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Indiana reloaded its running back room since this point last season. That includes through the transfer portal, both gaining and losing players, as well as graduation and through the 2022 recruiting class.

The offensive production was extremely inefficient last year and while part of that had to fall on the shoulders of the quarterback and play-caller, the offensive line and running backs struggled to keep any level of consistency as well.

In the offseason, Indiana announced the addition of Craig Johnson as its new running backs coach. Johnson came to Indiana with 38 years of experience, 20 in college and 18 in the NFL.

Not only does Johnson bring a level of experience that Indiana really hasn't had as the position coach, but he also brings a much different tone in how he wants to run the room -- building a complete back -- something that is already paying dividends in fall camp.

"I think we are still finding our way as a group, without a doubt," Johnson told reporters on Monday. "Every back is known for something. I've always trained, have continued to train and will train every back that I have been with forever, trying get to get them better in all three phases: running catching and blocking."

Indiana's running back room averaged 3.4 yard per carry in 2021 and had only three games with a 100-yard rusher. Stephen Carr led the room with 155 carries. The next closest on the roster were walk-ons Davion Ervin-Poindexter (44) and Chris Childers (37). Backup quarterback Donavan McCulley actually logged the second-most carries, at 64.

Now, Indiana adds in veteran backs Shaun Shivers and Josh Henderson from the portal and bring in an extremely versatile back in Jaylin Lucas from the recruiting class. Part of the 'complete back' role is being able to catch passes out of the backfield to help the offense move the ball and be a safety blanket for the quarterback.

Shivers and Lucas, especially, bring exactly that.

"Certainly, Shaun [Shivers] has some quickness, got some strength, and so does Jaylin Lucas," Johnson said. "... catching includes your route running and it also includes catching the ball. I think as a core group, that is the challenge I put out to them, so they can be, hopefully, three-down backs. That is the ideal [situation]. I think those two guys, along with some other guys have really come on and done some good things."

While Lucas is just a freshman, the other part of the trio have college experience. Shivers has totaled 1,020 rushing yards on 201 attempts (5.1 average) over the course of his 43-game Auburn career. Henderson, in a limited role throughout his career, has totaled 209 rushing yards on 41 carries (5.1 yards per carry) in just 23 games at North Carolina.

All three players provide a slightly different role and skillset for Indiana. Finding the right combination is important to Johnson and a key part in producing an effective offense. But, all three will have a key role for this team.

"I think it is [mostly] personnel driven. I think as far as how much for each back, that is yet to be determined. The head coach is the guy who has to sign off on everybody, then [offensive] coordinator Walt Bell and all of the assistants will have that talk," Johnson said. "Whoever we deem is the first guy out the first week or how much they are going to play. There are different ways you do that. Sometimes you rotate, sometimes you go by play counts. I have had all types.

"In the preseason, the truth is, on every single team I have been on recently, I focus on group development. I don't worry about who is the guy who walks out first, if it is the third guy, I want to coach from the top to the bottom because I know that there is a chance, at some point, there is a guy that doesn't walk out there as a start has to be prepared to be ready to play. That is what I've learned."

Johnson's early message and focus has hit home with the room, however.

"I think being able to be unique in your own way helps the offense," Henderson said. "You obviously want your offense to be diverse to attack different things. I think we all have then unique traits, and we recognize the unique traits that everybody has, and we just try to incorporate their traits into our own game, so we are always elevating off one another."

"What I can say about Coach Johnson, is you know that he came from the NFL. He has coached some great guys. It's really about the attitude that he brings. He is very detailed and wants you to do the right thing at all times," Shivers added. "He also knows that sometimes you are going to have to play above [the play call], because it is not always going to be there. Sometimes you are going to have to create your own hole. When he says that, and like you said, we are all different kinds of backs, we can use our abilities to do those things and make those plays."

At the end of the day, Indiana has the talent, depth and versatility in the running back room that it hasn't quite had before. It also has the teacher it hasn't had in quite some time. Regardless of who is listed as the 'starter' for week one, the others will be right there to add value wherever and whenever needed.

"I think that makes everyone want to compete harder," Shivers added. "Everyone wants to be that guy, but there can only be one [starter]. No matter who wins the job, we are still going to compete hard, we are still going to love each other and still going to help each other out. Whatever [our teammates] need, what we see on this play or that play. We can't be selfish and have to help each other out. Like Coach Allen always says, love each other -- LEO -- and that is what we are going to do [in the running backs room]."

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