Israel Abanikanda

Former running back at Pittsburgh. 2022: 1,431 rushing yards, 20 rushing TD, 12 catches.

RB · Pittsburgh · Jr. · #2

5′11″ · 215 lb · Brooklyn, NY

CFB Index 88 · #11 of 317 RBsHigh confidenceNational watchNew York — drafted 2023, Rd 5, Pick 9, #143 overall

On production he ranks #11 of 317 RBs; on reputation he is on a national watch list. The gap between those two numbers is the story.

Recruiting

3★

RB recruit

No. 425 nationally · Signed with Pittsburgh

Statement game36 car · 320 yds · 6 TDvs Virginia Tech (FBS) · W 45-29

Top 0.1% rushing TDs game since 2021.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former running back at Pittsburgh. 2022: 1,431 rushing yards, 20 rushing TD, 12 catches.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Pittsburgh in 2020.
Drafted round 5 by the New York in 2023.
Named All-America (CBS) in 2022.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Three seasons at Pittsburgh, 2,177 rushing yards, a first-team All-Conference season (2022) — drafted at #143 overall by New York.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

20206 games

Signed with Pittsburgh3-star out of Abraham Lincoln

202211 games

All-Americafirst · 2 selectors
All-ACCfirst

2023

Drafted by New Yorkround 5, pick 143

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#425 national

CFB

College

Pittsburgh

2020–2022

NFL

NFL Draft

R5 · #143

New York · 2023

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

8 honors · 2 categories

🥇

ALL-AMERICA

Named All-American (2022)

2 selectors honored him

🥈

ALL-ACC · 1ST TEAM

All-ACC 1st team (2022)

Coaching lineage · 2020–2022

1 coach

2020–2022

Pat Narduzzi

Pittsburgh

Played his entire career under Pat Narduzzi.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

New YorkEntering 4th NFL season

#143Rd 5 · Pick 9

New YorkEntering 4th NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2022 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

3 seasons under Pat Narduzzi — 26-12 over that span.

2020Pittsburgh6-5HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced

2021Pittsburgh11-3HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced, fast tempo

2022Pittsburgh9-4HC: Pat Narduzzi · Run-leaning

Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort

Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles

88All-Conference level #11 of 317?

High confidence13 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: td rate (88th percentile). Strength: rush tds (100th percentile).

Real play-by-play efficiency

TD rate#48 / 398 · 88th pct

8.5%

Yards / carry#103 / 398 · 74th pct

6.0

EPA / carry#106 / 398 · 73rd pct

0.26

Explosive rate#164 / 398 · 59th pct

7.6%

Success rate#212 / 398 · 47th pct

44.5%

Box-score rates (8)

Rush TDs#1 / 346 · 100th pct

Rush yards#14 / 346 · 96th pct

1431

Carries#14 / 346 · 96th pct

239

Long run#21 / 346 · 93rd pct

Yards / carry#53 / 346 · 84th pct

6.0

Rec yards#82 / 338 · 76th pct

146

Receptions#143 / 338 · 55th pct

Fumbles lost#61 / 244 · 48th pct

Season trend

Last seasonThis season

EPA / carry

53rd → 73rd percentile

Success rate

55th → 47th percentile

Explosive rate

79th → 59th percentile

Yards / carry

60th → 74th percentile

TD rate

69th → 88th percentile

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2022 season · 11 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Home6g	135	6.0	2.0
Road5g	124	5.2	1.6

First half vs Second half

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Weeks 1-76g	138	5.6	2.0
Weeks 8+5g	120	5.7	1.6

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Pat Narduzzi

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2022

National watch / fringe AA

In the All-America conversation, short of a selector's first team.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

88 · #11 of 317 RBs

Three-star recruit. Now #11 at the position.

Selector Grid · 2022

AP—

FWAA—

AFCA—

WCFF—

SN—

SI—

Career stats

Season	Team
2022	Pittsburgh	239	1,431	6.0	20	--
2021	Pittsburgh	123	651	5.3	7	--
2020	Pittsburgh	28	95	3.4	1	--
Career		390	2,177	5.6	28	--

Season	Team
2022	Pittsburgh	12	146	12.2	1	--
2021	Pittsburgh	24	197	8.2	1	--
2020	Pittsburgh	2	11	5.5	1	--
Career		38	354	9.3	3	--

Signature plays

Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|

The plays that mattered most

fact

Week 6 · Virginia Tech · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA +6.39Israel Abanikanda 80 Yd Run (Ben Sauls Kick)
Week 2 · Tennessee · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +6.15Israel Abanikanda 76 Yd Run (Ben Sauls Kick)
Week 4 · Rhode Island · 2&3 · Q1 · EPA +5.39Israel Abanikanda run for 67 yds for a TD, (Ben Sauls KICK)
Week 13 · Miami · 4&1 · Q1 · EPA -4.21Israel Abanikanda run for no gain to the MiaFl 1
Week 6 · Virginia Tech · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +3.09Israel Abanikanda run for 38 yds for a TD
Week 8 · Louisville · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA +2.94Israel Abanikanda run for 36 yds to the Lvile 39 for a 1ST down
Week 3 · Western Michigan · 2&9 · Q4 · EPA +2.87Israel Abanikanda run for 23 yds to the WMich 43 for a 1ST down
Week 8 · Louisville · 2&14 · Q1 · EPA +2.85Kedon Slovis pass complete to Israel Abanikanda for 37 yds to the Lvile 12 for a 1ST down
Week 4 · Rhode Island · 2&6 · Q3 · EPA +2.81Israel Abanikanda run for 24 yds for a TD, (Ben Sauls KICK)
Week 6 · Virginia Tech · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +2.79Israel Abanikanda run for 29 yds for a TD, (Ben Sauls KICK)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2022 season · 11 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 1	W 38-31vs West Virginia	8	15	1.9	0	5
Wk 2	L 27-34vs Tennessee	25	154	6.2	1	76	154-yard day
Wk 3	W 34-13@ Western Michigan	31	133	4.3	1	23
Wk 4	W 45-24vs Rhode Island	19	177	9.3	4	67	4 rushing TDs
Wk 5	L 21-26vs Georgia Tech	10	31	3.1	0	12
Wk 6	W 45-29vs Virginia Tech	36	320	8.9	6	80	Season-high 320 yds
Wk 8	L 10-24@ Louisville	28	129	4.6	1	36
Wk 9	L 24-42@ North Carolina	26	127	4.9	3	22	3 rushing TDs
Wk 11	W 37-7@ Virginia	24	121	5.0	1	13
Wk 12	W 28-26vs Duke	17	113	6.6	1	26
Wk 13	W 42-16@ Miami	15	111	7.4	2	37
Total		239	1431	5.7	20	80