Carson Hansen making strong case to be Iowa State’s top rusher

AMES, Ia. — After splitting carries with Abu Sama last season, the junior is building himself into a complete running back this spring, and his coaches are taking notice.

From moving the chains on short-yardage situations, to blocking and catching passes out of the backfield, Carson Hansen is eager to prove that he can be a versatile weapon again for the Cyclones’ offense. After all, he wasn’t afraid of contact, showed a nose for the endzone, and tied for fifth in the Big 12 in rushing touchdowns.

Hansen normally uses his six-foot-two, 220-pound frame as a battering ram near the goal line, but now he wants to be an every-down back. That’s going to require him to improve his overall speed, ball security and blocking if he intends on getting the bulk of the carries this upcoming season. The Minnesota native is proud of his journey up to this point, and continues to grow at the position every year as a Cyclone.

“It started off with kind of the pass protection my first year, knowing defenses and how they pressure and stuff like that,” Hansen said. “Then it grew into running the ball, proving I can do that, being an overall back, being able to do everything, and it’s been great to keep developing.”

Iowa State finished 70th nationally in rushing offense in 2024, and that’s something new Running Backs Coach Jake Landry wants to improve tremendously. Having Hansen and Sama in Landry’s arsenal should give the backfield a boost, considering the two combined for 1,339 rushing yards, and 15 touchdowns on the ground last season.

However, Landry is still determining if there’ll be a running-back-by-committee approach, or if one rusher will be the workhorse. Redshirt freshman Dylan Lee will be in the mix too, but Hansen and Sama has the experience and production.

“Carson and Abu have played a lot of football, and I’m excited to continue that with those guys, just to see their leadership with the room continue to grow,” Landry said. “Their overall knowledge I think is something that we’re harping on this spring.”

Hansen led the Cyclones in carries, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, so he’s determined to pick from where he left off. There’s no denying he knows how to score, with 15 total touchdowns last year. Having soft hands will take Hansen a long way on the gridiron.

The former three-star prospect even rushed for two scores, and hauled in a 13-yard touchdown pass in the bowl victory over Miami. In Hansen’s mind, a lot of responsibility goes into having success inside the red zone, and it takes discipline.

“I feel like you gotta always have a nose for the endzone, knowing where you’re at situationally I think that’s a big thing about football, and being smart about it” he said. “Also sticking to not being too chaotic to where you could give up the ball if you extend it, being selfless and running with your whole body instead of trying to stretch out, which could lead to a fumble.”

Hansen proved his worth after he scored at least one touchdown in six of Iowa State’s final eight games against Big 12 competition. The potential is there for him to do more damage in league play this fall. With dynamic wideouts Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins off to the NFL, the Cyclones will likely have more of an emphasis on running the ball. Which is why Hansen wants everybody in the running back room to be ready for whatever comes their way.

“I would say everyone is growing, I feel like I’m still growing a little bit, getting more reps, more repetition and learning.”