Florida HC Billy Napier gives update on injured star

The Florida Gators had high hopes for senior running back Montrell Johnson Jr. heading into fall camp.

Unfortunately, those hopes had to be put on hold in the opening days of training camp when it was revealed that Florida's RB1 was injured and had to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery.

It was considered a minor knee surgery, and Johnson was listed as "week-to-week" in the aftermath. Now the Gators are just 11 days away from a massive opening-weekend clash against No. 19 Miami, and head coach Billy Napier has provided a positive update on Johnson.

“Yeah, so, Montrell is doing fantastic, right. He’s been able to do a few things. We expect him to be able to participate in practice, whether that’s modified and, at some point, full speed," Napier told the media (h/t On3's Sam Gillenwater ).

While Johnson's status for the Miami game is still up in the air, Napier did at least reveal that he and his staff feel good about where the running back is right now in his rehab.

"Obviously we’re getting ready to turn the page into game week, but we’ll give you updates per the timeline up until the game,” said Napier. “We have confidence that Montrell is doing great and feel good about his return.”

Johnson has led Florida in rushing for the past two seasons, having rushed for 817 yards and five touchdowns last season. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry and 68 yards per game in 2023 while catching a career-high 30 passes for 236 yards and one touchdown as a receiver.