Gators Still Searching for No. 3 Running Back

The Florida Gators have an established running back duo in Jadan Baugh and Ja'Kobi Jackson. However, the third spot in the rotation is seemingly wide open.

Despite not only enrolling until this summer, true freshman Byron Louis finds himself in the mix to be the Florida Gators' No. 3 running back. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Since arriving on campus, Florida Gators running backs Jadan Baugh and Ja’Kobi Jackson have quickly captured fans’ attention as dynamic playmakers in the backfield. They hit the gaps with emphasis and produce nearly every time the ball hits their hands. 

However, as important as it is to have the top two at that position solidified, head coach Billy Napier is equally focused on identifying his team’s No. 3 running back for the 2025 season. 

“We have competition for who's the third back,” Napier said. “That's a big-time role in our offense. We know that running backs get banged up. So, who is that guy?”

The Gators currently envision four players who could be "that guy" in redshirt freshman, KD Daniels, true freshmen Duke Clark and Byron Louis and redshirt sophomore Treyaun Webb. For the time being, though, there's only three true contenders as Webb is set to miss the beginning of the season after undergoing hamstring surgery.

“KD, Duke (Clark), hopefully Treyaun (Webb) gets back in the fold, and then obviously, Byron Louis has flashed a little bit,” Napier said. “But we got a lot of work to do to figure out who that is."

The downside for Clark, Daniels and Louis is that there is not much experience among this trio of players. Clark and Louis are only entering their first year with the program, while Daniels redshirted last year to preserve another year of eligibility. 

Daniels appeared in just four games in 2024, but was effective in his limited reps. He rushed the ball 11 times for 77 yards and a touchdown. For those who like math, his average yards per attempt come out to seven yards, which is pretty good. 

After redshirting in 2024, Florida Gators running back KD Daniels could see a significant increase in snaps in 2025. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

Despite his limited work last year, Daniels has continued to put his head down and work this summer. It seems to be catching his coach's attention, too. 

“He's doing really good,” Napier said. “I think he's trusting his eyes. His eye discipline is improving. His footwork is more consistent. I think the protection component, he's becoming more of a student of the game - and I think he's doing a better job.”

Additionally, Baugh believes that with the progression he has seen from Daniels, the redshirt freshman will play a part in the upcoming campaign. 

“I feel like his growth and, you know, his mindset, especially, he's grown a lot. And a lot of people are going to see this year,” Baugh emphasized. 

Clark is in a similar situation to Daniels. He has had to make the most of the team’s offseason camps to impress his peers, but it sounds like he has accomplished that. 

Florida Gators true freshman running back Duke Clark has reportedly impressed those around him since enrolling ahead of spring camp. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

“Duke's doing great,” offensive lineman Bryce Lovett said. “From what I've seen, he's going to be a very good running back. He's got vision, patience, and as he gets stronger, he's going to have more power.”

Meanwhile, Louis had less time than his freshman teammate to showcase his abilities after not enrolling at Florida until this summer. Despite his late arrival, the work he put in during camp has caught the eyes of his teammates and coaches. 

“Even though he was one of the last running backs to get here, he still came in, he's eager to learn, and he gets to work. He's very coachable,” Jackson said of Louis. 

Baugh, while talking highly of him, also gave some advice on what he needs to work on moving forward. 

“I can definitely say Byron had a lot of good runs (Wednesday),” he shared. “But with him, it’s not trying to get him to overthink sometimes. You know, coming in as a freshman, you want to impress a lot of people. You know, you want to impress the coaches. But he definitely has good vision when it comes to running the ball, understanding what's going on.”

Byron Louis is one of three running backs currently in contention to be the third running back behind Jadan Baugh and Ja'Kobi Jackson. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

Unfortunately for these players, all three can’t be No. 3 on the depth chart. Only one will be named. However, that does not mean it is set in stone when the season begins on Aug. 30 against Long Island.