IA #30

Israel Abanikanda

Running Back · Pittsburgh

A record-setting Pittsburgh running back whose blazing college production has yet to translate into a steady NFL role across four franchises.

Israel Abanikanda arrived in the NFL as a fifth-round pick after a Pittsburgh career that included one of the greatest single-game rushing performances in program history. He has since bounced from the Jets to the 49ers to the Packers before landing with Dallas, still chasing a consistent opportunity at the pro level.

★ First-team All-American, Pittsburgh, 2022

★ First-team All-ACC, Pittsburgh, 2022

★ Pitt single-game rushing record: 320 yards vs. Virginia Tech, 2022

★ Gatorade New York Football Player of the Year, high school

Path to the league

Abanikanda starred at Pittsburgh from 2020 to 2022, capping his college run with a breakout junior season of 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns that earned him first-team All-American and first-team All-ACC honors. The New York Jets drafted him in the fifth round with the 143rd overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Career highlights

His signature moment came on October 8, 2022, against Virginia Tech, when he rushed for 320 yards and tied a school record with 6 rushing touchdowns in a single game, breaking Tony Dorsett's long-standing Pitt rushing record. He also earned Gatorade Football Player of the Year honors for New York state coming out of Abraham Lincoln High School.

2025 season recap

Abanikanda's 2025 season was a nomadic one: he was claimed off waivers by the Packers in July, released in final cuts, briefly returned to Green Bay's practice squad, then was let go again in September. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad in late November 2025 and inked a reserve/future contract with the team in January 2026, still looking to carve out a role after limited NFL carries so far.