Two days after declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft, Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson added more hardware to boost his resume. The junior received the Ameche-Dayne Award as the best running back in the Big Ten, the conference announced via social media on Tuesday.

He becomes the first Hawkeye to win the award, which was established in 2011 in honor of Wisconsin’s Alan Ameche and Ron Dayne.

“I put my head down and learned not to take stuff for granted,” Johnson told Big Ten Network upon receiving the award. “I always want more and to never be satisfied. I took it personally, every run that I did, I made sure that it was every one that I needed it to be. I didn’t regret it.”

Following a sophomore campaign shortened due to injury, Johnson said he entered the 2024 season with added frustration but utilized the emotion for productivity on the field. The running back scored a touchdown in every game this season and set the program record for most rushing touchdowns in the season with 21. The 21 rushing scores exceeded 12 Big Ten teams.

His 1,537 rushing yards and 128 rushing yards per game each ranked atop the Big Ten and among the top 10 in the FBS while his 6.4 yards per carry ranked tied for second in the Big Ten.

Hailing from Hamilton, Ohio, Johnson set career-highs in nearly every rushing statistic this season and oftentimes put the Hawkeye offense on its back when it needed it most. Against Minnesota on Sept. 21, Johnson tallied 206 rushing yards and three scores as Iowa erased a 14-7 halftime deficit to emerge victorious, 31-14, in the Twin Cities. In the regular season finale against Nebraska, Johnson’s 72-yard catch-and-run tied the game in the fourth quarter in what would become a 13-10 Hawkeye victory.

After declaring for the NFL Draft, Johnson will not play in the Hawkeyes’ upcoming bowl game.