One of the good things for former Florida Gator Montrell Johnson landing with the Philadelphia Eagles is that he is with a quality organization where he can develop. The downside is that the running back room is stacked and is going to be very difficult to crack in 2025.
After missing the preseason opener for the Eagles, Johnson got to state his case on Saturday as to why he should make the 53-man roster as a UDFA.
Johnson did the best he could as part of an Eagles offense that only managed 88 yards the entire day. Johnson was responsible for 20 of those off of six carries.
He is essentially hoping to be RB4 and a special teams guy on the Eagles' 53-man roster, given the presence of Saquon Barkley and Will Shipley.
Johnson came to Gainesville in 2022 from Louisiana alongside Billy Napier. He had over 800 yards in 2022 and 2023 before injuries affected his 2024 campaign. While his total yards were down in 2024 (593), he had a career best 5.9 yards per carry.
Volleyball to have scrimmage
If you are in Gainesville on Sunday and need something to do, Volleyball is going to have its Orange and Blue Scrimmage at 3 PM at the O'Dome.
The event is free and there will be an autograph signing after the scrimmage.
The Gators enter the 2025 season in transition. Long-time coach Mary Wise retired after last season, and Ryan Theis will lead them moving forward.
Theis comes to Gainesville after a long stint at Marquette, where he made the NCAA Tournament ten times. Last year, Marquette made it to the Sweet 16 before falling to Penn State.
This Is The Swamp is back
The online series This Is The Swamp is back for season five. The series is produced by Billy Napier, among others, and takes a look at people behind the scenes in Gainesville who help make Gator Football what it is.
In this episode, Brandon Spikes is among the people featured who have a role beyond the coaching staff.
This is The Swamp 🐊
Full episode is here 🍿 #GatorMade
Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/8pqUimDaKG
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) August 15, 2025