‘I’m proud of him’: Kaleb Johnson proves he’s one of the nation’s best with another huge output

For the third game in a row, Kaleb Johnson proved he’s not just a good player, he’s one of the very best backs in the game. And right now that’s undeniable — he leads the entire country in rushing.

Johnson turned in a 25-carry, 173-yard performance in Iowa’s win over Troy, upping his total to 479 yards on the season. This is Johnson’s third consecutive game crossing the 100-yard mark, and he has found the end zone twice in each game as well.

“A goal I’ve always had in mind was to be a top 5 back in the nation,” Johnson said after the game. “Now it’s here, so I’m going to keep my head down and keep focusing. It’s knowing that people are faster than me, and putting my strength and my head down even more.”

“When he was young, he’d try to just run around, he’s starting to learn to make that one cut and just keep pushing,” Mason Richman said. “Certain plays, I’m making sure he’s seeing the things that we’re seeing, he’s doing a really good job going north.”

“I think it’s really cool to see K2 coming into his own this season,” Cade McNamara said. “I think as long as he stays consistent with what he’s doing, he’s going to be an extremely good back. He’s been performing really well and I’m proud of him.”

There’s only been one Hawkeye in the Ferentz era that won the Doak Walker award — Shonn Greene back in 2008. Obviously, there’s a lot of season left to play but Johnson is currently on pace for 24 rushing touchdowns and nearly 2000 yards.

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