Indiana Football Position Preview: Running Backs
Editor's note: In our nine-part "Position Preview" series, we'll break down the entire Indiana football roster leading up to the Hoosiers' season opener against Illinois on Friday, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. In our second installment, let's take a look a completely revamped running back room.
Following a 2-10 season in 2021, Indiana underwent major personnel and coaching changes throughout the roster. And after finishing 13th in the Big Ten in rushing yards, the running back room saw perhaps the most turnover.
Who's Gone
Former running backs coach Deland McCullough left Indiana after one season to take the same job at Notre Dame. This contributed to class of 2022 four-star running back Gi'Bran Payne flipping his commitment from Indiana to Notre Dame.
Stephen Carr transferred from USC to Indiana before the 2021 season, and led the Hoosiers with 645 yards and six touchdowns on 155 carries in his final year with collegiate eligibility. Tim Baldwin Jr. entered the transfer portal midseason, leaving walk-on running backs Davion Ervin-Poindexter and Chris Childers as the next options.
Ervin-Poindexter and Childers combined for 372 yards and two touchdowns on 81 attempts, but decided to transfer following the 2021 season. Aside from Donaven McCulley's rushing production at quarterback last season, this leaves Charlie Spegal as Indiana's leading returning rusher at 19 carries for 62 yards.
The Replacements
Indiana coach Tom Allen had no choice but to completely refresh the running back room, and the result carries reason for optimism so far.
Craig Johnson was hired to replace McCullough as both associate head coach and running backs coach. Johnson boasts 38 years of coaching experience – 20 at the college level and 18 in the NFL. He most notably played a role in the success of NFL All-Pro running backs Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans and Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants.
The favorite to lead Indiana in carries for the 2022 season is Shaun Shivers, a 5-foot-7, 186-pound transfer from Auburn. Across four seasons at Auburn, Shivers appeared in 43 games and made nine starts. He averaged over five yards per carry on 125 rushes in his freshman and sophomore seasons combined, but saw his role diminish as his career carried on.
Shivers is embraces physicality, and Allen has noticed that Shivers rarely looks for the sideline – he wants to run you over. But he's also been working on his elusiveness and pass catching throughout fall camp in order to become the lead back.
"Coming here I want the offense to be more physical and mentally tough," Shivers said. "We're not backing down from nobody, we gotta bring the fight to everybody. We're not going to be the nail, we're going to be the hammer ... When I get the ball, I'm thinking score every time. I know that's not going to happen, but that's just the mindset I have ... Put the offense on my back and let's ride."
Joining Shivers in the new-look Indiana backfield is Josh Henderson, a transfer from North Carolina with two years of remaining eligibility. Henderson was a three-star recruit from Pennington, N.J. and played three seasons as a Tar Heel. In total, He rushed 41 times for 209 yards across 23 games at North Carolina.
Allen has noticed Henderson's sneaky ability to make people miss, and he thinks he'll be able to contribute in a number of ways. From running the ball, to pass blocking, catching the ball out of the backfield and even special teams, Allen is excited about Henderson's versatility.
"I don’t see something [Henderson] can’t do," Allen said. "He’s just a very well-rounded guy and I think he’s been a really strong addition to our running backs room."
Maybe the most intriguing piece to the new-look running back room is freshman Jaylin Lucas. The 5-foot-9, 185-pound Lucas committed to Indiana as a three-star recruit just inside the top 1,000, and he's been quick to create plenty of hype throughout fall camp.
New offensive coordinator Walt Bell called Lucas a "true hybrid" with ability to run and catch, and Allen said he doesn't view 2022 as a developmental year – he's anxious to play Lucas right away.
"A complete package of a guy that has good ball skills, can catch as a running back, get the ball in space, that kind of a player and just speed," Allen said. "He’s not just quick, he’s also fast. He’s our fastest player."
As for depth, Indiana returns a trio of running backs who saw limited action last season. While still maintaining redshirt status, Trent Howland played against Ohio State, Minnesota and Purdue, rushing six times for 20 yards. A 6-foot-3, 239-pound back from Joliet, Ill., Howland arrived at Indiana last season as the No. 16 prospect in Illinois.
Like Howland, David Holloman was able to see the field in four games while still maintaining redshirt status. He rushed 11 times for 34 yards while returning three kickoffs for 66 yards. Holloman was a three-star recruit out of Auburn Hills, Mich.
Rounding out the room is 2019 Indiana Mr. Football Charlie Spegal, who holds Indiana state records in career rushing yards at 10,867, career points, single-season rushing touchdowns, and single-season total touchdowns while playing at New Palestine High School outside of Indianapolis. Spegal joined Indiana as a walk-on during 2020 fall camp, and he rushed nine times for 37 yards against Purdue in 2021 season finale.
Perhaps no position group has experienced more change than the running back room, but Johnson has made 11 stops along his coaching career, so working with a new slate is nothing new.
"What I told the guys when I first came here is you certainly don't know me and I don't know you," Johnson said. "Whatever you did in the past, I don't really care. All I care about is what we're doing now for the present and where we're going in the future."
Related stories on Indiana football:
- SPEEDY FRESHMAN JAYLIN LUCAS TURNING HEADS: Jaylin Lucas will play his first college football snap as a 17-year-old running back, and his speed, acceleration and quick-twitch style of play has led to trust from Indiana coaches right away. "This is the kind of guy we’ve been looking for," Tom Allen said. CLICK HERE
- SHAUN SHIVERS BRINGING PHYSICAL EDGE: Shaun Shivers is known for his bulldozing touchdown against Alabama in the 2019 Iron Bowl, and now he's bringing that physical mindset to the Indiana backfield. CLICK HERE
- RUNNING BACK TRANSFER FOCUS: With Indiana's top four running backs from 2021 gone, Tom Allen hit the transfer portal to bring in Shaun Shivers from Auburn and Josh Henderson from North Carolina. And with a new running backs coach, a featured role is up for grabs. CLICK HERE
