State of the Room - IUFB Running Backs

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Written by Alex Compton
What was supposed to be one of the deepest, most experienced, and most talented position groups for Indiana heading into the 2021 season quickly fell apart due to injury and transfers. Bringing Deland McCullough back on board to replace Mike Hart should be a great move for the program over the next few seasons, but it did make an impact on the immediate roster in 2021. McCullough is a tenacious recruiter and coached backs in the NFL as well as All-B1G backs during his first stint at IU, so he certainly knows what it takes to be a productive back in the Big Ten. With 2021 in the rearview mirror, let’s take a look at where the room stands as of now. 

Departures

After putting his name in the portal, withdrawing and saying it was a big mistake, Sampson James ultimately went back into the portal and eventually decided on Purdue. A one-time four-star and Ohio State commit, the Indiana native was behind Stevie Scott and Stephen Carr on the depth chart at separate times during his career as a Hoosier. The potential was there and we all saw flashes of his productivity, but it’s safe to say he may have preferred Mike Hart (the coach that recruited him) over Deland McCullough. His appeal to play right away in 2021 was denied, so James will suit up in West Lafayette for the first time in 2022. You bet he’ll be fired up for the Bucket Game. 

The next back to hit the portal was Tim Baldwin Jr. who was another Mike Hart recruit. Baldwin put his name into the portal after the Penn State game in which he had just one carry, and Allen told reporters to ask Tim questions about why he would no longer be part of the team if they so pleased. Baldwin had a critical fumble on the goal line late in the Cincinnati game, and that was essentially the last mark he would leave on IUFB. Baldwin ran for over 100 yards in a win over Maryland in 2020, but managed just 103 yards in 2021 before transferring away from IU. With Baldwin gone during the season, the 2020 depth chart featuring Scott, James and Baldwin was no more. 

Stephen Carr is the last departure from the 2021 running back group as of now, and the excitement that was met with his commitment to IU as a graduate transfer just wasn’t met with the same on-field production - for a multitude of reasons. Carr was banged up for most of the season, but left it all on the field due to the lack of depth at running back, which is truly admirable. Appearing in nine games, Carr racked up 600 rushing yards to go along with seven touchdowns (six rushing, one receiving). Carr went over 100 yards three times (Idaho, Western Kentucky, Maryland) but went down with an injury at Michigan, and that was the last time he took the field for IU in 2021. With Carr gone, the RB room at IU is now very young… for now. 

Returnees

Let’s start with the two scholarship backs on the roster, true freshmen David Holloman and Trent Howland. While David Ellis technically switched to running back, he may move back to the slot in 2022 when healthy and with a deeper running back group, so we will omit him from these discussions for the time being. Howland was a three-star athlete from Illinois that will take his redshirt year and return as a RS FR. in 2022. After returning from an ACL injury before spring ball, he worked back slowly and spent most of his time in the weight room. He appeared against Ohio State and had five carries for 17 yards, showing some decent vision in garbage time. At 6’3” 230, Howland is the most physical body currently on the roster at running back, which should keep him squarely in the mix for snaps and offensive packages due to his different running style from the other running backs. 

David Holloman has blazing straight line speed, and that will be something to monitor as this group develops in the offseason. Holloman appeared in three games in 2021, meaning he can also use his redshirt year and return as a RS freshman in 2022. Holloman had 11 carries for just 34 yards, but had a few nice kickoff returns, including a 32 yarder against Rutgers. We will have to see what the future holds for Holloman from a production standpoint, but it’s clear Deland McCullough values his speed out of the backfield. 

The other three players that figure to be on the roster in 2022 were all walk-ons in 2021. RS Junior Davion Ervin-Poindexter carried the load at the end of the season for a battered running back group for Indiana. He had 44 carries for 226 yards on the season, with his lone touchdown coming against Idaho. Ervin-Poindexter showcased some pretty solid ability in his snaps during 2021, and may be able to stick in the rotation moving forward. With long runs of 37 and 29 yards against good defenses (Cincinnati, Michigan State) the burst is there for him to be productive behind a better O-Line and within a better offense overall. Keep an eye on #22. Charlie Spegal was Indiana’s Mr. Football in 2019, and then walked onto the IUFB program. After redshirting in 2020, Spegal got some run at the end of the 2021 season, totaling 9 carries for 37 yards against Purdue. Although he had just 19 carries, Spegal put his physical running style and his pass blocking ability on tape, which will always keep him in the mix for snaps. Finally, Chris Childers is another walk-on that appeared plenty for IU. He played in 11 games, and had a touchdown at Michigan in 2021. With solid size at 6’0” 220, the soon to be redshirt senior will be another option for Allen and co. in short yardage situations. 

Newcomers

This is where things will get very interesting for Indiana heading into 2022, as everything Hoosier Huddle has been hearing indicates that multiple players are being heavily recruited to head to Bloomington this offseason. Let’s start with a very highly-rated recruit in Ohio native Gi’Bran Payne, an Indiana commit since July. The four-star RB is ranked as the 24th best running back prospect per 247 Sports, and had an offer list that includes Alabama, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State, Tennessee and others. The numbers in high school from a production standpoint may not stand out due to some nagging injuries later in his career, but there’s no doubt Payne has the potential to be an every down back in the Big Ten. He’s extremely shifty between the hashes, and has the ability to make one cut and take it to the house. From everything we’ve heard, it is clear that Deland McCullough is emphasizing running backs with big play ability, and Payne certainly has that. Keeping him healthy and getting his body ready for the physicality of the Big Ten will be the focus this offseason, but expect Payne to contribute as a true freshman regardless of the other additions. 

Indiana has been extremely active in the transfer portal chasing a few names to bring in some high-level, experienced backs to add depth and production. The hope is that with a new offensive coordinator/ scheme and some changes to the offensive line that the ground game can become a weapon for IUFB in 2022, and not an afterthought or waste of a down. Names to watch that have been rumored and make some sense include Auburn transfer Shaun Shivers, Minnesota transfer Cam Wiley, and Louisville transfer Hassan Hall. All three of those transfers are oozing with athleticism and big play ability, which again, is what Coach DMC is prioritizing right now for Indiana’s running back room. 

Finally, don’t be surprised if Indiana looks to add another freshman in the class to the running back group. IU has been very aggressive since bringing Coach DMC back to IU in the 2022 running back class, and there are some interesting names worth watching for Indiana up until the early signing day on December 15th. We will have all the latest right here on HoosierHuddle.com.

UPDATED

The Hoosiers did indeed head tot he portal for reinforcements as they plucked Josh Henderson from UNC and Shaun Shivers from Auburn. Both players should factor into the rotation with heavy usage and Shivers is the front runner to earn the starting spot in 2022.

IU also brought in Jaylin Lucas, a freshman signee, who brings breakaway speed to the group and could be the steal of the class for the Hoosiers.

Final Group Projections for 2022

Six Scholarship Running Backs 

  • Trent Howland - Redshirt Freshman

  • David Holloman - Redshirt Freshman 

  • Gi’Bran Payne - Freshman

  • Josh Henderson - Redshirt Junior

  • Shaun Shivers - Graduate

  • Jaylin Lucas - Freshman

Three Walk-Ons with Experience 

  • Davion Ervin-Poindexter - RS Senior (entered the transfer portal on 12/13)

  • Chris Childers - RS Senior (entered the transfer portal on 12/10)

  • Charlie Spegal - RS Sophomore

Indiana should have a better and deeper group of running backs heading into the 2022 season, but only time will tell until we actually see who ends up on the field for Indiana to open the season. For the sake of making predictions, I would say that a transfer running back will lead IU in rushing in 2022, followed by incoming freshman Gi’Bran Payne. Follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Hoosier_Huddle) for all the latest.