Former Pitt RB Israel Abanikanda Could Start for Jets

An injury to Breece Hall could open up an opportunity for the former Pitt Panther to start right away.

PITTSBURGH -- The home run-hitting ability Israel Abanikanda demonstrated week in and week out during his final season as a Pitt Panther made him one of the top running back prospects in this year's NFL Draft and earned him a fifth-round selection by the New York Jets. 

Now, with Abanikanda still in the middle of his transition from Pitt superstar to NFL rookie, he appears to have a shot at starting for the Jets at the beginning of this season while expected starter Breece Hall works his way back from an ACL injury, according to The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt. 

"It remains unclear when Hall will be ready to go after ACL surgery," Rosenblatt wrote. "It has been six months since the surgery, so it would be surprising if he were ready to go on Day 1 of training camp. He hasn’t been practicing during OTAs, though he was seen running off to the side on Tuesday. The Jets didn’t invest heavily in the position this offseason, so they’re either confident Hall will return to form — which is rare the first year post-ACL surgery — or believe the other running backs can hold down the fort."

Abanikanda is one of a handful of tailbacks - alongside Michael Carter and Zonovan Knight - who are contenders to fill Hall's spot while he recovers. 

"Carter and Knight struggled down the stretch with Hall out. Johnson was cut with a non-football injury this offseason," Rosenblatt said. "The Jets think Carter will bounce back and also believe that Israel Abanikanda — whom they drafted in the fifth round out of Pitt — can make an immediate impact. He’s a home-run threat and will be part of the running back rotation right away, pushing to start if Hall is out to begin the season."

Carter has some NFL success on his resume, so Abanikana will have to not only show that same speed that made him a threat to score from everywhere on the field in college games plus improved pass-catching and pass-blocking abilities to help out Aaron Rodgers in the backfield. 

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