Iowa Hawkeyes' Breakout Star Lands On Impressive List

This Iowa Hawkeyes star is earning himself some pretty major recognition this season.

Sep 21, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson (2) runs for a touchdown against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the second half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson has turned heads over the first several weeks of the 2024 college football season.

The breakout star leads the nation with 685 rushing yards to go along with nine touchdowns and is averaging an incredible 8.4 yards per carry.

Most recently, Johnson racked up 206 yards and three touchdowns in Iowa's Week 4 win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

As a result of his heroics, Johnson has earned himself a spot on ESPN's early-season surprising stars team.

The Hawkeyes are certainly not known for their offense, so them having one of the most explosive weapons in the country is a rare event.

But that's exactly what Iowa possesses in Johnson.

The Cincinnati native has been the best halfback in college football thus far and is the primary reason why the Hawkeyes are 3-1 heading into their Week 5 bye.

To say that Johnson has come out of nowhere would be an understatement.

He arrived at Iowa City in 2022 and enjoyed a solid freshman campaign, registering 779 yards and six scores while logging 5.2 yards per attempt. Then, last season, Johnson actually took a massive step back, finishing with 463 yards and three touchdowns on a meager four yards per tote.

Flash forward to 2024, and Johnson has taken the world by storm.

He has rattled off well over 100 yards in each of his first four games of the season and may even be giving the Ohio State Buckeyes something to worry about in Week 6.