Kaleb Johnson (running back)
{{Short description|American football player (born 2003)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Kaleb Johnson
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_team = Pittsburgh Steelers
| number = 20
| position = Running back
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|8|14}}
| birth_place = Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 1
| weight_lb = 224
| high_school = Hamilton (Hamilton, Ohio)
| college = Iowa (2022–2024)
| draftyear = 2025
| draftround = 3
| draftpick = 83
| pastteams =
- Pittsburgh Steelers ({{NFL Year|2025}}–present)
| status = Active
| highlights =
- Consensus All-American (2024)
- Big Ten Running Back of the Year (2024)
- First-team All-Big Ten (2024)
| statseason = 2025
| statweek =
| statlabel1 = Rushing yards
| statvalue1 =
| statlabel2 = Rushing average
| statvalue2 =
| statlabel3 = Rushing touchdowns
| statvalue3 =
| statlabel4 = Receptions
| statvalue4 =
| statlabel5 = Receiving yards
| statvalue5 =
| statlabel6 = Receiving touchdowns
| statvalue6 =
| pfr = JohnKa03
}}
Kaleb Johnson (born August 14, 2003) is an American professional football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes and was selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Early life
Johnson attended Hamilton High School in Hamilton, Ohio. He was rated as a three-star recruit and the 36th overall running back in the class of 2022, receiving offers from schools such as California, Cincinnati, Michigan, Michigan State, Pitt, Kentucky, Minnesota, Iowa, West Virginia, Ball State, Kent State, Liberty, Marshall, Miami University, Toledo, Western Michigan, and Eastern Kentucky.{{cite web |last1=Springer |first1=Scott |title=Hamilton High running back flips from California football to Iowa Hawkeyes |url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/high-school/ohio-high-school/2021/10/13/iowa-snares-commitment-hamilton-high-running-back-kaleb-johnson/8435390002/ |website=Cincinnati Enquirer |date=13 October 2021 |access-date=2 September 2024}} Initially, Johnson committed to play college football for the California Golden Bears.{{cite web |last1=Dyer |first1=Mike |title=Hamilton senior running back Kaleb Johnson verbally commits to the University of California Berkeley |url=https://www.wcpo.com/sports/high-school-sports/hamilton-senior-running-back-kaleb-johnson-verbally-commits-to-the-university-of-california-berkeley |website=WCPO.com |date=21 June 2021 |access-date=2 September 2024}} However, Johnson decided to flip his commitment to play for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
College career
In his first two seasons in 2022 and 2023, Johnson rushed 268 times for 1,242 yards and nine touchdowns and hauled in seven receptions for 52 yards.{{cite web |last1=Schultz |first1=Brad |title=Iowa football running back Kaleb Johnson motivated from first half suspension, delivers with two scores |url=https://dailyiowan.com/2024/08/31/iowa-football-running-back-kaleb-johnson-motivated-from-first-half-suspension-delivers-with-two-scores/ |website=The Daily Iowan |date=31 August 2024 |access-date=2 September 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Dochterman |first1=Scott |title=Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson 'was touched by God' with physicality: How high is his ceiling? |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4772857/2023/08/14/kaleb-johnson-iowa-college-football/ |date=14 August 2023 |access-date=2 September 2024}} In the 2024 season opener, he rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries despite being suspended for the first half of the game, helping the Hawkeyes to a win over Illinois State.{{cite web |last1=Clark |first1=Dave |title=Kaleb Johnson, Iowa RB from Hamilton, rushes for 119 yards, two TDs in one half |url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/college/othercolleges/2024/09/01/kaleb-johnson-iowa-hawkeyes-hamilton-ohio-running-back-119-rushing-yards-first-half-suspension/75039785007/ |website=Cincinnati Enquirer |date=1 September 2024 |access-date=1 September 2024}}
Through week 14 of the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season, Johnson was fourth in the FBS in rushing yards (1,537) and scoring (23 touchdowns, 138 points), and fifth in rushing touchdowns (21).{{cite web |title=All Conferences Player Rushing Stats 2024 |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/stats/player/_/view/offense/stat/rushing/table/rushing/sort/rushingYards/dir/desc |website=ESPN |date=November 24, 2024 |access-date=November 24, 2024}}{{Cite web |last=Donald |first=Riley |date=August 31, 2024 |title=Iowa running backs Kaleb Johnson, Jaziun Patterson suspended for first half |url=https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/2024/08/31/iowa-football-kaleb-johnson-jaziun-patterson-suspended-hawkeyes-illinois-state/ |access-date=September 22, 2024 |website=Hawkeyes Wire|publisher=USA Today}} After the conclusion of the regular season, Johnson was named first-team all-Big Ten and Big Ten Running Back of the Year, and a consensus first-team All-American. He was also a finalist for the Doak Walker Award.{{cite web |title=Johnson Named Doak Walker Finalist |url=https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2024/11/26/johnson-named-doak-walker-finalist |publisher=University of Iowa Athletics |date=November 26, 2024 |access-date=December 22, 2024}} Johnson established single-season records at Iowa for rushing touchdowns and scoring.
=Statistics=
| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" | |||||||||||||||||
| ! colspan="23" style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Iowa Hawkeyes|border=2|color=white}}" |{{center|Iowa Hawkeyes}} | |||||||||||||||||
| rowspan=2|Season
! rowspan=1| ! colspan=5|Rushing ! colspan=5|Receiving ! colspan=5|Kick Return ! colspan=5|Speed | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Att | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | Rec | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | Ret | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | Top Speed | 40 Time |
| 2022
| 13 | 151 | 779 | 5.2 | 75T | 6 | 4 | 27 | 6.8 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 325 | 25.0 | 42 | 0 | 21.5 | 4.38 |
| 2023
| 10 | 117 | 463 | 4.0 | 67T | 3 | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 77 | 38.5 | 54 | 0 | 22.1 | 4.35 |
| 2024
| 12 | 240 | 1,537 | 6.4 | 75T | 21 | 22 | 188 | 8.5 | 72T | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | {{ndash}} | 0 | 22.7 | 4.31 |
| [https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kaleb-johnson-2.html Career]
! 35 || 508 | 2,779 | 5.5 | 75T | 30 | 29 | 240 | 8.3 | 72T | 2 | 15 | 402 | 26.8 | 54 | 0 || 0 || 0 |
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 1
| weight = 224
| dash = 4.57
| ten split = 1.62
| twenty split = 2.67
| arm span = 33
| hand span = 9 5/8
| note = All values from NFL Combine{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/kaleb-johnson/32004a4f-4839-8805-a441-bdb3ea3187ea |title=Kaleb Johnson Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=March 1, 2025}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1057322&DraftYear=2025 |title=Kaleb Johnson College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=March 1, 2025}}
}}
Johnson was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 83rd pick in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft.{{cite web |last=Farabaugh |first=Nick |title=Pittsburgh Steelers select Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson with third-round pick |website=The Patriot-News |url=https://www.pennlive.com/steelers/2025/04/pittsburgh-steelers-select-iowa-rb-kaleb-johnson-with-third-round-pick.html |date=April 26, 2025 |access-date=May 8, 2025}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
[https://www.steelers.com/team/players-roster/kaleb-johnson/ Pittsburgh Steelers bio]
- [https://hawkeyesports.com/roster/kaleb-johnson/ Iowa Hawkeyes profile]
{{2024 NCAA Division I FBS College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year}}
{{Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 NFL draft picks}}
{{Pittsburgh Steelers roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Kaleb}}
Category:Players of American football from Hamilton County, Ohio
Category:American football running backs