One Glaring Concern for Iowa's Kaleb Johnson Replacement

The Iowa Hawkeyes will have some gigantic shoes to fill next season, as superstar running back Kaleb Johnson is taking his talents to the NFL this spring.

Johnson racked up 1,537 rushing yards and set Iowa's single-season record with 21 rushing touchdowns in 2024, stamping his name among the nation's most lethal weapons.

The 22-year-old was the Hawkeyes' sole source of consistent offense last season, and he will be sorely missed in 2025.

Fortunately, Iowa does have a couple of very intriguing halfbacks who will be attempting to replace his production in Kamari Moulton and Jaziun Patterson.

Moulton seems to be the primary choice heading into next year, and based on how well he played down the stretch, you can certainly see why. He certainly seems to have obvious potential, and it will be exciting to see him getting the bulk of the carries next fall.

However, for as impressive as Moulton looked at points last season, he does come with one major concern: a complete lack of pass-catching prowess.

The Fort Lauderdale, Fl. native has totaled just one reception since arriving at Iowa in 2023, and that could present prominent issues for the Hawkeyes in 2025.

Of course, it's entirely possible that a lack of genuine opportunity is the main culprit for Moulton's absence of receiving production, as Johnson himself had only accumulated seven catches between 2022 and 2023 before snaring 22 balls for 188 yards and a couple of scores last year.

But it's still something to keep in mind, nonetheless, especially with incoming transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski trying to get comfortable after making the jump from the FCS.

We have no reason to doubt Moulton's explosiveness. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry during his sophomore campaign, which included a 12-carry, 114-yard performance against Maryland in late November. So he probably does have ability to make things happen after the catch.

That being said, Moulton has to prove it before we say he can actually do it.

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