As IU begins preparations for the 2025 campaign, there is an unprecedented amount of attention on the program. Hoosier Huddle is gearing up for the spring with individual position group previews. Today, we examine the running back room. IU lost Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton but there are plenty of reasons for optimism after the Hoosiers ran for 4.37 yards per carry and a remarkable 37 rushing touchdowns.

Justice Ellison – 159 carries for 848 yards (5.33 ypc) – 10 touchdowns

Ty Son Lawton – 141 carries for 668 yards (4.74 ypc) – 12 touchdowns

Roman Hemby – transfer from Maryland

Lee Beebe Jr. – transfer from UAB

Sean Cuono – freshman from Florida

If the 2024 season is any indication of how offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan will utilize his running backs and divvy up the work load, the Hoosiers will lean heavily on two running backs but three or four players will be in the rotation and get some work. Last season, Ellison led the team with 159 carries while Lawton was second with 141 rushes. Kaelon Black was next but only had 46 carries and Elijah Green had 29 carries, mainly in mop-up duty. I think there are three running backs that clearly stand above the others heading into the 2025 season and I’d expect the split between the three to be a bit more equal instead of leaning so much on just two players. Of course, work in the spring is going to help determine all of that.

Starter – Roman Hemby – Redshirt Senior (transfer from Maryland)

Roman Hemby started 38 games for the Maryland Terrapins prior to transferring to IU for his final season of eligibility. He is a Two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten player and owns 3,352 all-purpose yards and 27 career touchdowns. Last season, Hemby struggled behind a weak Maryland offensive line but he’s a highly-accomplished player that was a great get for IU in the transfer portal. Hemby is a decent pass-catcher out of the backfield and he brings a level of explosiveness that IU did not really have last season at the running back position.

Rotation – Kaelon Black – Redshirt Senior/Lee Beebe – Redshirt Junior (transfer from UAB)

I would expect both Kaelon Black and Lee Beebe to get a good amount of work in 2025 and I actually am predicting the Hoosiers to have three players with more than 100 carries this coming season. Kaelon Black is a very physical runner and he returns to IU for his final season after averaging 5.46 yards per carry and scoring a pair of touchdowns. Lee Beebe is a former walk-on that earned a scholarship at UAB after two fantastic seasons. In 2024, Beebe led the Blazers with 166 carries for 884 yards and seven rushing touchdowns. Averaging 5.33 yards per carry for an offense that struggled to block for him is a major accomplishment. Much like Hemby, he can catch the ball (30 receptions) and I think we’ll see that incorporated into the offense more often.

Depth – Khobie Martin – (Redshirt Freshman)/Sean Cuono – (Freshman)/Solomon Vanhorse (Redshirt Senior)

Redshirt freshman Khobie Martin returns to IU after appearing in two games as a freshman from Fishers, Indiana. Martin had eight carries for 57 yards against Western Illinois and then six carries for 16 yards against Charlotte. He enters 2025 hoping to crack the rotation. Sean Cuono is a true freshman hailing from Florida. He will very likely see a role much like Khobie Martin had in 2024 and redshirt the 2025 campaign. Finally, Solomon Vanhorse chose to return for his final season. The veteran came to Bloomington after playing for Cignetti at James Madison. He was snake-bitten by injuries earlier in his career but stayed healthy last season and will likely reprise his role as a kick returner in 2025.

Roman Hemby is rightfully getting most of the attention and he deserves his nod at the top of the depth chart entering the spring. My bold prediction is that Lee Beebe Jr. stands out and makes this a true three-man monster in the backfield. Beebe Jr. is being overlooked and his play is going to surprise IU fans.

For those that do not remember, Lee Beebe Jr. was an early addition to the Indiana transfer portal class. Beebe Jr. signed the paperwork but within a couple of days, there was buzz that the UAB transfer wanted out of his commitment. The story unfolded quickly and it appeared his agent was acting out of turn. Beebe was locked in with the Hoosiers and the two sides moved forward. I believe his addition will be a very important one. He begins the spring below Hemby and Black but his running style reminds me a lot of Ty Son Lawton’s. Beebe Jr. is physical and runs with an edge and he has success against good defenses that suggests he can help IU right away (81 yards on 15 carries against Navy, 78 yards on 9 carries against Tulane).

The success (or failures) of a group of running backs is a combination of several things: the talent of the individuals, the offensive system and the offensive line blocking for the running backs. IU’s offensive system has not changed, Bob Bostad’s offensive line should be very solid with the addition of Pat Coogan and the talent level of the running back groups looks at least the level it was at in 2024. The confidence level in this position group should be quite high.