Fifth-round running back shows his life in the fight for a spot on the New York Jets roster

Israel Abanikanda, a second-year running back for the New York Jets, did himself a favor in the fight for a spot on the roster on Saturday night against the Carolina Panthers.

The Brooklyn-born ball carrier led the Jets with 29 rushing yards on six attempts, earning recognition from head coach Robert Saleh.

“I thought Izzy ran the ball really well in the third quarter, he was determined, put his foot on the ground and got upright,” said Saleh after the 15-12 away win in the friendly.

Abanikanda, who played collegiately for Pitt, was on the field 12 times in the third quarter on Saturday in Carolina.

When he first touched the ball on the first snap of the second half, he showed a nice start on a 12-yard run. Abanikanda moved the chains again on a subsequent Jets possession. After a five-yard gain on the first attempt, the 21-year-old ran six yards to set up a new series of attempts at the opponent's 28.

In a decision that put Abanikanda's roster status in jeopardy, the Jets used two mid-round draft picks on running backs last April. During training camp, it became clear that rookies Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis had overtaken Abanikanda in the rankings, pushing the local product into the background.

As long as the effort is there, it's hard to expect an organization to give up on a fifth-round draft pick after just one full year. Although he'll likely end up being regularly inactive on game days, Abanikanda will likely survive the final cut.

Abanikanda ran six passes for 17 yards and scored a touchdown in the season opener against the Washington Commanders, and caught one pass for eight yards.

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