On the heels of the 2025 NFL draft, I needed to take a look at and supply a few of new Steelers RB Kaleb Johnson’s finest stats from the 2024 school soccer season. The aim is to see what the Pittsburgh Steelers might be buying if all goes properly. For context, I’ll embody drafted RBs with a minimal of 100 carries within the 2024 common season (23 qualifiers).
First, let’s have a look at yardage manufacturing. Listed here are dashing yards, together with dashing yards per try in 2024:
Johnson had 1,535 dashing yards for Iowa within the 2024 common season, fourth-best amongst qualifiers. He was additionally comfortably above the imply on 6.4 yards per try, which ranked sixth. Lands decrease, however Johnson’s 240 makes an attempt have been the seventh-most, and had the fourth-best yards per try of gamers with above the imply whole dashing yards.
So, clearly, some high quality and amount are revealed within the preliminary view.
Right here’s some added context, viewing yards after contact per try and breakaway share (fee of 15-plus runs):
Leaping out instantly is Johnson’s 56.1 breakaway p.c, the most effective fee amongst qualifiers. Our Dave Bryan illustrated this prowess in an explosive play runs contextualization, furthering an attractive potential that Pittsburgh hopes they acquired, and albeit, wants extra of than latest seasons general.
Johnson additionally had a formidable 4.42 yards after contact per try, rating second amongst his friends. His quite spectacular stability with the ball in his fingers, preventing for further yards—that’s a well-recognized sight in Pittsburgh—and, after all, explosiveness.
Within the research, Johnson ranked within the high ten in each stat (comfortably). Right here’s a breakdown (23 qualifiers): makes an attempt (seventh), yards (fourth), yards per try (sixth), yards after contact (second), breakaway p.c (first).
Johnson’s 2024 season was a terrific addition to his resume at Iowa, which is hopefully a stepping stone for the subsequent chapter, wanting comparable within the Black and Gold that he’s already donned so properly.
