Indiana’s running back room may have seen more turnover than any other position group on the team.
The Hoosiers completely overhauled their roster of running backs from last season, with just one returning player — with no Division I snaps to his name. So the backfield will now consist of five transfer portal additions, with three following Curt Cignetti and his staff from James Madison. And through spring and fall camps, the players have displayed potential to improve IU’s running game.
Prior previews:
Roster turnover — who’s gone
- Christian Turner (exhausted his eligibility)
- Josh Henderson (entered NFL Draft)
- Jaylin Lucas (transfer — Florida State)
- Trent Howland (transfer — Oklahoma State)
- David Holloman (transfer — Grand Valley State)
- Declan McMahon (entered transfer portal)
- Reece Lozano
Roster turnover — who’s back
- Daniel Weems (redshirt sophomore)
Roster turnover — who’s new
- Justice Ellison (transfer — Wake Forest)
- Ty Son Lawton (transfer — James Madison)
- Kaelon Black (transfer — James Madison)
- Solomon Vanhorse (transfer — James Madison)
- Elijah Green (transfer — North Carolina)
- Khobie Martin (3-star, Fishers, Ind.)
- Kyler Kropp (walk-on)
Projected depth chart
Here’s our best estimate of Indiana’s starters at running back and who the other key players will be.
Starting group:
- Justice Ellison, fifth-year senior, 5-foot-9, 210 pounds (20 career starts at Wake Forest)
- Ty Son Lawton, sixth-year senior, 5-foot-9, 208 pounds (39 career starts at Stony Brook and James Madison)
- Kaelon Black, redshirt junior, 5-foot-10, 210 pounds (16 career starts at JMU)
Reserve group:
- Elijah Green, redshirt junior, 6 feet, 207 pounds (five career starts at North Carolina)
- Solomon Vanhorse, graduate student, 5-foot-8, 185 pounds (nine career starts at JMU)
It’s tough to gauge where Indiana’s running backs stand individually. But it’s clear the Hoosiers will use a plethora of different players in the backfield, so the exact pecking order may not matter. And these two tiers feel pretty secure. Ellison has been limited for part of fall camp after pulling up limp during a run, but provided that he’s healthy, he’ll be firmly in the mix with Lawton and Black. Perhaps the backfield picture will become more concentrated as the season goes along, but the Hoosiers could be just fine relying on Black, Ellison, and Lawton relatively equally. Green was the other key running back transfer portal addition, but seems to be in more of a reserve role behind the aforementioned trio. Vanhorse committed from the portal after the spring game, and could be a bigger factor in the return game than the backfield. He’s played in just four total games over the last two seasons because of injuries and appears unlikely to crack the top group of running backs, but he could still see offensive snaps.
Quotable
Mike Shanahan on the running backs:
“I think we’ve learned, especially these past few years at JMU, that you’ve got to have a lot of running backs ready to go, just with some of the collisions that they take and the hits that start to add up on them throughout the season. I think our room in general, they’re all pretty similar. They do a good job, obviously running the ball, they’re good in pass pro, and they can catch the ball out of the backfield, too. So a lot of similarities with most of them. And then you’ve got a guy like Solomon Vanhorse who is a little bit unique with his skill set compared to the rest. But we’ve still got a few practices left, going into the second scrimmage, I think that’s something that’s going to lead into the season. And then week to week, who’s practicing the best, and I think that competition may never really end until after the season.”
Kurtis Rourke on the running backs:
“I think we have one of the deepest running back rooms in the country and a lot of guys that can make plays, as shown today (during the spring game). And as a quarterback, you want to be able to pass the ball, but being able to run the ball effectively really opens up the pass. So being able to have running backs that are able to create plays on their own really helps the whole offense.”
Why it will work
Ellison, Lawton, and Black could form a dangerous backfield trio for Indiana. There’s explosiveness, bruiser style, pass-catching ability, and versatility among the group. Ellison had the highest PFF grade of the three players last season, though Black led the group in rushing yards and Lawton scored the most rushing touchdowns between the three. If it winds up being a mostly even split in terms of workload throughout the season, it could help keep all three healthy down the stretch. IU hasn’t always had that sort of fortune in the backfield.
Of course, the running backs’ success will depend largely on the offensive line performance. IU was much better at run blocking last season than pass protection, though it didn’t translate to much success on the ground. But the pieces could be in place for improvement in the running game this year.
Why it won’t
The idea of a new offensive system elevating the entire offense sounds great in theory, but a quick glance at JMU’s numbers from last season show potential pitfalls. The Dukes performed extremely well in the passing game, ranking 20th in the nation at 284.8 passing yards per game. But they were far less effective on the ground, placing 93rd in the country at 134.2 yards per game. That mark is still higher than Indiana’s running game fared last year, and JMU put up stronger rushing numbers in 2022. But last season’s running game struggles could be a warning to temper expectations for Indiana’s backfield this year.
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