Iowa RB Akrum Wadley shows off quickness vs. Wyoming
Iowa Hawkeyes running back Akrum Wadley led the team in carries in week one, and showed why NFL scouts are loving his next level potential…
Iowa Hawkeyes running back Akrum Wadley was generally considered a top five back in college football entering the 2017 season, and he showed us all why in his season debut against Wyoming.
One major reason why NFL scouts are interested in Wadley?
His ability to make defenders miss in the open field. He was particularly great in that area in this game:
Iowa RB Akrum Wadley was impressive - forcing five missed tackles on runs against Wyoming on 24 carries. pic.twitter.com/OMBjh6e8cf
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 2, 2017
Despite being a bit of a smaller back, Wadley is not afraid to mix things up between the tackles and put his shoulder down to gain yards after contact. That being said, his preferred method is still to just flat out make guys miss in the open field.
Here are a couple of examples:
Akrum Wadley showing off. #Hawkeyes https://t.co/onU8v6vrnW pic.twitter.com/qVmyPYMtuh
— Sayre Bedinger (@SayreBedinger) September 7, 2017
Akrum Wadley on 3rd an 21 -- #Hawkeyes https://t.co/rSF7jt9eYW pic.twitter.com/7Ys777fEId
— Sayre Bedinger (@SayreBedinger) September 7, 2017
Wadley finished this game with 24 carries, gaining 116 yards (4.8 YPC average) with five missed tackles.
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The Hawkeyes completed just eight passes in this game (three for touchdowns) so Wadley’s presence as a receiver was limited, to say the least.
That all being said, those evaluating Wadley at the next level got a really good look at him in this game. He showed he can carry a full load, and still be that type of big play back we’ve come to expect.
The Hawkeyes have the depth at running back with James Butler — a graduate transfer from Nevada — to keep Wadley fresh all season and we’ll likely see him surpass the 200 carry mark for the first time in his collegiate career.
Over the past two seasons, Wadley has also averaged over six yards per carry. He’s got some work to do to get that average up, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes use Butler a little more this week against Iowa State to try and keep Wadley as fresh as possible.