Indiana’s running game in 2026 is pretty different from what it was in 2025.
The Hoosiers weren’t too explosive on the ground for the first two seasons under Curt Cignetti and Mike Shanahan. The 2025 duo of Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black provided occasional chunk runs but mostly stuckto efficiency gains that forced the defense to dedicate extra personnel to the run, which opened up the deep passing game for Fernando Mendoza and company.
The Turbo Richard add signaled a change in itself. He had a similar
body type as Black, shorter and stockier, but he had more burst and agility in the open field than any of Indiana’s backs last season.
That’s shown this season alongside Lee Beebe Jr. as Indiana’s backfield has become a way to generate explosive plays rather than open up opportunities in the passing game.
Richard is running for an incredible 8.4 yards per carry on the ground while Beebe Jr. is at 5.6. That’s six games of play, not a small sample size. For comparison’s sake, Hemby ran for 4.9 yards per carry while Black was at 5.6 in 2025, equalling Beebe Jr.
The duo’s averages are brought down some by a relatively lackluster showing at Nebraska this past weekend, but it’s worth taking that as a one off given the high winds in Lincoln that day allowing the Cornhusker defense to zero in on the run. Only look at how Indiana won the game with Nick Marsh as evidence for the way Nebraska sold out completely to stop Richard and Beebe Jr. Curt Cignetti himself didn’t seem all that concerned either.
This is all probably why Indiana fans named running backs as the position group they’re most excited for in a survey we ran last week:
Indiana is also set to return Khobie Martin, who suffered an arm injury in the season opener, in the weeks to come, further bolstering an already strong running room.
The Hoosiers are going to need the best of the backs this weekend with the Buckeyes coming to town. Indiana is a 3.5-point underdog as of Wednesday morning, per FanDuel Sportsbook. Look for the Hoosiers to find ways to get the ball to Richard in the open field while Beebe Jr. looks to find explosives of his own through the line.
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- Improved notifications system!
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
Download the SB Nation app on iOS or Android.
