- Iowa RB James Butler, a transfer from the University of Nevada, dominated the Mountain West Conference a season ago with his ability to make defenders miss both in tight quarters and the open field. He forced 87 missed tackles on 299 total touches, ranking No. 1 among all returning FBS running backs.
- Of his 87 missed tackles last season, 23 (20 on the ground and three through the air) were recorded in his final game of the season against UNLV, the highest single-game total of any FBS running back in the PFF College era.
- At 5-foot-9, 210 pounds, Butler possesses a compact, well-built frame for a small back, allowing him to run through arm tackles with relative ease. He stayed up through first contact on 40.6 percent of his rushes last season, which ranked No. 4 among draft-eligible backs.
- Butler moved the chains on 33.1 percent of his carries, the top percentage among draft-eligible running backs with at least 200 carries.
- In addition to his production on the ground, Butler carved through defenses coming out of the backfield as a receiver. He dropped just one of 39 catchable targets en route to a ninth-ranked yards per route run total (2.17) in the 2018 draft class.
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