Iowa running back Leshon Williams not expected to play vs. Minnesota after Week 3 injury

IOWA CITY — Iowa running back Leshon Williams is not expected to return this week against Minnesota after exiting last weekend’s game against Troy with an injury.

“I don’t see him having a chance to return,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said in his weekly news conference. “So hopefully we'll get him back soon in the future. But I don't think this week is reasonable for him to be in there.”

Williams already had a lighter workload than other running backs, taking 11 carries through three games versus Kaleb Johnson’s 61 carries and Kamari Moulton’s 30.

With Williams out, Johnson was again the first-team running back on Monday’s depth chart while Moulton and Jaziun Patterson were the second-team running backs.

Williams, a fifth-year senior from Chicago, ranked sixth in the Big Ten last year with 821 rushing yards.

Tuesday’s injury news comes amid an unusually healthy start to the season for the Hawkeyes. The only players to listed earlier as questionable or out on the Big Ten-mandated availability reports have been wide receiver Seth Anderson and linebackers Jayden Montgomery and Kelby Telander.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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