IOWA CITY — Omar Young did not walk into the catbird seat when he took over as Iowa’s new running backs coach in March.
Young faced the unique challenge of needing to find a replacement for the most explosive part of the Hawkeyes’ offense. Young needed to find a replacement for Kaleb Johnson, the program’s single-season touchdown score and a third-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Two weeks into fall camp, Young said his room has surprised him since he arrived in Iowa City five months ago.
“I got a good glimpse in the spring of what most of these guys can do,” Young said. “When you talk about surprises, it’s just more I’m just surprised I got the best kids, I feel like, in the world, in terms of the a group. These guys come to work every single day, ready to go. We’re prepared and the effort is freaking there. The want to is freaking there. That’s cool. That’s surprising to me because I didn’t know what I was walking into, but that’s the part that’s really cool to have going forward.”
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It's cool to Young and it’s critical to his challenge to find the replacement for Johnson, which may not be one individual player.
On Friday, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said he had “no idea” who the Hawkeyes’ starting running back would be for the season opener in less than three weeks.
But, according to Ferentz, the uncertainty of Johnson’s successor is a good thing.
“The group is all working well,” Ferentz said. “They’re doing a good job.”
In Iowa's running backs room, Kamari Moulton, who opened the 2024 season as the team’s starter, and Jaziun Patterson bring experience.
Former three-stars Xavier Williams and Brevin Doll both enter their second season with the program.
Terrell Washington Jr. rejoins the group equipped with a unique skillset and understand of the offense after a season as a wide receiver.
And, freshman running back Nathan McNeil, who turned heads at Kids’ Day on Saturday, brings excitement.
The depth of the room is why Young said the team may not operate with one go-to running back in 2025.
“You have a situation where everybody’s giving everything that they have in their particular roles,” Young said. “When you can have roles, and those guys know what their roles are, they can go out there and be super successful in those particular roles.
“… All of these guys are doing everything that we ask them to do so who knows how this thing plays out. That’s what I like, the fact that we got a competition going on right now and these guys go out there every single day and compete.”
Young added he’s worked to make certain his players understand the opportunity each day.
“I hope I’ve conveyed that,” Young said. “But, at the same time, of just giving them still opportunities when they present themselves and just saying, here’s the situation. Just keep working. It’s hard for young kids to kind of see that and have that forefront, but that’s my job to help them see that. So, (I) just keep giving them opportunities, keep breaking it down to them so they can see it so when their time comes, they’re ready to go.”
Despite the competition, Young said the Hawkeyes’ running backs room remains a tightly-knit group.
“You don’t really get that sometimes,” Young said. “It’s no ego in this room, and that’s the great thing. They just want the best for whatever and that’s what we strive for.”
Moulton described the battle for the starting job (or the lion’s share of touches in a potential committee) as “friendly competitive.”
“If somebody does something good, you want to match that — or even do better,” Moulton said. “I’ll say it is definitely competitive, but also in a good, friendly way. We are all brothers at the end of the day. We go back to the hotel and chill with each other all the time. … It’s just friendly competitiveness.”
Regardless of who emerges as the top running back or who earns a share of the touches, Young said their well-positioned to help the offense thrive in year two under offensive coordinator Tim Lester.
“They have a better understanding of what actually is happening,” Young said. “There’s no longer that need to know what I’m trying to do now. I need to know how I can do it better. Those guys have started to take on and add that to their repertoire or like, Hey, coach, what about this? If I get this look, what do you think about …? That’s the cool part. When you have that back and forth in that conversation, that tells you, as a coach, that these guys are starting and they’re ready and prepared to go take that next step.”
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Ethan Petrik is a University of Iowa beat writer for the Lee Enterprises network. Follow him on X or send him an email at ethan.petrik@wcfcourier.com.
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