STATS
YEAR (GP/GS) CAR YDS AVG TD REC YDS AVG TD
2020: (7/0) 28 95 3.4 1 2 11 5.5 1
2021: (13/6) 123 651 5.3 7 24 197 8.2 1
2022: (11/11) 239 1,431 6.0 20 12 146 12.2 1
Total: (31/17) 390 2,177 5.6 28 38 354 9.3 3
HISTORY -- From College Profile
SRAEL ABANIKANDA CAREER:
Abanikanda finished his three-season Pitt career with 2,177 yards and 28 touchdowns on 390 carries (5.6 avg.), while catching 38 passes for 354 yards (9.3 avg.) and three TDs…he totaled 194 career points on 32 total touchdowns and a 2-point conversion.
2022 STATISTICS:
One of the nation’s most prolific running backs…In 11 total games played, rushed for 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns on 239 carries (6.0 avg.)…he added 12 receptions for 146 yards (12.2 avg.) and a score…Abanikanda achieved his impressive regular-season production despite missing 1½ games due to injury (second half of Georgia Tech game and the entire Syracuse contest).
2022 HONORS & AWARDS:
- CBS Sports All-American (first team)
- ESPN All-American (first team)
- Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) All-American (second team)
- Associated Press All-American (third team)
- First Team All-ACC (received the highest amount of votes of any player at any position)
- Maxwell Award Semifinalist
- Walter Camp Award Semifinalist
- Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week (Virginia Tech)
- Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week (Virginia Tech)
- Pro Football Focus National Offensive Player of the Week (Virginia Tech)
- ESPN College Football Final "Helmet Sticker" (Virginia Tech)
- ACC Running Back of the Week (Tennessee)
- ACC Running Back of the Week (Rhode Island)
- ACC Running Back of the Week (Virginia Tech)
- Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll (Western Michigan)
2022 NCAA STATISTICAL RANKINGS:
Abanikanda finished as the NCAA statistical champion in scoring (11.6 points per game), total touchdowns (21) and rushing touchdowns (20)…he also had lofty NCAA rankings in all-purpose yards (second, 164.09 avg.), total points scored (fourth, 128), rushing yards per game (seventh, 130.1 avg.) and total rushing yards (14th, 1,431).
2022 ACC STATISTICAL RANKINGS:
Abanikanda led the ACC in no fewer than six different stat categories, including all-purpose yards, rushing yards (total and per game), scoring per game, total touchdowns and rushing touchdowns.
2022 NOTABLE:
Abanikanda compiled nine 100-yard rushing games, the most by a Pitt player in a season since Dion Lewis had 10 in 2009…Abanikanda made history in Pitt's 45-29 victory over Virginia Tech, going off for 320 yards and six touchdowns on 36 carries (8.9 avg.)…he broke the legendary Tony Dorsett’s school single-game rushing record of 303 yards set against Notre Dame on Nov. 15, 1975…additionally, Abanikanda tied the 112-year-old school record for rushing touchdowns in a game, set by Norman Budd against Ohio on Oct. 29, 1910…in ACC annals, Abanikanda tied the conference single-game rushing TDs mark held by North Carolina’s Kelvin Bryant (set against East Carolina on Sept. 12, 1981)…per ESPN Stats & Info, Abanikanda joined LaDainian Tomlinson and Ricky Williams as the only players from current Power 5 programs to rush for 300 yards and score six rush TDs in a game over the last 25 seasons.
2021: Played in 13 games, starting six…led Pitt in rushing yards (651) and rushing touchdowns (seven) on 123 carries (5.3 avg.)…the Panthers’ top receiver out of the backfield with 24 catches for 197 yards (8.2 avg.) and a score…also paced Pitt in kickoff returns, averaging a team-best 29.4 yards per attempt (seven for 206 yards and a TD)…finished third on the team in scoring with 54 points on nine total touchdowns…rushed for a career-high 140 yards on 21 carries (6.7 avg.) at Virginia Tech, the first 100-yard game of his career…against New Hampshire, rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries (5.8 avg.) and also had four catches for 55 yards (13.8 avg.)…had 67 yards on 10 carries (6.7 avg.) and four catches for 24 yards (6.0 avg.) at Duke…rushed nine times for 55 yards (6.1 avg.) and two TDs against Wake Forest in the ACC Championship Game…had a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown against Virginia—Pitt’s first kick return TD since 2018—and was named the ACC Specialist of the Week.
2020: Played in seven games…compiled 95 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries (3.4 avg.)…had two catches for 11 yards (5.5 avg.) and a TD…rushed for a season-high 41 yards on nine carries (4.6 avg.) against Louisville…in his collegiate debut against Austin Peay, had 26 yards on five carries (5.2 avg.), including a 10-yard TD…had a 15-yard scoring reception at Boston College…enrolled at Pitt in January 2020 following his early graduation from Abraham Lincoln and participated in the Panthers’ abbreviated spring drills.
HIGH SCHOOL: New York’s Gatorade Player of the Year who led the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) in rushing and scoring as a senior…rushed for 1,350 yards and totaled 166 points (scoring 25 touchdowns and eight 2-point conversion runs)…scored TDs three different ways (20 rushing, three receiving and two on kickoff returns)…collected 30 tackles and two interceptions as a defensive back…New York State Sportswriters Association (NYSSWA) Class AA Co-Player of the Year...NYSSWA All-Class AA first-team selection as a senior and second team as a junior...Brooklyn Borough Most Valuable Player…New York City Coaches NYC Player of the Year…a defensive selection on the 2018 American Family Insurance ALL-USA New York Football Team...three-time first team All-PSAL...two-time first team All-City...two-time Brooklyn Borough "Big 44"...selected to the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame 2020 NFF Team of Distinction, which honors graduating senior players across the country who best capture the scholar-athlete ideal through exemplary academic achievement, athletic accolades and community involvement…rated the No. 1 overall prospect in New York by 247Sports, No. 5 by Rivals and No. 7 by ESPN…rated the nation’s No. 15 running back by 247Sports…Most Valuable Running Back at The Opening New Jersey regional...played under Abraham Lincoln coach Shawn O'Connor...two-time 100-meter Gold Medalist at the New York City Mayor's Cup Race...100-meter Bronze Medalist at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Outdoor Track and Field Championship.
PERSONAL: Israel Adewale Abanikanda, born 10/5/02, is the son of Saidi and Mariam Abanikanda…has one brother and one sister…father played football at Georgia Tech…brother (Michael) played collegiately at Buffalo and Temple…media and professional communications major.