2019 Pro Day Preview: Eight Additional Former Hoosiers will Participate at IU Pro Day

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2019 Pro Day Preview: Eight Additional Former Hoosiers will Participate at IU Pro Day

Written by Evan McShane (@Hoosier_Huddle)

A total of 12 Hoosiers will be working out for NFL scouts on Tuesday morning in Bloomington. We have previews the three Hoosiers who were invited to the NFL Combine (Jonathan Crawford, Dan Godsil and Brandon Knight) in addition to Wes Martin earlier. here are the addition eight former IU football players who are chasing their dreams to the next level.

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Morgan Ellison's Suspension is an Opportunity for Others to Step Up

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Morgan Ellison's Suspension is an Opportunity for Others to Step Up

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

Indiana University announced the indefinite suspension of sophomore running back Morgan Ellison. The details surrounding the suspension have not become public but indefinite suspensions typically are not short-term and it is reasonable to think IU will be without their expected starter at running back for the entirety of the season.

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Indiana Football Positional Preview: To Hit the Next Gear, IU's Running Backs Have to Hit the Gas

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Indiana Football Positional Preview: To Hit the Next Gear, IU's Running Backs Have to Hit the Gas

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

The 2018 season draws near! That means it is time for a preseason tradition: position previews. We begin by looking at a position group that is absolutely crucial to Indiana’s success this season. In conjunction with the offensive line, this unit has to step up and help IU’s rushing attack dramatically improve. Today, we preview the running backs.

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Hoosier Running Back Ricky Brookins Selected Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

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Hoosier Running Back Ricky Brookins Selected Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

IU Athletics Release

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana fifth-year senior running back Ricky Brookins was selected to the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, it was announced today. The list consists of 106 players from college football's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

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Indiana Running Backs Growing as Spring Practices Marches On

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Indiana Running Backs Growing as Spring Practices Marches On

Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

One of the biggest questions coming into spring practice a few weeks ago was, how are the Hoosiers going to improve the run game? The obvious answer is to improve the offensive line and find ways for Morgan Ellison and Cole Gest to be more productive and consistent. The Hoosiers finished 106th nationally in rush offense with 131 yards per game. However, the actual answer is much more complicated.

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Spring Practice 2018 Position Battle: Running Back

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Spring Practice 2018 Position Battle: Running Back

Written BY Nathan Comp

After a disappointing rushing attack that finished 12th in the Big Ten in yardage (130 ypg) and scored the fewest touchdowns (11) in 2017, the Hoosiers will attempt to get back on track in the 2018 season. Whether these poor statistics can be blamed on the running backs or the blocking is up for debate, but what is certain is that with a depth chart that possesses more talent heading into the 2018 season, the Hoosiers are primed for steady success. Running backs coach Mike Hart has difficult lineup decisions ahead of him; the running backs boast arguably Indiana’s greatest depth, in a mixture of talented underclassmen and experienced upperclassmen. It is key for Indiana running backs, along with the offensive line, to establish a strong running game to take pressure off the inexperienced quarterback likely to line up alongside them in the backfield. Here’s how I see the depth chart working itself out come September 1st

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Spring Practice 2018 Position Preview: Running Backs

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Spring Practice 2018 Position Preview: Running Backs

Written By Nathan Comp

After losing NFL talent and a couple of the all-time greats in Devine Redding, Tevin Coleman, and Jordan Howard, the running back position was certainly a question mark entering the 2017 season. Unfortunately, the results of the rushing game did not live up to the standards of previous seasons. However, even with three transfers at the position, as Tom Allen pears into the cupboard of running back talent this year, he should see that it is stocked for success. It will be important for Indiana to establish a running game this season, even more than last, simply because (unless there is a late grad transfer addition at quarterback) these running backs will be joined in the backfield by the likes of an underclassmen quarterback.

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Ricky Brookins Provides a Spark and Leadership off the Bench

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Ricky Brookins Provides a Spark and Leadership off the Bench

Written By Evan McShane (@veryreasonable)

Ricky Brookins, the former Terre Haute North High School standout, provides the Hoosiers with consistency and great leadership despite a lack of production. The in-state product won the Class 5A rushing title in high school with 2,012 yards, 27 touchdowns, and a healthy 8.1 yards-per-carry average. Brookins was unranked as a high school running back by nearly every recruiting website. A blistering senior season wasn’t enough for Brookins to get the attention of bigger schools, so he took a chance as a walk-on at IU. Brookins said regarding his collegiate offers coming out of high school, “I mean, I had some small schools, but I wanted to go big.” Brookins earned his keep as a redshirt in 2014. Asked if he was ever dejected while being patient on the practice squad, Brookins said, “I never got discouraged to the point where I wanted to quit because I love football.” He was named scout team player of the week once, and was rewarded with a scholarship for the 2015 season. The confident yet humble Brookins declared, “I knew I could do it.”

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Hoosiers Have a Multitude of Options at Running Back in 2017

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Hoosiers Have a Multitude of Options at Running Back in 2017

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

Morning temperatures are dropping and you can feel a bit of chill in the air. Summer’s hottest days are in the past and schools are back in session. Most importantly, the long wait is coming to an end…college football season is almost here! As part of our extensive 2017 preview content, Hoosier Huddle is breaking down each position for the Indiana Hoosiers as they grind away on the practice field and get ready for the campaign. Today’s preview focuses on a unit with a whole lot of potential but perhaps just as many questions: running backs. Indiana returns only one rusher with more than 48 carries in a season (Tyler Natee had 61 carries last season) and each of the players have an intriguing skill-set that could be somewhat offset by a flaw. It’s a big group, which could be seen as a positive or a negative. IU’s new running back coach, Mike Hart, had this to say about how the lack of a feature back and the depth of this unit would be balanced: “When you have a big group of guys, keeping them fresh isn’t an issue during training camp. We do have a lot of guys and they have to get carries to see who’s going to go out there and be the guy. When you get to the season and get to playing time you always have to manage reps. The day of the 50 carries a game back is over with, I don’t see that happening much. To me it’s just managing during the game once the season comes, when you find out who you have. Until we find out who we have and who is going to be in those positions, you just roll.”

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