Israel Abanikanda 2023 Dynasty Rookie Profile
Position: RB
School: Pittsburgh
Class: Junior
Date of Birth: October 5, 2002
Height: 5-10 Weight: 216 lbs
Athletic Testing
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Bio
Israel Abanikanda excelled in both track and football at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, New York. In track, he won gold medal in the 100-meter at the New York City Mayor’s Cup Race, twice. On the football side, Abanikanda was named the New York Gatorade Player of the Year when he took 136 carries for 1,350 yards and 20 touchdowns and caught 13 passes for 182 yards and three scores. He also played defensive back, racking up 30 tackles and two interceptions on defense. As a three-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class, Abanikanda received offers from Boston College, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Duke. Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, and others. He chose Pittsburgh, where he carried the ball just 28 times for 95 yards and one touchdown as a true freshman.
While sharing the work with Vincent Davis and Rodney Hammond Jr. in his sophomore campaign, Abanikanda compiled 651 yards and seven touchdowns on 123 carries. He also caught 24 passes for 197 yards. Abanikanda ascended to the RB1 gig in 2022. He took his 241 rush attempts for an ACC leading 1,426 yards and 20 touchdowns. He didn’t make much of an impact as a receiver, though, with just 12 receptions for 146 yards.
College Stats
Israel Abanikanda College Stats Courtesy of sports-reference
Positives
+Size
+Speed
+Acceleration
+Explosive
+Will be just 20 years old at start of rookie season
+19 career kick returns (1 TD)
+1.73 yards per team play
+48.8% touchdown share
Listen: Israel Abanikanda Prospect Profile
Negatives
-Lacks some elusiveness
-Doesn’t generate much yardage after contact
-Lacks a bit of power
-Inconsistent as a receiver
-5.4% reception share
Highlight Reel
Archetype: All-Purpose
Best Comparable Player: Chuba Hubbard
Draft Projection: Fifth Round
Bottom Line:
Israel Abanikanda is an athletic back with an excellent combination of size and speed. He has the acceleration and explosion to take advantage of any crease the defense gives him. He leaves a bit to be desired between the tackles and in situations where he needs to generate some power to create additional yardage. He also won’t cause defenders any loss of sleep over his receiving skills. However, Abanikanda is an ideal fit for teams that run a lot of outside zone concepts. He can get to the edge with ease, and use his explosive one-cut to accelerate to the next level. Abanikanda will likely be a mid-round pick in the NFL Draft and will make for an excellent sleeper pick in the second or third round of dynasty rookie drafts.
Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, PFN, PFF, TDN
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