Braeden Jackson

From a record-setting high school career in Ankeny to an emerging role with the Iowa Hawkeyes, Braeden Jackson is building his college football identity through versatility, acceleration, and an ability to change a game in a single play.

Some football players announce themselves through a long series of steady contributions. Others need only one opportunity to show how quickly a game can change. For Braeden Jackson, the University of Iowa running back has demonstrated that his speed can be a weapon in more than one phase of football.

In September 2026, Jackson delivered one of Iowa’s most memorable special-teams moments of the season, returning a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown against Michigan. The play helped the Hawkeyes secure a 20-19 comeback victory over the 18th-ranked Wolverines, introducing Jackson to a broader audience as a player capable of making an immediate impact.

The touchdown was not an isolated display of athleticism. Jackson had already shown his ability to produce explosive offensive numbers, including a 125-yard rushing performance against Northern Iowa. Together, those performances illustrated the potential of a young player whose development at Iowa is becoming an increasingly compelling story.

• Full Name: Braeden Jackson
• Sport: American football
• Position: Running back
• Jersey Number: 22
• Height: 5 feet, 11 inches
• Weight: 206 pounds
• Age: 20
• Birthplace/Hometown: Ankeny, Iowa
• School/College: University of Iowa
• Current Team: Iowa Hawkeyes
• High School: Ankeny Centennial High School
• College Status: College football, 2025-present

Growing up in Ankeny, Iowa, Jackson developed his athletic identity in a community where football and competitive sports provide opportunities for young athletes to establish themselves. At Ankeny Centennial High School, he emerged as a multidimensional playmaker whose production extended beyond rushing the football.

Jackson’s development also had a family connection to the sport. His father, Fred Jackson, was an All-America running back at Coe College and a two-time Iowa Athletic Intercollegiate Conference Most Valuable Player. Fred later played nine seasons in the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills, recording 5,746 rushing yards and 30 rushing touchdowns.

That background gave Jackson a close connection to football at a high level. Although public information does not fully document the family's private influence on his development, his father's playing career represents a notable part of his athletic background.

Jackson also demonstrated exceptional ability in track and field. His speed became a defining characteristic of his athletic profile, providing another foundation for the acceleration and open-field explosiveness that would become important to his football career.

Jackson's high school career established the statistical foundation for his transition to college football. As a senior, he recorded a school-record 1,964 all-purpose yards and scored 27 touchdowns. His production included 1,402 rushing yards on 173 carries, an average of 8.1 yards per attempt, and 22 rushing touchdowns.

He also contributed as a receiver, finishing with 19 catches for 288 yards and three touchdowns. On returns, he added 274 yards and two scores across six returns.

One performance captured his ability to influence a game in several different ways. Against Iowa City High, Jackson compiled 342 all-purpose yards and scored six touchdowns: three rushing, two receiving, and one on a kickoff return. That performance earned him National Player of the Week recognition for Week 10, according to Iowa's official roster biography.

His junior season offered further evidence of his versatility. Jackson recorded 669 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 102 carries, caught 31 passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns, and accumulated 162 return yards.

Across his high school career, he totaled 3,147 all-purpose yards. He earned first-team all-state and all-district recognition as a senior and was a two-time first-team all-conference selection.

Jackson also helped his team reach the state playoffs three times, recording 21 team victories from his sophomore through senior seasons. He served as a team captain in his final year, an indication of the responsibility he carried within the program.

Iowa provided the next step. Jackson joined the Hawkeyes in 2025, but his first college season was a redshirt year, and he did not appear in a game. He received the program's Team Leader Award for offense and special teams, a recognition that preceded his breakthrough on the field.

Jackson's game is built around speed, versatility, and the capacity to generate substantial yardage when space opens. At 5-foot-11 and 206 pounds, he combines a compact running-back frame with the track background to threaten defenses in the open field.

His high school statistics show a player comfortable carrying the ball, catching passes, and contributing on returns. That combination offers Iowa multiple ways to deploy him rather than limiting him to a single offensive assignment.

In a 55-0 victory over Northern Iowa in 2026, Jackson rushed 11 times for 125 yards and his first career rushing touchdown. His longest carry traveled 62 yards, the longest rush by a Hawkeye that season at the time recorded in his official biography. He also caught his first career pass, gaining 24 yards for his first receiving touchdown.

Against Michigan, he returned his first two career kickoffs for 119 yards, including the 99-yard touchdown. The return was the first kickoff-return touchdown recorded by a Big Ten player that season and ranked seventh-longest in Iowa program history.

These performances demonstrate his potential as a change-of-pace offensive weapon and special-teams threat. Continued development in pass protection, decision-making, ball security, and consistency against stronger defensive fronts will help determine how extensively Iowa can use him.

Jackson's accomplishments span football and track. In addition to his high school all-state honors and record-setting senior season, he earned recognition as a sprinter and became a four-time state track champion.

He was a Drake Relays champion, received the Mr. Iowa Track distinction, and set his school's 200-meter record with a time of 21.54 seconds. He also participated in relay teams associated with Iowa state records in the 4x100 and 4x200 meters.

At the college level, his early highlights include the 125-yard performance against Northern Iowa, his first rushing and receiving touchdowns, and the kickoff-return touchdown against Michigan. These achievements represent significant milestones in the early stages of his Hawkeye career.

Jackson's story is also one of patience. After arriving at Iowa, he spent his first season redshirting rather than appearing in games. The transition from high school standout to college contributor requires adjustment, and his 2025 recognition for offense and special teams suggests that his initial year still carried value within the program.

His family background connects him to a legacy of football achievement, while track and field reflects an athletic identity that extends beyond the gridiron.

Jackson is listed as a pre-business major at Iowa. Further details about his personal interests, charitable activities, and specific long-term career goals are not publicly established in the available official biography, so those aspects of his life should not be assumed.

In 2026, Jackson began converting his potential into measurable college production. Through his first five games, Iowa's official biography listed 19 carries for 170 yards and two rushing touchdowns, three receptions for 42 yards and one receiving touchdown, and two kickoff returns for 119 yards and one touchdown.

His kickoff-return score ranked first in the Big Ten and third nationally in the statistics reported on the roster page. These numbers reflect an emerging role rather than a completed body of work, making consistency and continued opportunity important measures of his progress.

Jackson is still early in his college career, and his long-term place in Iowa football remains to be determined. Nevertheless, his ability to contribute on offense and special teams gives him a foundation for becoming a valuable part of the Hawkeyes' attack.

For now, his story is defined by the combination of preparation and explosive opportunity. A redshirt season preceded a 99-yard touchdown return; a decorated high school career preceded a 125-yard college rushing performance.

Jackson's next challenge is to turn those moments into sustained production. If he continues to develop his all-around game, the speed that distinguished him at Ankeny Centennial could become an increasingly important asset for Iowa.

Braeden Jackson’s journey from a record-setting athlete at Ankeny Centennial High School to an emerging playmaker for the Iowa Hawkeyes reflects the value of speed, versatility, and perseverance. His 99-yard kickoff-return touchdown against Michigan and 125-yard rushing performance against Northern Iowa demonstrated his ability to change the momentum of a game in an instant. Yet, those moments represent only the beginning of his college football story.

With a strong foundation in both football and track, Jackson possesses the athletic tools to become an increasingly valuable contributor to Iowa’s offense and special teams. His next challenge is to turn his explosive performances into consistent production while continuing to develop the skills required at the collegiate level. As his role evolves, Jackson has an opportunity to establish his own identity within the Hawkeyes program and build upon the football legacy that surrounds him. His story is a reminder that potential becomes meaningful through preparation, patience, and the ability to seize the moment when opportunity arrives.