Gators RB committee back at full strength as Jordan Cronkrite returns

Football

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Image Credit: AP

It appears as if sophomore running back Jordan Cronkrite only needed a weekend to get his head on straight as head coach Jim McElwain confirmed that Cronkrite rejoined the Florida Gators on Monday, has been practicing all week and will join the No. 11 Gators on the road to face the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

“He had been dinged up and things weren’t going his way,” explained McElwain on Wednesday as the reason for Cronkrite’s absence the prior week.

Cronkrite, who has supposedly been dealing with various injuries this season, has fallen to fourth in Florida’s at-times frustrating running back committee behind sophomore Jordan Scarlett (finally the unquestioned leader), freshman Lamichal Perine and junior Mark Thompson, who also missed Saturday’s game against Georgia after being suspended for a violation of team rules. Thompson was reportedly cited for misdemeanor possession of marijuana earlier in the week.

Cronkrite actually led the young running backs with 44 carries as a freshman in 2015, but he’s been held to just 26 and 4.3 yards per carry this season. Scarlett (5.0 YPC) and Perine (5.3 YPC) are leading the way for Florida with Scarlett taking the majority of the touches (98 for 468 yards and six touchdowns). Scarlett is the second Gators running back in the last 12 years to score a touchdown in six straight games (Kelvin Taylor).