Ourlads' Profile:
2023 Guide: What Ourlads’ NFL Scouting Services said about ISRAEL ABANIKANDA:
Pittsburgh | H: 5110 W: 215 40: 4.67 A: 3200 H: 0814 W: 7600
Junior entry, two-year starter, Brooklyn, NY. First team All-ACC and a consensus All-America in 2022 after leading the country with 11.6 points per game and finishing second in all-purpose yards per game. The former high school track star (100 M) plays an explosive brand of football attached to a credible NFL-dimensioned body and advanced vision. Has the kind of do-it-all skill set that screams number one back in specific schemes. A little thin below the waist, but he can accelerate in such a hurry that it transforms into power. Can run with force between the tackles but what makes him a true threat is what happens in the open field. He erases angles of pursuers and only lengthens the gap between him and the other team the further into space they get. He will bring life to any backfield with a bias toward a zone scheme and there is icing on the cake with his kick return value. Densely built that can take a pounding while maintaining his plus-burst and speed. Can slide and turn his hips smoothly. Plants his foot and just projects out of a cannon. Makes 45-degree turns and adjustments while moving at a high rate of speed. Has improved his skill set and feel as a runner all three years. Will get hesitant on runs between the guards. Movement is a bit too leggy. Want to see more head-down and drive in short yardage situations. Thighs and hips do not generate much power. Poor blocker who does not sustain quality contact and inconsistent ball skills make him a possible early down-back only. Will not be a fit for every scheme, but his size/speed combination will be among the best in the class, and he has true homerun ability every time he gets the ball.
2022 Stats: 1431 yds, 6.0 ypc, 20 TD, 12 rec, 146 yds, 12.2 ypr, 1 TD, 12-228 KOR, 19.0 avg. 3rd/4th round.