Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson, a breakout star in 2024, sidesteps anxious nerves just like he does defenders

Kaleb Johnson is a first-off-the-bus kind of running back. He's listed at 6-foot, 225 pounds -- though Johnson would like to make clear he's much closer to 6-foot-2 -- with a musculature that screams athletic exception. He looks like a million bucks. Plays like it, too. But Johnson still suffers from bouts of nervousness before every matchup. He's admitted in previous interviews he played timid as a freshman in 2022.

Nobody would accuse Johnson of that playing timid now. That doesn't stop the nerves, however. He's jittery before games, anxious, walking around and shaking a bit in the minutes leading up to kickoff. The butterflies never go away on game day, not until the ball is snapped.

So how'd Johnson swat away the nerves like he has would-be-tacklers en route to 171 yards rushing per game, second-best in the country? 

"By just being confident and realizing that I'm trying to punish people," Johnson told CBS Sports. "No matter how big the person is and no matter who I'm going against, just being Kaleb and doing what Kaleb needs to do."

He's doing plenty this year for Iowa.

Johnson led the country with 685 rushing yards through four weeks before Iowa's bye to go along with nine touchdowns (second nationally) and an eye-popping 8.35 yards per carry. He's accounted for 60% of the Hawkeyes' offensive touchdowns and 44.7% of the offense's total yardage in a season that's seen college football's worst offense from a season ago (3.94 yards per play) become a respectable unit at 70th nationally (5.87 yards per play).

National rushing leaders, sorted by yards per game (via CFBstats.com)

Eating up that kind of yardage has those in Iowa City, including Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz, comparing Johnson to program legend and 2008 Doak Walker Award winner Shonn Greene.

"I'm not sure I remember anybody in four games doing what he's done," Ferentz said recently, via Hawkeye Insider. "He's been really aggressive. He's always been a big strong guy and a talented guy. But right now, he's really just focused, and I think really coming into his own in terms of using what strengths and abilities he does have."

One of those strengths is, well, strength.

Johnson is exceptionally fast for his size. He's hit 22 miles per hour on the GPS this season and ran a laser timed 4.44-second 40 in high school.

That speed proved to be a bit of a trap early in his career.

Part of it was Iowa's scheme (a lot of wide zone as opposed to more of the mid-zone plays the Hawkeyes are running this year) and an inconsistent o-line in front of him, but Johnson needlessly kicked a lot of runs outside last season as a sophomore when he averaged four yards per carry. Sixty percent of his attempts in 2023 were off tackle, per PFF data. This year? That's down to 51%.

Instead of always trying to make a hero play on the edge, Johnson is making one cut and attacking downhill more often. Not only using his size but reaching top speed faster as he hits the hole. Johnson averaged 1.3 yards before contact last year. That's up to 2.8 this year, per TruMedia data. Johnson gives the offensive line "all" of the credit, but he's clearly making faster decisions as a runner.

Johnson had a stuff rate (runs that result in a loss) of 20.5% last year. That's down to 15.8% in 2024.

"Last year I felt like I could out beat and run past anybody," Johnson said. "Now that's not the case. I know there are people faster than me. I have to be physical, be my size and make cut and run them over.

"(When) I get downhill, I feel like it pressures (the defense) more. I feel like they have attack downhill as opposed to standing back and being safe."

Iowa's offense looks a little different in 2024 under new offensive coordinator Tim Lester. The Hawkeyes use far more motion to make things more difficult on the defense and have changed up their run scheme a bit.

But Iowa is still Iowa.

Defense, special teams and ball control win games in Iowa City. Thus, the Hawkeyes face a lot of stacked boxes (only six teams have faced more boxes with eight-plus defenders). Somehow Johnson is averaging 11.4 yards per carry in those situations. 

Some of that is better blocking, yes. But Johnson is also embracing his size and running with violence.  

"If they're in my way, I'm going to hit them in the mouth," Johnson said. "You either need to get out of my way or you're going to be run over. That's the mindset I'm on right now."

The numbers reflect that attitude. He's averaging an eye-popping 5.57 yards after contact this season, per PFF, and converting 75% of third-down attempts. Tacklers miss him a staggering one-third of the time. 

And once he gets the tough yards? Good luck catching him. Johnson led the FBS through four weeks with 12 carries of 20-plus yards. Nobody else had more than seven.

A Hamilton, Ohio native, Johnson picked the Hawkeyes over Cal in the 2022 class. He believed in the stability of the program and running backs coach Ladell Betts.

Johnson said Ohio State recruited him a bit in high school. But a career in Columbus was never really in the plans. Johnson ranked as the No. 43 running back in the country per the Top247 rankings; Ohio State's pick in its 2022, class, Dallan Hayden, ranked as the No. 19 RB. Hayden transferred to Colorado this offseason. Having grown up just under two hours away from Ohio Stadium, Johnson will relish this weekend's opportunity to perhaps prove a point to the Buckeyes on national television (3:30 p.m., CBS) in a game with possible Big Ten Championship implications. 

"I wanted to play against them," he said. 

On his own, Johnson is outproducing the ballyhooed Ohio State tandem of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson in yardage, and matching the two-headed monster in touchdowns.  Ahead of the season Johnson told reporters he hoped to prove his chops as a top-five running back in college football. The national stage is very much in front of him Saturday after his hot start.

Like he has all season, he's going to run right at it.

"I like the place where I'm at," Johnson said when asked about his place among the top running backs in college football. "I want to stay here, and I'm going to do what I can to stay the top back in the nation. This is a dream come true for me, and now I have to keep it, run even harder and act like I don't have it." 

The run game, led by Johnson, may be Iowa's only advantage Saturday vs. Ohio State.

Writes Sean Bock of Hawkeye Insider: 

"One issue for Ohio State through the first four games has been the linebackers. Ohio State's MIKE linebacker Cody Simon has a poor tackling grade on PFF to start the season, and Sonny Styles in his first year at the WILL spot. ... Johnson is going to need to be his usual self, but the Hawkeyes are also going to have to find production from Jaziun Patterson and Kamari Moulton. In addition to that, Cade McNamara is going to have to step up and make plays."

Read more from Bock and Hawkeye Insider previewing the Iowa-Ohio State game here.