Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson has made the decision to make next season full of game-changing plays

Johnson has repeatedly said he will “probably” play in the Iowa bowl game but isn’t sure if he’s considering an NFL opportunity

IOWA CITY — If Friday night was to be Kaleb Johnson’s final game at Kinnick Stadium, it was quite a finale.

The Iowa star running back evaded nearly half of Nebraska’s defensive players with a 72-yard touchdown reception that turned the tide and gave Iowa a 13-10 victory over the rival Huskers.

“It would certainly be a reminder,” Johnson said.

But Johnson has yet to decide whether this will be his lasting memory as a Hawkeye.

Johnson still has one more year of eligibility, but his name could potentially be called in the early rounds of next year’s NFL Draft. Pro Football Focus rated Johnson as the 29th best prospect in next year’s draft class, and his stunning 72-yard touchdown reception certainly didn’t hurt his draft numbers.

“I don’t even know my decision yet,” Johnson said shortly after Friday night’s game.

If Johnson turns pro, he will also have to decide whether he wants to play in the postseason bowl game at Iowa. (Iowa’s most likely destination is the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, but bowl announcements won’t be made until next weekend.)

Johnson repeatedly said after Friday’s win that he would “probably” play in the bowl game.

“I just love my team,” Johnson said. “I love each and every one of them, especially Coach Ferentz and the staff.”

One would hardly blame Johnson if he had a change of heart before the end of December. The current trend is for top running backs to forgo their postseason bowl games (and avoid the added risk of injury that comes with playing in them). Florida State’s Trey Benson and USC’s MarShawn Lloyd were just a few examples last year.

There were also some exceptions, such as Blake Corum of Michigan and Bucky Irving of Oregon. But Iowa’s mid-major bowl goal isn’t quite the same as Michigan’s quest for a national title or Oregon’s trip to the more prestigious Fiesta Bowl.

Johnson did not indicate what his timeline for a decision will be. The deadline for players from non-championship teams to register for the draft is January 6th. Of course, he has to decide beforehand whether he wants to take part in the bowl game.

“Shoot, it came too fast,” Johnson said in response to a question about his timeline for a decision.

Johnson’s pending decision follows a remarkable regular season for the third-year player from Hamilton, Ohio. He amassed 1,537 rushing yards — the most for an Iowa running back since Shonn Greene’s special 2008 season — and led the Big Ten with 128.1 rushing yards per game.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Johnson said. “I have too many thoughts at the moment. … I just love my team. I love each and every one of them, especially coach Ferentz and the staff and everyone who believes in me.”

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