a 3-star transfers (Johnson), relative unknowns (Jackson) and valuable walk-ons (Anthony Rubio). In Gainesville, player evaluation is a joint venture and Florida has come up big.

“We work as a team to pick the players; he coaches them,” Napier said of Juluke. “He’s done a good job kind of weeding through all that — picking good people. That’s part of the equation. And obviously the track record of the system producing at running back. I just think it’s part of our DNA. Running backs are a critical piece of the puzzle. Got to have balance at that position and he’s the leader of that group.”

Napier and Juluke go back several years. When Napier was a graduate assistant at Clemson two decades ago they met when Juluke was head coach at New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr. In 2018, Napier hired Juluke away from Texas Tech to be running backs coach at Louisiana. Juluke then followed Napier to Gainesville four years later.

Jabbar Juluke is also known to be a great relationship-builder

“I think he not only produces on the field, but has consistently produced a really good culture in that room,” Napier said. “The way those guys respect each other. The selflessness. We’ve always rotated players. We’ve never had an issue there. And I think off the field, there’s such a high expectation. Never have to worry about the backs. He does a good job building relationships with the other players as well.”

One of them is the team’s left tackle, Austin Barber.

“He’s a phenomenal coach,” Barber told Gators Online. “He does a very good job with the backs and I think a lot of people see that with the production of the players. Me and Coach Juluke have a great relationship. We joke around and laugh but when it’s time to work, he coaches me and it’s a vey good dynamic.”

Meanwhile, the future looks bright in Gainesville at running back.

Several key players are expected to return in 2025. Not only that, but Juluke and the Gators just signed three backs, including 4-stars Byron Louis and Waltez Clark.