Iowa Hawkeyes' Most Compelling Position Battle Not What You Would Expect

The Iowa Hawkeyes have had a very interesting offseason. While they may have finally found the answer to their quarterback woes by landing Mark Gronowski via the transfer portal, they also lost some pivotal players to the NFL or expiring eligibility.

Perhaps chief among them was running back Kaleb Johnson, who racked up 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground for Iowa last season before being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the NFL Draft.

Your first instinct may be to think that Johnson's departure leaves the Hawkeyes' run game in a rut, but that's not necessarily true.

Not only does Iowa have a terrific offensive line with a couple of lynchpins in Gennings Dunker and Logan Jones, but it also boasts a couple of very intriguing halfback talents in Kamari Moulton and Jaziun Patterson, both of whom flashed considerable potential in 2024.

The matchup between Moulton and Patterson may be the most compelling position battle we see from the Hawkeyes the remainder of the offseason. While Moulton clearly has the inside track, Patterson also needs to demonstrate that he can potentially split touches in the backfield.

Moulton rushed for 473 yards and three touchdowns while averaging a robust 5.6 yards per carry last year. His best performance came against Maryland in November, when he toted the ball 12 times for 114 yards and a score. He also filled in for Johnson in the Music City Bowl, logging 96 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts.

Patterson had his moments, too. He recorded 309 yards and a couple of scores while posting 4.9 yards per carry overall. He also enjoyed a strong performance in Iowa's bowl game, tallying 74 yards on nine totes.

Are either of those players Johnson? Maybe not, and this isn't to say that it's merely a case of plug and play for Iowa's running backs. However, given the strength of the offensive line, there's no reason to believe the Hawkeyes' rushing attack cannot at least be more than respectable in 2025.

What will be interesting to see is who ultimately gets the bulk of the touches. Who will gain more confidence from Kirk Ferentz and offensive coordinator Tim Lester? Or maybe Iowa will even go with more of a committee approach that also incorporates someone like Terrell Washington?

It's definitely something to monitor as the offseason progresses.

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