Indiana Football to Split Carries as Top 3 Set in Running Back Rotation

The faces are, for the most part, different. But the idea remains the same.

Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti said in his press conference Monday the Hoosiers' rushing attack will center around a rotation, with redshirt seniors Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black leading redshirt junior Lee Beebe Jr. into Saturday's season opener against Old Dominion.

"We've always split the carries," Cignetti said. "Right now, the top three backs are Hemby, Black and Beebe, and I expect them all to carry the ball Saturday."

Hemby and Beebe transferred to Indiana this winter. Hemby spent the last four years at Maryland, while Beebe played for UAB the previous three seasons. Black, meanwhile, has been with Cignetti and his staff since 2020 at James Madison University.

While the exact distribution of carries between the three will be decided by several factors — be it down and distance or situational football — on gamedays, the Hoosiers' 2024 split offers insight.

Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton dominated the share of touchdes. Ellison led Indiana with 159 carries for 848 yards while adding 10 rushing touchdowns, and Lawton rushed 141 times for 668 yards and a team-high 12 scores.

Black took a back seat, taking 46 carries for 251 yards and two touchdowns. Black's 5.5 yards per carry was the most among all Indiana rushers with at least 30 carries.

Hemby, who started all 38 games played and averaged over 1,000 scrimmage yards per season over the past three years at Maryland, figures to lead the Hoosiers' ground game this fall. But during his three-season run as a starter for the Terrapins, he averaged only 12 attempts per game, which matches Ellison's output last season.

The larger question looming above Indiana's running backs room centers around the No. 2 ball carrier.

Black is a team leader who started 12 games in 2023 at James Madison, and he's generated steady praise from his teammates this offseason.

"He's just got to stay healthy," All-American edge rusher Mikail Kamara said at Big Ten Media Days. "He's a hell of a ball player. He's fast, he's strong. He's a guy. As long as he stays healthy this season, I expect him to have a hell of a season."

Beebe missed the first two weeks of fall camp due to an undisclosed injury. He was present at practice but didn't participate, often watching drills from the sideline.

It may have pushed Beebe behind Black in the rotation, and both times Cignetti discussed his running backs this fall, he started with Hemby and Black.

"Hemby’s a veteran, he’s done it for a number of years in the Big Ten Conference," Cignetti said. "He’s had a solid camp, (but) he’s got to improve on his pass protection. Kaelon Black has had a good camp."

Regardless of who's on the field, Indiana's running backs will deliver a punch. The 6-foot Hemby and 5-foot-10 Black both weigh 210 pounds, while Beebe measures 5-foot-10 and 218 pounds.

The trio culminates into a quality collective group, sophomore starting linebacker Rolijah Hardy said earlier in fall camp.

"They're pretty good," Hardy said. "They're all versatile. Everybody does different stuff they're good at. So, I mean, I think we have one of the strongest backfields in the country."

Beyond the three atop the depth chart, Cignetti said eighth-year senior and return specialist Solomon Vanhorse both ran and blocked well during the team's first scrimmage Aug. 9, and sophomore Khobie Martin continues to improve after a promising freshman campaign.

The Hoosiers had one of the Big Ten's best rushing attacks last season. They led the conference with 37 rushing touchdowns, and they ranked fifth with an average of 165.1 rushing yards per game.

Hemby and Beebe replace Ellison, now a quality control coach on the staff, and Lawton, who exhausted his eligbility. But the method behind Indiana's rushing madness is unchanged — and the Hoosiers hope the efficiency and effectiveness of their rotation will follow suit.