Florida Gators 2025 Position Preview: RBs

Meanwhile, Jackson is looking to cap off what's been a long journey to this point. A recruiting victim of the COVID-19 Pandemic cancelling recruiting visits, Jackson first worked at Lowe's right out of high school before enrolling at Coahoma Community College for three seasons.

From there, he joined Florida in 2023 but did not play a single game until his breakout campaign last year.

“It has been a very big difference," Jackson explained. "The main thing I would say throughout it all is just staying in the process and staying level headed through it all and just knowing your why really. Knowing why you work hard, why you come in everyday and do the things you do, why you fell in love with the game of football to begin with. Just doing that, that really helped me through it all, coming in with no name and just putting my head down and grind.” 

Since the two emerged last season, the duo has been pushing each other both on and off the field, and while most backs in a run-heavy offense may not be fine with splitting carries, the two embrace what each other brings to the table.

“I honestly feel like it does not have a disadvantage at all, because me and Ja’Kobi, we look at it as whoever's in the game, we're going to do the job, and whoever's behind us coming in afterwards, they're going to do the job," Baugh said. "I feel like that's a mentality in our room."

Who steps up the two has been one of the biggest question marks of fall camp. It's not because of a lack of talent but because of experience. Napier previously broke down the contenders for the role.

"That's a big-time role in our offense. We know that running backs get banged up. I don't think we've had a year where the top two, one of those guys will get banged up. So, who is that guy?" he said. "KD (Daniels), Duke (Clark), hopefully Treyaun (Webb)  getsbackin the fold, and then obviously, Byron Louis has flashed a little bit. But we got a lot of work to do to figure out who that is."

Webb, a redshirt sophomore legacy player, would be the favorite due to experience, but after missing most of 2024 with a leg injury and undergoing hamstring surgery in the middle of camp, which will force him to miss the first two games at least, it's unlikely he will have that role.

Meanwhile, true freshman Clark, a spring enrollee, and Louis, a summer enrollee have each flashed, but Daniels seems to have made the most strides after playing sparingly last season. A former four-star and Gatorade Mississippi Football Player of the Year (2023), Daniels rushed for 77 yards and a score while playing in four games.

“KD has grown a lot," Jackson said. "I would say really the mental side. Just understanding the game and really just putting in all the extra work, so he is someone to look forward to this year.” 

With four starters on the offensive line returning and confidence from a strong end to last season, the Gators' rushing attack could very easily be one of the best in the country in 2025.