2024 Spring Football: Position Battle – Running Back

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Written by: TJ Inman

The excitement surrounding the Indiana University football program is palpable. Curt Cignetti and his coaching staff have injected a sense of hope and optimism and seriousness into the team that has permeated the fan base and has many looking forward to the 2024 edition of spring practice more than any version in recent memory. Part of the excitement is based on a massive number of changes to the roster and uncertainty on the roster means there will be a whole lot of position battles unfolding on the practice field.

Today’s article focuses on the running back position. Indiana’s offense is completely changing and offensive line coach Bob Bostad is the only coach returning from last season. New offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and running backs coach John Miller have a talented room that is nearly entirely different than the group IU fans watched in 2023. There is one notable exception: Trent Howland was briefly committed to Minnesota before changing his mind and returning to Bloomington to play for Curt Cignetti. How will this position group play out this spring?

-The Starter-

  • Trent Howland – Redshirt Junior – 6’3”/240 pounds

Howland did not see the field much in 2023 until the Rutgers game. He got nine carries in that game and churned out 54 yards. That workload continued for the next two weeks before he became the bell-cow back at Illinois. Howland had 13 carries for 72 yards with a touchdown and then 19 carries for 77 yards and a score. He is a huge running back and weighs 240 pounds but it was not until the second half of last season that he really started to take advantage of that size and punishing defenders for tackling him. Howland has not been a great blocker and he has not shown he can effectively catch the ball out of the backfield but he could really turn into a good short-yardage and goal-line back in IU’s new offense.

-Rotation Options in the Hunt-

  • Kaelon Black – Senior – 5’10”/210 pounds

Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers hit the transfer portal hard at nearly every position, but especially at running back. One of the players Cignetti brought with him from James Madison is senior Kaelon Black.

Compared to Trent Howland, Kaelon Black is of modest size but he’s still nearly 6”0” and weighs 210 pounds and he’s capable of running between the tackles. Black was the top rusher for the James Madison Dukes last season, averaging 4.49 yards per carry on 142 carries. He was in a true split backfield with Ty Son Lawton (who is also at IU, see below). Notably, Black caught 27 passes for 254 yards with four receiving touchdowns. That type of versatility is critical and should pair really well with the smashmouth style of Howland. If we were handicapping this battle, Black is likely the favorite to be “RB2”.

  • Justice Ellison – Senior+ - 5’10”/210 pounds

IU grabbed a Wake Forest running back from the transfer portal prior to the 2023 season (Christian Turner) and they have snagged another one prior to the 2024 season. Justice Ellison had 120 rushes for 548 yards with one score. He also added ten catches for 61 yards. Ellison is a solid depth piece with valuable power conference experience.

  • Ty Son Lawton – Senior+ - 5’10”/210 pounds

Another running back from James Madison, Ty Son Lawton is the other half of the split backfield for the Dukes in 2023. Lawton had 126 carries for 568 yards with five touchdowns as he was used as more of a short-yardage back than Black was. Lawton is not as quick or explosive as Black is and he does not offer the same versatility as a pass catcher but he does know the JMU offense and he was productive with his carries (4.51 yards per carry). You’ll notice that outside of Howland, each of these running backs are very similar in height and weight. IU should be able to have interchangeable running backs and a very fresh backfield.

  • Elijah Green – Redshirt Junior – 5’11”/210 pounds

IU added another ACC transfer running back in Elijah Green from North Carolina. He started five times and appeared in 26 games over four seasons in North Carolina. He sat most of the 2023 season after a strong season in 2022 where he ran for 558 yards on 131 carries and caught 17 passes for 107 yards. Green is similar to Kaelon Black but without the benefit of knowing the Mike Shanahan/Curt Cignetti offense. He does have another year of eligibility and figures to be involved heavily in IU’s backfield for the next two seasons.

  • David Holloman – Redshirt Junior – 6’0”/205 pounds

Now a redshirt junior, Holloman might be the quickest running back for the Hoosiers but he has not been able to translate that track speed to any kind of production on the field. A new coaching staff certainly cannot hurt the Michigan native as he needs to find a way to get on the field and impact the game. It is a crowded room and Holloman needs a strong spring camp to have a chance at playing time.

Declan McMahon and Daniel Weems are walk-ons that should see some action in the spring as teams typically spread reps around to prevent injury issues.

This is a talented and deep group with interchangeable pieces. Can the Indiana coaching staff harness Trent Howland’s potential and utilize his unique size? If so, the Hoosiers will have a number one back that could cause defenses problems and a group of change of pace backs that could spell him effectively.