After watching three weeks of practice and talking with the players and coaches this month, it’s time to take a final position-by-position look at IU football ahead of the 2026 season.
Next up are the running backs.
THE COACH
Although he is just 29, John Miller is one of Curt Cignetti’s longest-tenured position coaches. Miller joined Curt Cignetti’s staff in 2021 as running backs coach at his alma mater James Madison, and he’s held that role under Cignetti since.
THE MAIN MEN
As has been the case each of the last two years, Indiana enters the season with a three-headed monster at running back. Each of Khobie Martin, Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe, Jr. are expected to split carries for the Hoosiers.
Martin (6-foot, 210) is entering his third season with the program. The Fishers, Ind. is primed for a big opportunity after a promising redshirt freshman campaign that saw him rush for 505 yards on just 78 carries. Most of that production came in late game blowout scenarios.
Richard (5-foot-9, 207) had 749 yards on 145 carries with Boston College a year ago. A tough, physical runner with a low center of gravity, 547 of those yards came after contact, and he forced 26 missed tackles. Richard led BC in rushing yards in 2025.
Beebe (5-foot-10, 215) has fully recovered from knee surgery after an injury suffered last September. In four college season he has a 1,486 yards and a 6.0 yards per carry average. Beebe played some wide receiver in high school, making him a strong pass-catching option.
THE COMPETITION
In this case, the competition has really been among the aforementioned three. The question is who will get the first series on Saturday, and the second. It ultimately won’t make a major difference. They’ll all three get their chances in the first half. At the moment it appears to be a toss-up between Martin and Richard for the No. 1 role, but there will be ebbs and flows throughout the year. Ball security and pass protection will be a factor.
Another competition has been quietly brewing for the No. 4 back. That was Martin to start the 2025 season before Beebe’s injury, and it was Elijah Green in 2024. Both Martin and Green posted big numbers with plenty of late game reps against exhausted defenses. It’s a chance to shine ahead of the 2027 campaign.
This year it’s between sophomore Sean Cuono (5-foot-10, 193) and freshman Jayreon Campbell (5-foot-8, 205). Interestingly enough, they are the only other running backs on the roster.
A YOUNG PICK TO CLICK
It feels like cheating, but the easy answer is Martin, who hasn’t had a role with the game on the line to this point but will in 2026. In rare form, Cignetti hasn’t held back his praise for Martin, who has leaned out and moves with considerable speed and twitch. It won’t come as a surprise if he posts a 1,000 yard season.
“Man, I love Khobie. He’s really grown as a leader,” All-American left tackle Carter Smith said this week. “When he first got here in ’24, a young cat, he definitely had a lot of potential, and he’s really lived up to it nowadays. I can’t wait to see what he does on Saturdays.”
CONCERNS
Despite losing 2025 leading rushers Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby, who both posted 1,000 yard seasons and are both currently with NFL teams, there’s no cause for concern here. Indiana has three very good backs to start the season.
If you really need to be concerned about something, a couple significant injuries to the main three would have IU deeper into the depth chart than they’d hope to be this season. And Martin and Beebe, Jr. don’t have a ton of Power 4 experience.
BOLD PREDICTION
We’ll say Martin exceeds 1,200 rushing. It would be the first time since Jordan Howard had 1,213 in 2015 that someone eclipsed that mark. It’s no small task with the way IU splits carries.
THE OUTLOOK
Indiana enters the season with a stable of very good running backs. We believe they’ll be as solid at the position as they were each of the last two years.
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