Former Iowa Hawkeyes Star RB Receives High Praise from Legendary Coach

Mike Tomlin had plenty of good things to say about Kaleb Johnson ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Nov 23, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson (2) rushes as Maryland Terrapins defensive back Dante Trader Jr. (12) defends during the first half at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers are no strangers to Iowa Hawkeyes in recent years.

This is a new trend for the Steelers and it recently included running back Kaleb Johnson.

After an All-American campaign from Johnson, he was selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Head coach Mike Tomlin had plenty of good to say about the rookie running back during a recent episode of The Standard.

"Kaleb has an awesome skillset," Tomlin said. "He has that unique blend of experience and youth that's very attractive to us."

Johnson led the Big Ten with 1,537 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns last season. He was the leader of an Iowa offense that was very much run-heavy. The Hawkeyes finished 8-5 in 2024.

Johnson set a career-high with 240 carries last season but was a factor within the offense since his freshman year. He will not turn 22 years old until training camp, which was an attractive quality for Tomlin and the Steelers.

"From our perspective, it's just really good to do business with a guy that's young and experienced," Tomlin said.

"Some of the most significant players we've had here during my time kind of fit that bill. Le'Veon Bell, for example, was a third-year junior when he came out of Michigan State. Rashard Mendenhall was a third-year junior when he came out of Illinois."

The Steelers lost Najee Harris in free agency this offseason so the backfield is up for grabs. Johnson will likely be in the mix all season long.