Tag: Kaleb Johnson

Iowa Hawkeyes 2023 Snapshot Profile: No. 2 Kaleb Johnson

What’s next for Kaleb Johnson at running back in 2023? Is he officially a star for the Hawkeyes and in the Big Ten? His snapshot profile.

The Iowa Hawkeyes will always be about running the ball. Until an entirely new set of leaders at the top of the football team and athletic department are put in, this is who the Hawks are.

The mentality has been the same: strong running to pair with stifling defense. Over the years for Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz, this mentality has worked. It would be a lot easier to rattle off the years under Ferentz in which Iowa was bad versus the opposite. By following the fundamentals of the game, this team has won a lot and will look to continue doing so.

Last year, the offense took a hit from the year prior. While all of the numbers were down in 2021, they still had a talented back in Tyler Goodson to overcome some of those issues. Last year, there was a big change. Goodson departed for the NFL, as did first-round center Tyler Linderbaum. Iowa had even more to figure out with its running game.

Early on, it looked as though the Iowa running game was going to be miserable in 2022. At times, because of the line and scheme simply not working, it was. However, a shining star in the backfield was able to overcome a lot of those issues and put the team on his back despite his young age.

Enter Kaleb Johnson.

Though just a freshman, the Hamilton, Ohio, native showed all of the potential in the world his freshman year. He could break off the big touchdown, and, when given the keys to the offense, he excelled.

He’s going to need help from the boys up front, but Johnson could be something special over the next two years in Iowa City.

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Hawkeyes Chalk Talk: How one personnel group can unlock Iowa’s offense in 2023

How can the Hawkeyes unlock their offense in 2023? Here’s the personnel group that can help Iowa do so.

So, now that the talent will be in Iowa City, there are no more excuses. Bluntly put, it is time for the Iowa Hawkeyes’ offense to perform. The transfers of Cade McNamara, Erick All, Seth Anderson, and most recently, Kaleb Brown, have set the stage for an offense desperately searching for answers.

That’s what we are here to look at today. What is a personnel grouping that could unlock this Iowa offense in 2023? Before we get into it, I will give some foundation to where this thought process stems from and why I am comfortable laying it out.

I attended Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, just a short 45-minute trip east of Iowa City. I played four years of football there as a wide receiver. Now, life wasn’t easy for a 5-foot-9, 185-pound slot receiver that wasn’t the fastest or strongest as you could imagine. Due to that, I had to win with a high football IQ, an understanding of matchups, and quick processing of mathematical advantages (which we will get into later). For example, if a linebacker was on me, that was the time to use my best move. Or if we spread it out and it was a run play, I had to know how to handle a linebacker while giving up quite a bit of size.

Due to experience, countless hours of seeing schemes in film meetings, and studying Iowa’s offense, I believe one personnel grouping could unlock this offense. That is ’12’ personnel.

Let’s get into what ’12’ personnel means and how it could change the Hawkeyes’ offense.

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5 Iowa Hawkeyes poised for a breakout in 2023 college football season

A look at five Iowa Hawkeyes who can become the next stars of the Iowa football program during the 2023 college football season.

A new spring season of Hawkeyes football is upon us, folks! If you know anything about Iowa ball, they have an established pipeline to the NFL. You’ll rarely find a draft without Hawkeye representation and this year is no different.

Iowa has five candidates for the upcoming 2023 NFL draft in defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness, linebacker Jack Campbell, tight end Sam LaPorta, cornerback Riley Moss, and safety Kaevon Merriweather. Van Ness, Campbell, and LaPorta have been the talk of the NFL Draft community after their stellar NFL Combine performances.

Van Ness in particular featured highly in recent mock drafts. Moss and Merriweather also have a number of fans in the football world as well.

Despite being known as a program greater than the sum of its parts, every year Iowa football manages to produce stars who go on to the NFL. That team-first mentality really aids in preparing players for the next level. Five key stars are moving on, but who will be the next breakout stars in Iowa City?

With the depth charts released for the spring season, we now have a better idea of how these players are viewed by the coaching staff. With that in mind and combined with what we already saw last year, here are five breakout candidates to keep an eye on throughout spring ball.

Kaleb Johnson leaving Rutgers football to join the Florida Gators in the SEC

Rutgers football strength and conditioning assistant Kaleb Johnson is leaving the program.

Kaleb Johnson is leaving Rutgers football for a role on the Florida Gators football staff. The former Rutgers football standout offensive lineman is taking a new direction in his coaching career in a move that takes Johnson back closer to home.

A former All-Big East selection at Rutgers, Johnson was an undrafted rookie free agent who spent four years in the NFL. Following a season in the Canadian Football League (CFL), Johnson retired from football in 2019.

He spent the last three years as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Rutgers football program. With this week’s move, he joins Florida as part of their Offensive Quality Control staff.

Johnson posted about joining the Gators staff on Twitter on Thursday evening:

 

At Florida, he will join former Rutgers offensive lineman Darnell Stapleton. Now an offensive line assistant with the Gators, Stapleton was one of the best linemen in the history of Rutgers football. He went on to an NFL career that included a Super Bowl win with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Coming out of high school, Johnson was a three-star recruit according to Rivals. He played at Ed White High School in Jacksonville, FL.

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5 burning offensive questions for the Iowa Hawkeyes heading into spring football

It’s almost time for spring football in Iowa City. What are five burning questions about the Hawkeyes’ offense heading into spring football?

Slowly but surely we are escaping the pit that is the college football offseason. Full of transfers and coaching changes, the offseason can feel like a real slog to get through. This isn’t aided by the weather being bad either, just heightening our offseasonal depression.

It’s been a turbulent one for the Iowa Hawkeyes to say the least. Iowa brought in two big transfers from Michigan, but also saw multiple talented players depart as well. It is going to hurt to see Jestin Jacobs in an Oregon uniform next year, and I’m fully prepared for Keagan Johnson to be a star in the Big 12.

While Iowa managed to put together a good recruiting class, it all felt overshadowed by the guy they weren’t able to bring in. While many will try to criticize Proctor’s decision calling it short sighted, mind you Alabama also routinely sends linemen to the NFL, it’s really hard for me to envision anything but success for the young man. I truly do wish him the best, unless it’s in a national championship against Iowa to which I hope he gives up four sacks.

What else was there? Oh yeah, there was the entire “will they fire him” situation with offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz. If it were up to most of the fanbase, the coach’s son would’ve been out the door a long time ago. Even before Iowa’s offense put up horrendous numbers this past season. Iowa did issue him an “ultimatum” though: bring the offense to passable levels and you sir get a raise and a pat on the back.

It still does feel like a bad dream.

It’s felt like all offseason the fanbase has received just kick in the pants after kick in the pants. I’m not sure if the same feeling of optimism is there that I noticed last year. So, how do you fix that? Well, it’s easy folks.

Win.

Winning is the remedy to literally any problem in sports. All of the down moments of the offseason will seem like little blips on the radar if Iowa football gets back to doing what they do in winning.

Of course, the biggest factor in that is the offense. Anyone who is familiar with last year’s team can tell you just how bad it is, and looking back on some of the box scores it truly is the stuff of nightmares. It cannot go on that way. No more wasting Phil Parker’s fantastic defensive efforts and no more wasting the fans’ time!

With the offense in mind, here are five questions about Brian Ferentz’s unit that should be on the minds of every single Iowa football fan.

5 most important Iowa Hawkeyes for 2023 success

Iowa enters 2023 with question marks and some voids, but also returning talent. Who are the five more important Hawkeyes for 2023 success?

The 2023 season for the Iowa Hawkeyes feels a little bit like all of the chips have been pushed to the middle of the table and this season is all-in. With the additions via the transfer portal and the dire need to improve offensively, there is pressure. The defense has pressure as well. There are key starters gone and large voids to fill.

Looking ahead to next season, there are a handful of areas that either need improvement or things could go very sideways. There are also areas that are reloading and will be shouldering a huge amount of pressure to drive this team to success.

As we near the beginning of spring practice and will start getting a look at some new and returning Hawkeyes, there are already a handful that are success factors. Here is a look at who the five most important Iowa Hawkeyes are for success during the 2023 season.

Iowa Stock Index: Hawkeyes’ stock report after loss to Nebraska

Iowa lost a heartbreaker to Nebraska. Whose stock is rising, whose stock is falling after the loss to the Cornhuskers?

The Iowa Hawkeyes fell 24-17 to the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a game that felt as though anything that could have went wrong did go wrong. From penalties, to turnovers, to injuries, the Hawkeyes could not catch a break and that came at the worst possible time of the year for it to occur.

As we enter the wait before finding out what bowl game Iowa will be headed to, there is certainly some time for reflection, both positively and what could have went differently. Luckily, the Hawkeyes get one more game. They will be in a bowl and have a chance to end this season with a win and get to a mark of 8-5.

Quite a few Hawkeyes have had their hands in the mix in this game and some did everything they could to pull of the comeback, but there are a few that are seeing their stock rising as we continue down the final stretch of the season.

A trio of Spartans highlighted in the Big Ten’s top performers of Week 10

Payton Thorne and Cal Haladay are among our top performers of the week.

All 14 Big Ten teams were in action during Week 10. The Spartans won for the second time in three weeks after snapping their four-game skid against Wisconsin two weeks ago.

In the Big Ten East, both Michigan and Ohio State remained perfect on the season after first-half scares against Rutgers and Northwestern. The blowouts of the week belonged to the Penn State Nittany Lions, who ran past Indiana 45-14, and the Wolverines with their 52-17 victory.

Prior to Week 11’s action, we take one look back at the top performers of the week voted on by our Big Ten editorial team.

The Voters:

Without further ado, let’s dive into the selections made by our editorial team

Iowa Hawkeyes’ Kaleb Johnson listed among CBS Sports’ star power index

On the heels of his 200-yard rushing performance, Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson was listed in CBS Sports’ star power index.

The nation is starting to take notice. That’s what happens when you have the type of day Kaleb Johnson did at Purdue.

The 6-foot, 212 pound native of Hamilton, Ohio, racked up 200 rushing yards on 22 carries with a 75-yard score that showcased his talents in one impressive burst.

As a result of his breakout day against the Boilermakers during the Hawkeyes’ 24-3 win in West Lafayette, Ind., Johnson was named the Big Ten Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week. It also earned plenty of recognition from Johnson’s teammates as well.

Now, Johnson is on CBS Sports’ radar as well. Kaleb Johnson was among college football players that CBS Sports’ David Cobb listed in his Week 10 star power index.

The odds of Iowa producing a Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week this season seemed negligible, but running back Kaleb Johnson picked up that honor in Iowa’s surprisingly dominant 24-3 win at Purdue. Johnson tallied 200 yards rushing and a touchdown and added a couple of receptions with a performance good enough to also earn him Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. He became just the second player in program history to run for 200 yards in a game, and the performance stands out even more because of how inept the Hawkeyes had been offensively entering the game. Iowa fans probably aren’t ready to take back their gripes with this offense, but at least Johnson gives them something to be hopeful about in the future. – Cobb, CBS Sports.

Johnson was listed among some big names in college football. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett was recognized as were Michigan linebacker Michael Barrett, SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai, Coastal Carolina wide receiver Jared Brown, and Marshall kicker Rece Verhoff.

“I’d say with Kaleb, obviously he’s got the size and speed. We all kind of knew that. I think the challenge that Brian had for him after last game was just finishing every run. He doesn’t necessarily know how strong he is sometimes I think. What I really loved was just seeing him finish all his runs today, because if we can get him on a corner or a safety, we like that matchup.

“I think as his confidence continues to grow, he’ll continue to make, run through tackles as opposed to assuming the run is over, which I think might have happened on a couple runs last week. That’s going to be the challenge for him going forward is just play to how good you are. You’re very talented. Let’s keep seeing it. He obviously ran hard and did a really nice job today,” Petras said of Johnson following the win over Purdue.

Kaleb Johnson’s next chance to impress will come against a Wisconsin rushing defense that ranks No. 21 nationally, surrendering just 113.8 yards per game. The Hawkeyes host the Badgers at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday on FS1 at Kinnick Stadium for Iowa’s Military Appreciation Day.

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Kaleb Johnson named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, Freshman of the Week

After leading the Iowa Hawkeyes to a strong win over Purdue, freshman running back Kaleb Johnson has received multiple Big Ten awards.

The Iowa Hawkeyes rode the ground game to a 24-3 dominant victory over Purdue to move to 5-4 on the season. The catalyst to that performance was freshman running back Kaleb Johnson.

Iowa gave Johnson his heaviest workload of the season to this point and he delivered when given the opportunity. Johnson ran for 200 yards on 22 carries, averaging 9.1 yards per touch. The standout run being the 75-yard touchdown to break the game wide open.

With his performance, Johnson has been named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and the Big Ten Freshman Player of the week.

Johnson’s aforementioned 75-yard gallop to open the second half built a 24-3 lead that gave Iowa complete control of this game and turned it into a submission by the Hawkeyes’ defense for the rest of the second half.

Johnson’s performance was a great showing by the young back, but the offensive line did their part as well. Johnson can improve and believes that the rest of the offense can, too.

“It feels so good, because I know that we’re making improvement every week. I know that we’re going to be a good team moving forward, a great team matter of fact moving forward, so I just thank the line, I thank everybody for giving me a shot, giving me a chance,” Johnson said postgame about the offense continuing to grow.

Johnson’s ability to break some big runs and turn on the next gear of breakaway speed really allowed him to turn this good outing into a great one. Head coach Kirk Ferentz recognized that extra burst.

“I mean, we’ll make things work for whoever’s back there if they’re a good back. He just seems to really have a good feel. Hits the hole hard and then finished some runs off today. It was great to see him finish that one today. I can’t remember the last time we had one like that, so it was really good to see,” Ferentz said about Johnson finishing runs.

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