'I'm talking extremely smart.' How Florida football's Treyaun Webb gets an edge with his brain
For as long as Florida football sophomore running back Treyaun Webb can remember, he wanted to be a Gator.
Growing up on the north side of Jacksonville, Webb heard stories about The Swamp from his older cousin, Dee Webb. A former standout cornerback at UF from 2001-05, Dee Webb went on to a nine-year professional football career in the NFL and CFL.
"There’s nothing like The Swamp," Webb said. "That’s kind of what he was telling me. You go about every day by being a pro, doing the little things right, trusting the process.”
Webb fulfilled his own dream when he signed with the Florida Gators in 2023. As a true freshman, Webb showed he belonged, rushing for 164 yards and 2 TDs on 6.3 yards per carry. That included a career-long 43-yard run during UF's 38-14 homecoming win over Vanderbilt at The Swamp last October.
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With Trevor Etienne transferring to rival Georgia, Webb will get an opportunity for more carries behind returning senior running back Montrell Johnson Jr. this season.'
"He's been born for this because he's a true and true Gator," Florida running backs coach Jabbar Juluke said. "So he's been looking for his opportunity to play in The Swamp and have an opportunity to excel in front of his family and friends and the Gator Nation. So, I'm excited about what he's going to do."
Said Webb: "I got recruited to be Treyaun Webb, not Trevor Etienne. So, I feel I have an opportunity to really show what I could do this year and make the most of it.”
How can UF football RB Treyaun Webb take advantage of his opportunity this season
At 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, Webb possesses all the physical attributes, size and speed, to succeed in the SEC. But Juluke said what separates Webb is his mind.
"Treyaun is very tough, he's physical, he's smart," Juluke said. "I'm talking about extremely smart. He's a 4.3 grade point average, he's gonna graduate in two-and-a-half years from college. So that helps him to play a lot faster than when you would think that a young player would play."
Webb turned down a scholarship offer from Stanford to play closer to home in front of his family.
"I’ve always been blessed with the ability to think fast, think quick on my feet, kind of memorize stuff," Webb said. "So, I kind of use that to my advantage, just seeing stuff before it happens, seeing the defenses, seeing how they rotate, on different motions, I feel like it all comes with being a student of the game."
Webb was well coached in high school, playing for a Jacksonville Trinity Christian program led by veteran coach Verlon Dorminey. One of Dorminey's assistants at Trinity Christian, safety Guss Scott, played safety at UF before going on to a three-year UF career.
Playing at a private school. Webb started playing varsity football in seventh grade. Ultimately, Webb said, playing against older players helped in his development.
"My advantage was my smartness, seeing the field, seeing everything before it happens," Webb said.
Treyaun Webb says goal is to become a complete back for Florida football
Webb said an emphasis this spring has been honing all three phases of his game — running the football, pass catching and blitz protection.
"Nowadays in the NFL, everybody is going toward being a complete back, catching the ball, protecting the quarterback, stuff like that," Webb said. "I feel like I kind of have an advantage as far as pass protection, I’ve done that well, really I want to build off that, keep elevating my game, I have a lot of to work on.”
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida Gators football sophomore RB Treyaun Webb fulfilling dream
