Iowa football winter position breakdown: Running backs

IOWA CITY — Iowa football fans still have 222 days to wait until the start of the 2022 season.

In case there aren’t already enough twos, the running back position has two Williams backs — no, they’re not related — two fullbacks coming back who saw time in 2021 and two incoming freshmen under scholarship.

Here’s the first of The Gazette’s Iowa football winter position breakdowns, which will be published three times per week:

Who’s gone

Iowa will lose Tyler Goodson, the Hawkeyes’ first 1,000-plus-yard rusher since 2017, as he pursues an NFL career. Goodson had a productive junior season despite having an inexperienced offensive line ahead of him. As that line gained more experience, Goodson’s efficiency improved as well.

Ivory Kelly-Martin, who opened the season as the second-string running back before a toe injury and ball-security issues plagued his senior season, will not use his extra COVID-19 year of eligibility.

Who’s back

Gavin and Leshon Williams, who are coming off their redshirt freshman seasons, will be the incumbents at halfback. Neither of them opened the 2021 season on Iowa’s depth chart, but they both found roles by the end of the season.

Gavin Williams emerged as Iowa’s second back during the latter part of the season and nicely complemented Goodson’s skill set. Gavin and Leshon Williams saw more pronounced roles in the Citrus Bowl — surely an important in-game evaluation opportunity.

It was about as good of a bowl game as one could ask for from the two redshirt freshmen. Gavin Williams racked up 98 rushing yards at a 6.1 yard-per-carry clip. Leshon Williams had a career-high 10 carries and 42 yards to show for it.

Monte Pottebaum and the golden locks of his mullet will be back for his senior year along with second-string fullback Turner Pallissard, who saw most of his in-game opportunities on special teams.

While many other college football programs have phased out the use of a fullback, Pottebaum took 311 offensive snaps in 2021, per Pro Football Focus.

Deavin Hilson, who was part of Iowa’s 2021 recruiting class, did not play in his freshman season.

Who’s joining the mix

Kaleb Johnson and Jaziun Patterson will be the Hawkeyes’ true freshmen at the position.

Johnson, a four-star recruit according to Rivals from Hamilton, Ohio, was the highest-rated running back to sign with Iowa since Greg Garmon in 2012. Rivals lists Patterson, who hails from Deerfield Beach, Fla., as a three-star recruit.

Way-too-early two-deep projections

Any projections of the depth chart need an asterisk that it’s only January. A lot can change in the 222 days before Iowa faces South Dakota State at Kinnick Stadium. That being said, here is the most likely scenario given what we know right now:

At halfback:

At fullback:

Outlook

For losing its first 1,000-yard rusher in four years to the NFL Draft, Iowa is in about as good of a position as it could ask for at running back.

Gavin Williams appears to be the front-runner to be the starter at halfback, but Leshon Williams and the two incoming freshmen could give him some competition for that role. Iowa doesn’t have much to worry about at fullback with Pottebaum returning.

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