After his 2025 season was cut tragically short due to injury, running back Lee Beebe Jr. has his sights set on a big year in 2026.
Beebe’s journey to Bloomington was a long and winding one. The Montgomery, Alabama, native played three seasons at UAB before entering the transfer portal in 2024. After committing to the Hoosiers, he initially tried to get out of his commitment and reopen his recruitment before ultimately solidifying his commitment to Indiana.
As a junior in 2025, Beebe appeared in all of the Hoosiers’ first three games. His best game came against Kennesaw State, totaling 90 yards and scoring his first-ever Indiana touchdown on an 11-yard scamper.
Unfortunately, Beebe’s promising 2025 season would come to a screeching halt the very next week against Indiana State, when he suffered a season-ending non-contact knee injury.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Beebe discussed the difficulty in transitioning from an active player to a spectator for the rest of the 2025 season. “Unfortunately, no, I wasn’t able to be on the sidelines during the games. In the beginning, it was challenging; I had to get the right mindset and talk to my dad, talk to my mom, and they gave me some words of encouragement, and they made me see the game differently.” He said.
Beebe explained that while he wasn’t able to be on the sidelines, he was still there to cheer on his teammates. “Mostly I was in the stands, or if I wasn’t able to get to the stadium, I was watching on television. But I would cheer the loudest in my section.”
Beebe continued, saying, “Like I said, it was a lot mentally in the beginning, but once I got in the right mindset, the right headspace, it wasn’t bad.
Besides cheering on his teammates on gameday, Beebe served as a de facto mental coach for the rest of the team. He explained that once he got injured, his job became to “encourage my teammates, lift them when they’re doing good, lift them up when they’re [down].”
Heading into the 2026 season, Beebe is using his experience to help mentor some of the new running backs as he continues to get healthy. “There’s a couple of new guys in the room; they’re adapting well, and they’re learning themselves. I’m there if they need me, on the field, off the field, [with the] playbook, and recovery, all that.”
As for how Beebe himself is progressing, he is still not 100% (he likely won’t get there until the Fall), but he continues to make progress every day.
“Just hard work and grinding. I was out there today on the practice field, and I was feeling great. I feel like myself again, and I’ve just got to continue doing it. I’m like 6 months [post injury] in a couple of days.” Beebe explained.
With a full year to learn the playbook and culture of the Cignetti Hoosiers, Beebe now returns to game action in 2026 with something to prove. Expect big things out of the redshirt senior running back.