Iowa State Football: David Montgomery confirms plans to enter NFL Draft

While Iowa State football has kept Matt Campbell through several coaching rumors and moves, they will need a new workhorse at running back next fall.

Star junior David Montgomery confirmed on Twitter that he will enter his name into the 2019 NFL Draft.

A three-year regular and two-year starter for the Cyclones, Montgomery ran for 2,925 yards and scored 26 touchdowns. He finished off this most recent season with a second consecutive 1,000-yard campaign, recording 1,216 yards on 257 carries with 13 touchdowns.

Montgomery jumped to the lead-back role over Mike Warren, who earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors. His first season in Ames, the 5-foot-11, 216-pounder ran for 563 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns, adding 13 catches for 129 more yards.

As a sophomore, Montgomery took control of the backfield, carrying the ball a career-high 258 times for 1,146 yards and 11 scores, flashing his dual-threat abilities with 36 receptions for 296 yards – both career-bests while at Iowa State.

Montgomery had seven 100-yard games this year, including four in a row when the Cyclones went 3-1 with wins over West Virginia and Texas Tech. He had 62 carries for 314 yards and three touchdowns in those two games, closing the year with 149, 145 and 124 yards vs. Kansas State, Drake and Washington State in the Alamo Bowl.

He had six games of over 100 yards rushing as a sophomore, including a pair of three-touchdown performances vs. Kansas and Oklahoma State. Montgomery also ran for over 100 yards twice as a freshman, including 169 vs. Kansas.

The Iowa State offense will obviously miss Montgomery next year, but freshman quarterback Brock Purdy is expected to become even more involved in the rushing attack. Purdy threw for 2,250 yards and ran for 308, which was second-most on the team.

Kene Nwangwu, a junior-to-be, had 157 yards on 39 carries, with Sheldon Croney Jr. adding 56 and Johnnie Lang 69. Croney also had nine catches for 71 yards out of the backfield. Croney will be a senior next year and Lang a sophomore.

According to 24/7 Sports, Iowa State has also received signed letters of intent from Jirehl Brock and Breece Hall. Brock is a four-star running back out of Illinois, with Hall earning three stars out of Kansas.

As far as Montgomery’s draft stock, CBS Sports compared him to Pittsburgh standout James Conner, saying he has “tremendous contact balance,” and even offered up a mention of former Penn State legend and likely NFL Rookie of the Year Saquon Barkley.