Indiana backfield displays depth, versatility, explosiveness in spring game

Indiana football wrapped up its spring practice schedule Thursday night with its second annual spring game under head coach Curt Cignetti. And while the scoreboard showed a 31-23 win for the offense in what Cignetti dubbed a “glorified practice,” the real headline came from the backfield.

With Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton now gone, the Hoosiers entered spring camp with one of the biggest questions on the roster: Who’s next at running back?

Three names emerged by the end of the night — Kaelon Black, Roman Hemby and Lee Beebe — each offering something a little different.

Together, they helped make the case that Indiana’s run game might not just survive the transition. It might thrive.

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Indiana — unofficially — rushed 33 times for 178 yards in Thursday’s scrimmage, scoring once and notching four runs of 10 or more yards. But the numbers only begin to tell the story.

Black, Hemby and Beebe split the workload evenly, and each made his case to be a workhorse for the Hoosiers next season.

Black — the lone returnee among the three — looked like a man with something to prove. He churned out 74 unofficial yards on eight carries, including a 45-yard breakaway up the middle that left defenders grasping at air.

It was the longest play of the night and a throwback to his bruising, north-south style that made him a fan favorite in spurts last year.

“[Kaelon Black], he just loves running through a dude and I love watching him do it,” offensive lineman Carter Smith said following the spring game.

Black’s resurgence is more than just numbers. Last season, buried behind Ellison and Lawton, he still managed to force 16 missed tackles on 73 carries — a deceptively dangerous figure that now seems less like trivia and more like prophecy.

While Black brought the hammer, UAB transfer Beebe brought the shake — fast feet, quick cuts and the kind of vision that made every touch feel like it could go the distance.

Beebe finished with 55 rushing yards on 10 carries, including a gritty 5-yard touchdown, and caught a short pass he turned into a 24-yard burst — the second-longest reception of the game.

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“He’s got a lot of juice,” Cignetti said. “High-energy guy. He’s been with us a long time. Just staying healthy has kind of been his deal.”

Beebe looked healthy Thursday. More than that — he looked dangerous. In a backfield stacked with power, his ability to make something out of nothing might be his ticket to touches this fall.

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Don’t let Maryland transfer Hemby’s modest stat line — 29 yards on eight carries — fool you. Twice on fourth-and-1, Hemby was called upon. Twice, he delivered.

His most impressive run came on an untouched 18-yard scamper through a seam opened by Indiana’s offensive line.

“I like Hemby,” Smith said. “He’s a lot of fun to block for. He gives us a lot of options. He’s very fluid.”

That fluidity, paired with his decisiveness in short yardage, gives Indiana a dimension it will need come Big Ten play — a back who can slam the door on third-and-short but also keep defenses honest with longer gains.

None of it works without the big guys up front, and they know what they have behind them.

“It’s an explosive run game, which is super exciting,” center Pat Coogan said. “We can come at you with the ground and pound, but like we saw tonight, we can also pop a few for big chunk plays. That was really exciting to see.”

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Coogan, who has emerged as a vocal leader on the line, said the chemistry is real — and the backs give them reason to block a little harder.

“I’m overall super excited about the progress we’ve made and where we’re headed,” he said. “It’s going to be a great run game for sure.”

A year ago, Indiana’s running back room turned heads. This spring, it’s turning the page.

With three distinct backs who bring three different skill sets — Black’s bruising style, Beebe’s electric shiftiness and Hemby’s patient power — Cignetti’s offense might not be replacing production so much as redefining it.

After Thursday night, it’s clear that Indiana’s backfield isn’t rebuilding, it’s reloaded. And come fall, it might just be the engine that powers the Hoosiers forward.