LOS ANGELES — Indiana football entered this season with a three-man backfield committee.
Returnee Kaelon Black was set to team up with transfers Roman Hemby and Lee Beebe Jr. to form a trio, keeping with Curt Cignetti’s philosophy of utilizing several running backs throughout the year. Hemby led the way in touches in week 1 against Old Dominion, with Beebe getting some extended bench time after a costly fumble in the first half. The backfield workload was split pretty evenly in week 2 against Kennesaw State.
But Beebe suffered a non-contact knee injury during the third quarter of Indiana’s week 3 blowout of Indiana State, throwing Indiana’s long-term plans into disarray.
That situation created an opening for redshirt freshman Khobie Martin to establish himself as IU’s No. 3 running back. And he’s capitalized on those opportunities every chance he’s had.
“God bless him (Beebe) and hopefully a speedy recovery for him. But for me, as a player, I think that helped my growth, for sure,” Martin told The Daily Hoosier. “It made me take another step, earlier than I was expecting. But I also think that that helped me become the player I am right now.”
Martin has rarely been a factor early in games, operating more in mop-up territory to ease the load for Hemby and Black. He’s the clear third-string behind those two — Martin didn’t get any carries in IU’s closer games against Iowa, Oregon, and Ohio State, and he recorded only one against Penn State. But he’s flashed plenty of ability and potential in his role.
The Fishers, Ind. native has rushed for 452 yards on 70 carries with six touchdowns this season. At 6.5 yards per carry, Martin has been a more efficient runner than both Hemby (5.2) and Black (5.6). His 452 rushing yards are the most by an Indiana freshman since Stevie Scott III’s 1,137-yard campaign in 2018.
Martin, checking in at 6 feet and 208 pounds, wasted no time after Beebe went down. He had not yet carried the ball before the injury, recording his first touch with 4:13 remaining in the third quarter against the Sycamores. He went on to finish with a team-high 11 rushes for 109 yards and two touchdowns. And he followed that up with another impressive performance, recording 12 carries for 107 yards and two touchdowns against then-No. 9 Illinois.
The redshirt freshman has played running back since he was in second grade, and he lives for the big-play opportunities that position brings.
“I love the excitement of it. I feel like I get a dopamine rush in my head every time I run the ball,” Martin told TDH. “Knowing that the coaches and the fans are all watching you at one point, and that you’re just showing how athletic you are between the holes, between the open field, I just love that part about it. I just love the fact that it’s kind of in the spotlight.”
Martin might not see extensive action in the College Football Playoff, unless Indiana can create significant cushion with a lot of time left. But the team can feel good about its next man up if anything happened to Black or Hemby in January.
And the Hoosiers should feel confident in their backfield picture beyond this season. Martin has shown more than enough this year to earn a bigger role next year, with Black and Hemby both departing after the end of this season. He’s impressed IU fans, his coaches, and his teammates alike.
“Khobie, he definitely shows highlights every day. Seeing that guy work, being a mentor to that guy, kind of doing everything that I can to make sure that he has a great career. And he’s on a great path,” Hemby said. “Every time that he’s gotten an opportunity, he’s made the most of it. And that’s all you could ask for from a young player. And I feel like the sky’s the limit for that player, just because of his work ethic, the way that he comes to work every day, and the ability that he has. He has a lot of talent.”
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