The McCullough Boys Reaffirm Commitment to IU Football

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The McCullough Boys Reaffirm Commitment to IU Football

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The biggest news in the world of IU football this week was the report that running backs coach Deland McCullough will be heading to Notre Dame to take on the same role with the Irish. Hoosiers fans went into full on meltdown mode over this news, not just because another coach was leaving IU, but what it could mean for the Hoosiers two most coveted recruits over the next two classes in Dasan and Daeh McCullough and current Hoosier defensive back Deland McCullough II.

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State of the Room - IUFB Running Backs

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State of the Room - IUFB Running Backs

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.

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Keys to a Hoosiers Win Over the Hilltoppers on the Road

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Keys to a Hoosiers Win Over the Hilltoppers on the Road

Written by: @Zgreene650

The Hoosiers 38-24 loss to Cincinnati was disappointing for the coaches, players, and fans after starting the game taking a 14-0 lead. There was much improvement from this up-and-coming program compared to their first two games. If a couple of big plays and penalties could have gone in Hoosier’s favor, they could have come out with a win. This week the Hoosiers will travel about three hours south to take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at 8 pm EST on CBS. The Hoosiers are 10-point favors and will look to gain some momentum going into a nationally televised game against Penn State. That said, let’s dive into some keys for this Hoosiers team getting a win on Saturday!

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2021 IU Running Backs Preview: Under New Leadership, the Running Backs Room Looks to Improve

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2021 IU Running Backs Preview: Under New Leadership, the Running Backs Room Looks to Improve

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

Hoosier Huddle is previewing each position ahead of the 2021 season for the 17th ranked Indiana Hoosiers. Today’s preview takes a detailed look at a position with a few new players and an exciting new position coach: let’s take the hand-off, hit the hole, break through a couple of tackles and go to the house…it’s time to look at the running backs!

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For Deland McCullough II, it was Always a Dream to Play at Indiana.

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For Deland McCullough II, it was Always a Dream to Play at Indiana.

Written by Zach Greene (@Zgreene650)

Growing up in Bloomington, Deland McCullough II was bled into the Hoosiers football program as his dad Deland McCullough helped coach the running backs from 2011-2016. During these years, McCullough II fell in love with Indiana and knew that he wanted to come back to play for this program when he got older.

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Man of Troy – How Would USC Transfer Stephen Carr a Fit in IU’s Backfield?

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Man of Troy – How Would USC Transfer Stephen Carr a Fit in IU’s Backfield?

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

The transfer portal has added another element to roster construction and opened a whole new window of recruiting for schools across the country. The Indiana Hoosiers have dipped into the portal to add guys like Ryder Anderson and Zach Carpenter and they’ve lost a few players to other schools. Another interesting name is becoming available as University of Southern California running back Stephen Carr is expected to transfer from the Trojans and use his final season of eligibility at a different school. New Indiana University running backs coach Deland McCullough recruited Carr to USC and the Hoosiers have been mentioned as a possible destination for the former five-star recruit. IU has typically used a one running back scheme and they are returning some talented players so the question becomes, how would Carr potentially fit in Bloomington?

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Hoosiers’ Signature Catchphrase Takes on a New Meaning with the McCullough Family

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Hoosiers’ Signature Catchphrase Takes on a New Meaning with the McCullough Family

Written by Evan Orris

By the time Tom Allen established the “LEO” mantra for the Hoosiers, Deland McCullough was in Kansas City as a member of the Chiefs coaching staff. Still, McCullough, who was Indiana’s running backs coach for five seasons, admired the program that Allen created from afar.

“A level of foundation was laid years ago, and Coach Allen and the rest of the coaching staff have taken and expanded that,” McCullough said. “Just the culture. LEO is not just a catchphrase. It's a way of life around here. It's very evident to me and I'm just glad to be a part of that.”

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Hoosiers Land 2023 Top-100 Prospect in Safety Daeh McCullough

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Hoosiers Land 2023 Top-100 Prospect in Safety Daeh McCullough

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

Safety Daeh McCullough, son of IU running backs coach Deland McCullough and the 78th best prospect in the 2023 class has committed to the Indiana Hoosiers. McCullough is rated a four-star prospect by 247 Sports and is the second best player in Indiana as well as the 78th best prospect in the country for the 2023 class. He held offers from 16 other schools, but ultimately decided to join his father at IU.

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With Spring Practice Finished, Hoosiers Look to Player Led Practices to Get to the Next Level

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With Spring Practice Finished, Hoosiers Look to Player Led Practices to Get to the Next Level

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The Indiana Hoosiers wrapped up their spring football session with practice number 15 on Saturday morning, a scrimmage that replaced the annual spring game festivities. Spring practice was a time for the Hoosiers to work on head coach Tom Allen’s “three goals for spring football. Number one, want to do a great job improving our fundamentals and technique, with an emphasis on relentless toughness in everything we do. Number two, for me it's about developing our depth in all three phases, offense, defense, special teams, and also scheme adjustments you always do in the spring time.” Now that those goals were accomplished it is time for the players to take ownership of the offseason.

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Hampered by Injury, Sampson James Gearing Up for 2021 Campaign

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Hampered by Injury, Sampson James Gearing Up for 2021 Campaign

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

Sampson James was a four-star prospect in Avon High School and used to dominating on the football field. He flipped from Ohio State to Indiana and was the highest-ranked recruit in the 2019 class for the Hoosiers and expectations were sky-high for the running back from the Hoosier state. However, things don’t always go as planned right away. Stevie Scott dominated the carries out of the Indiana backfield during the 2019 season and James struggled to make his way onto the field. When Stevie Scott was injured prior to the regular-season finale against Purdue, James took advantage of his opportunity. He rushed for 118 yards on 22 carries and helped the Hoosiers seize the Old Oaken Bucket.

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