Iowa football running back Kaleb Johnson on his future with the Hawkeyes

IOWA CITY — Kaleb Johnson didn’t provide any clarity about his future with the Iowa football program following the Hawkeyes’ rivalry win over Nebraska on Black Friday.

Johnson still has one more college season left, but he may choose to forego it and pursue a future in the NFL.

“I don’t even know my decision yet,” Johnson said after the game. “I’ll probably play in the bowl game. I don’t know yet.”

“… I just love my team. I love every single one of them, especially Coach Ferentz and the staff, just everyone who believed in me.”

Johnson declined to put a timetable on when he would decide his availability for bowl games or his future in the NFL.

“Shoot, I don’t even know. Like I said, I’ll probably play in the bowl game, but I don’t even know yet.”

On Friday against Nebraska, Johnson rushed for just 45 yards but caught a 72-yard touchdown. The Hawkeyes went 13-10 and finished the regular season 8-4.

Johnson finished the 2024 regular season with 1,537 rushing yards and 23 total touchdowns.

For Johnson, this was a historic moment in football. He set single-season program records for points, total touchdowns and rushing scores.

More:Kaleb Johnson breaks Shonn Greene’s single-season rushing touchdown record in Iowa football

Johnson has developed into one of the best running backs in the country with his breakout season and was named a finalist for the Doak Walker Award. Johnson burst onto the scene as a true freshman, but that didn’t carry over to last season where he had a tumultuous season.

But Johnson’s junior season was a success as he took the Hawkeyes’ offense on his shoulders with the help of the offensive line.

“He’s putting his experience to good use,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said of Johnson ahead of the Iowa-Nebraska game. “He runs smarter, runs better, runs stronger. Everything is better at the moment. He has a great attitude. He’s really fun to be on the field with and fun to be with him here or anywhere else.”

“He’s just a good young man. Yes, it was fun watching his maturity and growth. He always had good skills. Part of it is also improving your mentality. And that’s the advantage of being older, sure.”

More:Kaleb Johnson breaks the Iowa football record with 21 touchdowns in a season for the Hawkeyes

Iowa still has a bowl game left. But the wheels for the 2025 season, which have already begun to turn, will now gain even more momentum.

Johnson’s upcoming decision will have serious implications for the Hawkeyes’ offensive lineup in 2025.

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