By John Bohnenkamp

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Kamari Moulton missed two games last season, and mathematically that’s likely what kept the Iowa running back from reaching the 1,000-yard mark.

Moulton, though, thinks he could have reached it anyway.

Moulton rushed for a team-high 878 yards in 11 games last season, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. But, as he looked back on last season, he knew he had the chances to add to that number.

“I feel like last year, I had the opportunity, but I didn’t finish,” Moulton said at Iowa’s media day last week.

Now, in a crowded running back position group with plenty of talent, Moulton would like to surpass that 1,000-yard mark, becoming the 23rd back in program history to reach that benchmark.

There were times when Moulton was close to topping the 100-yard mark in a game last season — he had a season-high 99 yards in the 25-24 win over Penn State, and had 93 yards and two touchdowns in the 40-16 win over Nebraska in the regular-season finale.

“I feel I can be (a 1,000-yard rusher),” said Moulton, in his fourth season with the Hawkeyes. “But I feel like I have the chance this year if I stay the course, follow my O-line, trust and believe in them.”

There are plenty of options at running back. LJ Phillips, a fourth-year back, was added out of the transfer portal in the offseason after rushing for 1,921 yards, the best in FCS last season, at South Dakota. Xavier Williams, in his third season with the Hawkeyes, rushed for 285 yards and three touchdowns last season.

It’s why Moulton wanted to stand out in the offseason.

“Just tried to be more explosive and more decisive when I get to the second level,” he said. “Really, it’s just having more belief in myself. I would say, like, last year, there were times when I didn’t have as much belief in myself that I could do the things I wanted to do. Really, it’s just gaining the knowledge and know I can do those things.

“It’s just working extra. It’s not going to come in one day. It’s doing the little things consistently over the summer that you know will make you better.”

Moulton rushed for 473 yards in his second season in 2024, then had his breakout season last year.

“From 2024, I would say I’m definitely bigger, and I understand the game a lot more, just knowing where I need to be and what I need to do, learning the ins and outs,” Moulton said. “I remember a couple of years ago, I would step out on the field at Kinnick (Stadium) and I would be nervous, I would be jittery, because that’s a lot of fans. But having a few games under my belt, playing a full season starting, I feel like I’ve learned a lot.

“It’s crazy to me how fast time flies. But I’m very lucky to be a leader in the room, to be able to guide them not only as a football player, but as a person.”