Following Indiana's loss to No. 4 Penn State on Saturday, the Hoosiers also lost sophomore running back Tim Baldwin to the transfer portal.
Baldwin had rushed for 103 yards on 28 carries this season but was coming off of a one carry performance against Penn State.
The Virginia native had career totals of 50 carries for 244 yards and no touchdowns in two seasons.
Baldwin flashed on to the scene as a freshman with a big performance against Maryland last year. He rushed for 106 yards on 16 carries.
"Very patient, some guys have a knack to find the holes," IU head coach Tom Allen said following his Maryland performance last year. "And I've been impressed with him in practice, I’ve mentioned it before. I was not at all shy about putting Tim in there. Our offensive staff is very confident in Tim."
Coming into this year, he was expected to take on a much larger role after the departure of Stevie Scott and Sampson James. But, that role has diminished over the last few games due to timely fumbled against Cincinnati and Western Kentucky.
New running backs coach Deland McCullough outlined his plan for the running back room early this fall.
"I think my history is pretty well noted," he says. "At IU and USC and in the NFL, I'm going to play several guys. There is going to be a lead horse guy that is the main feature guy, but I believe you get diminishing returns when you burn a guy out.
"Whoever is the lead guy, he will get the bulk of the action, but I think people will be surprised how much the second guy and other guys supplement the main person."
As for the remainder of the running back room, walk-ons Davion Ervin-Poindexter and Chris Childers have combined for 15 carries for 94 yards and one touchdown this season and have been getting touches periodically in most games this year. Hybrid Davis Ellis has been banged up most of the season and true freshmen David Holloman and Trent Howland have yet to get involved much in the offense.
Stephen Carr leads the Indiana backfield with 102 carries.
(Story to be updated)
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