Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim has endured a roller coaster of an FBS career, feeling high highs and low lows over his six total years tied to the program.
In 2017, he redshirted without an appearance and was praised for his role on the scout team. The following season saw an injury to Rodney Smith reposition Ibrahim into the lead role, and he didn’t disappoint with a line of 202-1,160-9 on the ground. With Smith returning to health and regaining his form in 2019, Ibrahim saw his share of the backfield chores dramatically dip.
Height: 5-foot-8
Weight: 203 pounds
40 time: N/A
The Baltimore native’s 2020 campaign showcased his potential once again over the COVID-shortened, seven-game season. Once again, Ibrahim would experience a setback in his career trajectory, thanks to a torn Achilles tendon in the third quarter of the 2021’s opener. The kicker is he had already rushed for 163 yards and a pair of scores on 30 attempts. Finally, thanks to an extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic, Ibrahim returned to the Golden Gophers and had a season for the ages to show he not only recovered but still was an NFL-caliber consideration.
Table: Mohamed Ibrahim stats (2018-22)
*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)
Pros
- Plus-quality vision
- Instinctual back in a zone scheme — better running between the tackles but has enough burst for outside zones
- Knack for finding the end zone — scored 54 times over 40 games and 37 times during his final 20 appearances for Minnesota
- Doesn’t waste much movement trying to find extra yardage — deliberate rusher who is at his best when the situation calls for a one-cut-and-go response
- Shows adequate effort as a blocker
- Runs low to the ground, keeps his feet churning, and bounces off incidental contact and arm tackles
- Is a better receiver than his utilization stats suggest
- Can wear down defenders with his grinding nature
Cons
- Lacks breakaway speed — doesn’t have an official time but is estimated to run in the high 4.5s
- Inexperienced route runner
- Nicked up with minor injuries here and there, aside from the Achilles tear
- Will be 25 years old when the 2023 season begins
- A ton of work last year with 327 total touches
- Doesn’t offer enough in his overall profile to imply he’ll ever see more than two-down work as part of a committee
Fantasy football outlook
Due to his advanced age for a rookie, which is emphasized due to a position that has a short shelf life as it is, Ibrahim will be lucky to get drafted. He has an outside chance to go in the late sixth round or at any point in the final stanza, though we really could see him latching on as an undrafted free agent. That’s not all bad, because he can choose where he goes, but UDFAs have a longer path to making a final roster due to the lack of investment in bringing the player along.
In the perfect situation, Ibrahim could have a couple of years of fantasy relevance, but he doesn’t do enough overall to get excited over the odds. It would take a coaching philosophy like Mike Vrabel’s rare commitment to the ground game for Ibrahim to reach his maximum potential in the pros.
