Israel Abanikanda
22-Year-Old
Free Agent
2024 Rush/Rec Stats
ATT
0
YDS
0
TD
0
YDS
0
TD
0
Rest-of-Season Projections
2024 Fantasy Outlook
A fifth-round pick out of Pitt in 2023, Abanikanda didn't see his first career touches until Week 11, after the Jets had parted ways with Michael Carter. With Dalvin Cook now out of the picture as well, there should be an open competition in camp between Abanikanda and a pair of 2024 picks, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis, for the backup job behind Breece Hall. Abanikanda has breakaway speed and an extra year of experience in Nathaniel Hackett's offensive scheme, which could give him the edge, but none of the three have proven third-down skills. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Cut by Jets
Abanikanda was waived by the Jets on Monday.
ANALYSIS
Abanikanda, a 2023 fifth-round pick from Pittsburgh, had yet to appear in a game this season after falling down the team's depth chart. The 22-year-old recorded 22 carries for 70 yards over 75 offensive snaps in six regular-season games with the Jets in 2023. If he clears waivers, Abanikanda could land on the Jets' practice squad.
Abanikanda, a 2023 fifth-round pick from Pittsburgh, had yet to appear in a game this season after falling down the team's depth chart. The 22-year-old recorded 22 carries for 70 yards over 75 offensive snaps in six regular-season games with the Jets in 2023. If he clears waivers, Abanikanda could land on the Jets' practice squad.
NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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2024
2023
2024 NFL Game Log
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Israel Abanikanda lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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2024 Israel Abanikanda Split Stats
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Measurables Review
View College Player Page
How do Israel Abanikanda's measurables compare to other running backs?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
* The 40-Yard Dash, Shuttle Time, Cone Drill, and Vertical Jump metrics are from his Pro Day. All others are from the NFL Combine.
Height
5' 11"Weight
215 lbs40-Yard Dash*
4.44 secShuttle Time*
4.32 secCone Drill*
7.14 secVertical Jump*
41.0 inBroad Jump
0 inBench Press
0 repsHand Length
8.25 inArm Length
32.00 in
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Israel Abanikanda See More
Pat Freiermuth is a talented player, but preseason usage augments concerns about his role under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Abanikanda is quite talented, and his combination of college production and athletic metrics is better than his fellow fifth-round running backs in any given draft. Perhaps the NFL held Abanikanda's youth against him -- he doesn't turn 21 until October and could conceivably need some development time. He ran for 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns while averaging 6.0 yards per carry at Pittsburgh last season, exceptional numbers that demonstrate his speed and agility. He bulked up a bit for offseason testing (216) after likely playing closer to 200, yet still ran a sub-4.5 40 with elite jumps (41-inch vertical, 128-inch broad jump). Breece Hall is better than Abanikanda, and the Jets signed Dalvin Cook in August for depth, but the rookie could beat out Michael Carter and Zonovan Knight for the No. 3 job.
More Fantasy News
Healthy inactive again
Abanikanda (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Broncos.
ANALYSIS
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Won't play Monday
Abanikanda (coach's decision) is inactive for Monday's game against the 49ers.
ANALYSIS
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Makes case for roster spot
Abanikanda rushed the ball nine times for 83 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 10-6 preseason win over the Giants. He added one reception on one target for six yards.
ANALYSIS
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Appears buried on depth chart
Abanikanda rushed the ball six times for 29 yards in Saturday's 15-12 preseason win over the Panthers.
ANALYSIS
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Finds end zone in preseason win
Abanikanda rushed six times for 17 yards and a touchdown while catching his only target for eight yards in Saturday's 20-17 preseason win over the Commanders.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Projected to sneak onto roster
Abanikanda's surge late in training camp could earn him one of the final spots on the Jets' 53-man roster, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic.
ANALYSIS
Abanikanda was viewed as a likely cut candidate after the Jets drafted Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively, of the 2024 NFL Draft, but the 2023 fifth-round pick strengthened his case to make the team with a strong final stretch in training camp, punctuated by a 45-yard touchdown run in Saturday's preseason finale against the Giants. Rosenblatt thinks the Jets will opt to keep four running backs, as the quick and elusive Abanikanda brings a different dimension to the backfield behind Breece Hall compared to the north-south running styles of Allen and Davis.
Abanikanda was viewed as a likely cut candidate after the Jets drafted Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively, of the 2024 NFL Draft, but the 2023 fifth-round pick strengthened his case to make the team with a strong final stretch in training camp, punctuated by a 45-yard touchdown run in Saturday's preseason finale against the Giants. Rosenblatt thinks the Jets will opt to keep four running backs, as the quick and elusive Abanikanda brings a different dimension to the backfield behind Breece Hall compared to the north-south running styles of Allen and Davis.