On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson has enjoyed a spectacular start to the 2024 season and has quickly established himself as one of the most explosive players in the country.
As a result, Johnson has placed himself on the radars of many NFL teams heading into the 2025 draft and should be one of the first halfbacks off the board next April.
However, Bleacher Report's Ryan Fowler has revealed a rather disappointing NFL comparison for him.
In a piece where Fowler runs through player comparisons for some of the top prospects in college football, he likened Johnson to Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr.
Robinson had one spectacular year at the University of Alabama, racking up 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging five yards per carry during his final NCAA campaign in 2021.
Unfortunately, that production has not translated on to the NFL level.
In his rookie campaign with the Commanders, Robinson rushed for 797 yards and a couple of scores, logging a meager 3.9 yards per attempt. Then, last season, he totaled 733 yards and five touchdowns while registering 4.1 yards per tote.
The 25-year-old has been a bit more efficient thus far in 2024, posting 4.6 yards per carry, but most of that production came in one game when he rattled off 133 yards against the New York Giants.
You would hope that Johnson will have a more effective NFL career than Robinson based on his output this season at Iowa, as he has already totaled 685 yards and nine scores through four games.
He has even drawn comparisons to Kansas City Chiefs legend Larry Johnson, which is certainly much more flattering.
More must-reads:
- CFB Week 0 winners, losers: Fourth-down decisions loom large in ranked Big 12 showdown
- Big Ten's College Football Playoff expansion idea is 'absurd,' ESPN host says
- The '2024-25 NFL rushing touchdown leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
CFB Week 0 winners, losers: Fourth-down decisions loom large in ranked Big 12 showdown
Big Ten's College Football Playoff expansion idea is 'absurd,' ESPN host says
Rece Davis doesn't want to see the College Football Playoff expand to two dozen or more participants. The longtime host of ESPN's "College GameDay" said on Saturday, per On3's Nick Schultz, that the Big Ten Conference's idea being floated around that could grow the CFP to 24 or 28 teams is "absurd." Davis made his comments on ESPN just before No. 17 Kansas State and No. 22 Iowa State were set to battle in the opener of the 2025 college football season from Aviva Stadium in Dublin. According to a recent report by ESPN's Pete Thamel, the Big Ten's idea is in the early stages of being discussed. This proposal would eliminate conference title games and offer a sizable number of automatic bids to the four power conferences. "I’m just going to say this flat-out: I don’t believe they’re serious about this,” Davis said on "College Football Countdown," per Schultz. "I believe this is like when you go to sell your house, and you say, 'I’m going to ask $1 million more than I’m willing to settle for.' They’re trying to get something back on the other side because on its face, this is absurd. It’s absurd, on its face. So they have to be looking for something else. That’s my guess." CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello reported on Aug. 18, citing sources, that the Big Ten's CFP expansion idea isn't off to a great start and has caught stakeholders off guard. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti recently floated the two expansion models to athletic directors in that conference, per Marcello. The Southeastern Conference, the other dominant league in college football, was later informed. Others conferences weren't told about the idea until reports leaked out, according to Marcello. A CFP executive said to CBS Sports, "We sound like immature children throwing garbage against the wall." Per Thamel, in the 28-team model, the Big Ten and the SEC would each command seven automatic bids, while the ACC and the Big 12 would both get five. There would then be two auto bids for non-power-four conferences and also two at-large teams. At the conclusion of the 2025 season, there will be a 12-team CFP. The event also had 12 participants last season, with Ohio State winning, and before that, four teams. Over the past year or so, stakeholders have discussed potentially expanding the CFP to 16 participants. However, an agreement hasn't been reached due to different conferences wanting a different number of automatic bids versus at-large teams, according to Thamel.
Jets coaches try to calm situation in wake of Justin Fields' comments
According to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, New York Jets starting quarterback Justin Fields did not throw a pass that traveled 10 yards in the air during his two preseason appearances. Some have voiced concerns about the Jets' passing attack with Fields in the lineup, but he insisted while speaking with reporters on Tuesday that he's "fine with taking eight-yard completions every play." On Wednesday, Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand addressed Fields' comment. "He's going to play the play the way the defense allows him to play it," Engstrand said about Fields, per Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. "So if they're going to allow him to take a shot down the field, he's going to take it. If they don't allow him, he's going to check the ball down, and we'll move on to the next play. We're all good with that." Fields completed just one of five passes for four yards in the Jets' 31-12 loss to the New York Giants on Saturday. According to Fox Sports, he connected on four of nine pass attempts for 46 yards across his first two preseason appearances of the summer. Despite such lackluster numbers, first-year Jets head coach Aaron Glenn suggested on Tuesday that he is ignoring "the noise that happens on the outside" regarding the team's passing offense. On Wednesday, Jets passing game coordinator Scott Turner praised Fields for knowing when to take a checkdown and when to challenge an opposing defense. "I think you've seen a lot of quarterbacks in this league, Josh Allen pops into mind, who really cut down his turnovers last year and won MVP by not always trying to make the big huge play, but make the right play. Justin has done a nice job with that," Turner said. ESPN stats show that Fields averaged 6.9 yards per pass attempt over six starts and 10 appearances with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. Per Pro Football Reference, 22 qualified quarterbacks had a better yards per pass attempt average for the 2024 campaign. Dan Graziano of ESPN noted Wednesday that the $10M guaranteed that the Jets owe Fields for 2026 "won't prevent them from" looking for an upgrade at the position next year if he doesn't make "a major leap as a passer." It's still early into this experiment, but there's no sign that such a leap is coming anytime soon.
Green Bay Packers: Matt LaFleur Makes ‘Bittersweet Admission After NFL Preseason Win Against Seahawks
49ers pull off trade for disgruntled Commanders star
Brian Robinson‘s tenure with the Washington Commanders is coming to an end as expected. The fourth-year running back will spend the coming season in San Francisco. The San Francisco 49ers and Commanders agreed to terms on a Robinson trade Friday, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. A 2026 sixth-round pick will head the other way as a result of the swap. San Francisco had been in the market for a backfield addition, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Efforts to pull off a move have now paid off ahead of roster cutdowns. Washington will retain a portion of Robinson’s 2025 salary ($3.4M), Garafolo adds. It recently became clear Washington was looking to move on from Robinson, who did not dress in the team’s second preseason game, with a trade looming. The team’s Dan Quinn-Adam Peters regime has been open to a trade since last year, and with a swap now agreed to it will proceed with its other in-house RB options. Washington has veteran Austin Ekeler in the fold along with 2023 draftee Chris Rodriguez and seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who has enjoyed a strong training camp. Quarterback Jayden Daniels led the Commanders in rushing last year, and today’s deal indicates he will once again be counted on as a central element of the team’s ground game. Expectations are high after Washington made a surprise run to the NFC title game during Daniels’ rookie campaign. Robinson will not play a role in the team’s efforts to duplicate that success, though. Racking up 570 carries across his three seasons in the nation’s capital, Robinson was a key figure on offense with the Commanders. The former third-rounder saw his touchdown total and yards per attempt figure increase with each passing campaign. That included eight scores and 4.3 yards per carry in 2024. Instead of retaining Robinson on the final year of his rookie pact, however, Washington will proceed with a less expensive backfield. The Commanders will recoup draft capital in this swap, something which is needed given the number of veterans on their roster. For the 49ers, meanwhile, today’s deal marks another addition on offense for the 2025 season. A trade was worked out on Wednesday for Skyy Moore, giving San Francisco a healthy receiver option. Moore, like Robinson, is a pending 2026 free agent. The 49ers have Christian McCaffrey atop the RB depth chart, and all parties involved will aim for a healthier season this time around than 2024. After trading away Jordan Mason, the team was in position to have 2024 fourth-rounder Isaac Guerendo handle backup duties. Now, he and Robinson will compete for playing time in the backfield (although using McCaffrey and Robinson on the field together could be an option, per Garafolo). Robinson’s market will of course be dictated in large part by the level of success he has with his new team. San Francisco entered Friday with nearly $49M in cap space. Taking on Robinson will eat into the figure, and it will be interesting to see how much Washington retained on his pact to finalize the trade. The Commanders, meanwhile, should see partial cap savings and thus add to their roughly $17M in available funds ahead of cutdowns. As both NFC teams prepare for the campaign in the coming days, they will do so with differences in their backfields.
Two-time Stanley Cup champion leaves NHL for Switzerland
Last season was a tough one for veteran defenseman Jan Rutta. He dealt with some lower-body injuries, and when he was in the lineup for San Jose, he was often on the third pairing. That has certainly contributed to his going unsigned through the first seven weeks of free agency, but that is coming to an end. Earlier this week, Blick’s Gregory Beaud (h/t The Hockey News) reported that the blueliner is signing with Geneve-Servette in Switzerland. Rutta played in 54 games for the Sharks last season, picking up just three goals and six assists in a little over 17 minutes a night. However, he took a regular turn on their penalty kill and played some tough defensive minutes. Speculatively, NHL teams could be eyeing him as a PTO candidate to fill a sixth or seventh role if things went well in training camp but clearly, a full contract offer has yet to materialize and at some point, a guaranteed deal overseas could be viewed as a better option than trying to earn a contract off a tryout. Rutta debuted fairly late in the NHL with his first season coming at the age of 27 with Chicago. Since then, he has suited up in 417 regular-season games between four different clubs, putting up 23 goals and 75 assists along with 479 blocked shots. He also has a pair of Stanley Cup rings from his time with Tampa Bay. Rutta will be the third veteran NHL player to join that team this offseason. Previously, it signed wingers Jesse Puljujarvi and Jimmy Vesey and has one import slot remaining that it appears they want to use to bring in a veteran defender.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
