2024 Position Preview – 'Core Four' Lead New Running Backs Room

Written by: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)

You could look at any number of Indiana position groups heading into this season and say ‘Wow, this room looks completely different from last year.’ So is the nature of 1) having multiple poor seasons strung together, and 2) having a head coaching change as a result of the aforementioned poor seasons. But the Indiana running back room may have experienced more turnover than any other.

Today, we’ll preview this new look running back room filled with many transfers, one returnee, and a true freshman. The group will be coached by John Miller, a member of the Cignetti coaching tree for five of the last seven years when he joined Cignetti as a graduate assistant.

Taking a look at the depth chart that Miller will have at his disposal, you will notice many size and age similarities amongst the group – though, they may not all run in a similar fashion. Because of their similarities and from all indications out of spring and fall practices so far, we’d expect a running back by committee approach. The coaching staff has hinted at this as well.

“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,” said offensive coordinator Mike Shannahan.

Perhaps, as the season progresses, we ultimately see a few names separate themselves from the others; but for now, I would expect four main names used relatively equally, with some added depth behind them on the roster and the possibility of someone becoming the stalwart always a possibility.

(Prefer this info in podcast form? We recently did a full offense breakdown on Hoosier Huddle’s August 7th episode. Skip forward to the 31:00 mark for the running back info.)

The Core Four

Justice Ellison – Senior+, 5’9 210 Pounds

If anyone has separated themselves amongst the rest, is it perhaps Justice Ellison? Only three members of the team joined Curt Cignetti at Big Ten Media Days last month, and Ellison made the cut. Perhaps this is an indication of what is to come, or perhaps this is all circumstantial. Only time will tell.

In the meantime, Ellison is a Wake Forest transfer that started 10 of the 11 games he played in last year and has racked up 43 games of experience in his career. He finished the season ranked 2nd on the team in rushing yards (548) and attempts (120). He has shown an ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, adding 10 receptions for 61 yards last year, but it is not the main part of his game. He was a solid member of the Demon Deacons and should be a player we see a lot of this season.

Kaelon Black – Redshirt Junior, 5’10 210 Pounds

Perhaps Cignetti prefers someone he has coached before? If so, one of those options in the running back room is Kaelon Black, a JMU transfer who has appeared in 27 games with 16 starts over four seasons with the Dukes. Last season, he appeared in every game and started 12, logging 637 yards on 142 carries while also catching 24 passes for 254 yards. Black’s rushing marks led the team last season while also clearly showing the versatility to catch the ball out of the backfield and make plays in the receiving game. Another intriguing option for Cignetti and his staff.

Ty Son Lawton – Redshirt Senior+, 5’9 208 Pounds

Curt Cignetti also has experience coaching Ty Son Lawton, who also transferred in from James Madison. Cignetti has preached the importance of experience, and Lawton has it; he has already spent six seasons playing college football (five with Stony Brook, one with James Madison) as he enters his final year of eligibility. Over those six seasons, Lawton has appeared in 39 career games with 22 starts, totaling 2,660 yards on 583 carries and 26 touchdowns in his career. Lawton finished second in rushing yards last season behind Black, but he did outpace him in rushing touchdowns.

Elijah Green – Redshirt Junior, 6’0 207 Pounds

The last of what I have deemed the Core Four is Elijah Green, another transfer, but this time from the University of North Carolina. Green spent four seasons with the Tar Heels and produced his best year two seasons ago in 2022. Then, he finished the year appearing in all 14 games with five starts and led the team in rushing touchdowns (8). Last season, he saw his playing time and offensive productivity dip significantly, however. He finished the year having appeared in four games and carried the ball just four times for 12 yards. He comes to Indiana looking for a fresh start and looking to bring back the mojo he had found earlier in his career.

Specialist/Gadget

Solomon Vanhorse – Graduate+, 5’8 185 Pounds

The final James Madison transfer in the room may primarily just see himself playing on special teams, though he could see sometime as a specialist/gadget type player out of the backfield. Solomon Vanhorse spent six seasons with the James Madison Dukes but missed the majority of the last two due to injury. In 2021, he garnered All-Sun Belt Third Team honors as a kick returner. He has appeared in 37 games throughout his career. He once made history when he became just the 39th player in FBS/FCS history to return a kickoff for a touchdown, score a rushing touchdown, and catch a receiving touchdown in the same game. Though he’ll most likely primarily be used elsewhere on the field, he does have the flexibility to continue to see time at running back behind the core four.

Reserve/Redshirt Candidates

Daniel Weems – Redshirt Sophomore, 5’9 197 Pounds

Barring some injury attrition to the above names, we likely will see little action from the next two guys. Daniel Weems started his career at Indiana Wesleyan in 2022 before transferring last season and ultimately redshirting. He did not see any game action last year. The Center Grove High School product is the lone returning scholarship player to the room.

Khobe Martin – Freshman, 6’0 207 Pounds

Originally a Tom Allen commit that kept his allegiance to the Hoosiers after the coaching change, Khobe Martin is entering his first season of college football. The Fishers High School product was a 3-star recruit that enters college ball with good size already. Martin displays the muscle necessary to bruise defenders along with the elusiveness to escape them. He did not come in with many Power Four offers, but did dominate high school football. He will likely see four games of mop up duty this season and ultimately redshirt and prepare for the future.

Walk-Ons

Kyler Kropp –Freshman