2025 Scouting Report: RB Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
Bio:
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 224
Career Stats: 35 games; 508 carries, 2,779 yards, 30 TDs; 29 receptions, 240 yards, 2 TDs
2024 Stats: 12 games; 240 carries (11th), 1,537 yards (7th), 21 TDs (T-6); 22 receptions, 188 yards, 2 TDs
Awards: 2024 Consensus All-American | Big Ten RB of the Year (2024) | Led Big Ten in rush yards and TDs (2024)
Kaleb Johnson is the odd man out in the eyes of the media. Everyone fauns over Jeanty, Hampton, Henderson, and Skattebo, but there is no mention of Johnson. If there is he gets glossed over quickly so they can talk about their favorite players. I get it, Johnson is the least sexy of the running backs and he played for Iowa - a school that has never been known for offense.
The message on Kaleb is that he’s good but boring and he doesn’t particularly stand out on tape either, but that may be his best asset. Tony Pollard is unquestionably a good running back in the NFL, but is he great at any one good thing? I wouldn’t say so, he’s just NFL-good at every aspect of playing running back. Ezekiel Elliott was the same way.
When Zeke burst onto the scene he was a physical rarity. 220 pounds and 4.4/4.5 runner who had a knack for playing the position the ‘right way’, and he did that very well and very consistently year to year, game to game, and play to play.
I don’t think Kaleb will have the same career as Zeke for a few reasons but talent isn’t going to be the reason he doesn’t have the same highs. Not only have defenders gotten bigger and faster as RBs have, but he would also need to get incredibly lucky to be the main lead behind a great line for multiple years.
Kaleb is designed to be a battering ram, and he’s very good at consistently finding a way to gain yards and mitigate losses. I’d argue he’s better at that than Ashton Jeanty, a bold claim, but he’s got 10+ pounds on Jeanty and better instincts while running in between the tackles. Jeanty is nearly impossible to get down once he reaches the second level but Kaleb is a first-level specialist. For the NFL, Kaleb Johnson may be a better RB than Jeanty.
I’d argue Kaleb Johnson’s 2024 season was more impressive than Jeanty’s as well. Iowa’s offense has been terrible for years. Defenses were unphased by the passing game so they stacked the box with 8+ players damn near every play, and Kaleb had 6.4 yards per carry despite that. For Jeanty, at least defenses had to respect Maddux and the Boise St air attack.
The Data on Kaleb Johnson:
A ridiculous 6.4 yards per carry while the passing game averaged 6.6 yards per attempt. Just like Jeanty Kaleb nearly outpaced that phase of the game… Jeanty was 0.5 ypc lower at 7.1 vs 7.6 yards per attempt.
In 3 games against top-20 defenses, he averaged 112.3 yards per game, 6.4 yards per attempt, and 1.33 rushing TDs per game. Through the air, he averaged 2 receptions for 25 yards a pop including a 72-yard TD. All of this adds up to 136 yards from scrimmage per game.
| PowerRtg | AgilityRtg | RecRtg | H | W | Last | First | Team | adjYds/Att | adjAtt/TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.411 | 6.240 | 5.381 | 73 | 224 | Johnson | Kaleb | Iowa | 6.8 | 12.2 |
PowerRtg = Combination of rushing stats, adjusted stats, size, and strength of schedule.
AgilityRtg = Combination of rushing and receiving stats, adjusted stats, size, and strength of schedule.
RecRtg = Combination of receiving stats, adjusted stats, and strength of schedule.
adj. = stats weighted against strength of schedule.
Draft Outlook:
Johnson will likely find himself as a power back in an RBBC and drafted inside the top 75-100 picks. I’d rather draft Kaleb in the second round than Jeanty in the first. The value is too great for essentially the same player.
Career Outlook:
I’m tired of typing this. He will be as good as his offensive line and scheme allow him to be.
Image Source: (Emily Nyberg)
