RB Montrell Johnson cleared to play, giving Gators' offense a big boost

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida running back Montrell Johnson has been cleared to play against No. 19 Miami on Saturday, a huge boost for the underdog Gators.

Johnson had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after sustaining an injury during the first week of training camp. But he returned to practice this week and was listed as a starter Wednesday.

"If he's on that depth chart -- at the top of the list -- that means he's ready to go," coach Billy Napier said following practice Wednesday night.

Johnson has played in every game since following Napier to Gainesville from Louisiana-Lafayette. He has 1,658 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns in two years with the Gators despite sharing repetitions with Trevor Etienne .

With Etienne now at Georgia, Johnson was expected to take a bigger workload as a senior. The knee injury was a setback, but it also allowed sophomore Treyaun Webb and freshmen Jaden Baugh and KD Daniels to get more experience during camp. Napier called it "a blessing in disguise."

But he made it clear Johnson would be on the field early and often against Miami.

"He has tremendous experience," Napier said. "This will be his fourth year with us in the system and obviously he's been very productive. He's one of the few rushers in the country that's approaching 2,500 yards. Montrell's a smart player. He's got poise. He has composure. He's one of the best practice players that we have, and he has character."

Teammates welcomed his return, too.

"It's going to mean a lot, veteran guy, love it for him," guard Knijeah Harris said. "Just excited to see him get loose."