IU football 2026 preseason position previews: Running Backs

Khobie Martin at IU football spring practice.

Welcome to “IU football 2026 preseason position previews,” a series that will break down the depth chart and production potential of Indiana’s roster ahead of the 2026 season.

Next up: Running Backs

Previously: Specialists, Cornerbacks, Safeties, Linebackers, Defensive Tackles, Defensive Ends, Offensive Tackles, Interior Offensive Linemen, Tight Ends

Personnel

Returners: Lee Beebe Jr., Khobie Martin, Sean Cuono

Departures via transfer portal: None

Departures via graduation/NFL Draft/Out of eligibility: Roman Hemby, Kaelon Black, Solomon Vanhorse, Kyler Kropp

Arrivals via transfer portal: Turbo Richard (Boston College)

Incoming freshmen: Jayreon Campbell

What is different in 2026?

The players will change. The system will not.

Indiana has gone to a running back-by-committee philosophy under Curt Cignetti. In 2024, it was Ty’Son Lawton and Justice Ellison as featured backs with Kaelon Black mixed in. In 2025, it was Black and Roman Hemby with Khobie Martin sprinkled in as the No. 3.

Hemby started all 16 games for Indiana in 2025 and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from conference media. He ran for 1120 yards and seven touchdowns on 230 carries and caught 17 passes for 165 yards. He now joins Fernando Mendoza in Las Vegas after signing with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent.

Black played in all 16 games and ran for 1039 yards and 10 touchdowns on 187 carries and was an integral part of Indiana’s success. After an incredible Pro Day in Bloomington, he was drafted in the third round of the NFL Draft (90th Overall) by the San Francisco 49ers. He was the third running back selected in the draft, following Jeremiah Love and Jadarian Price.

Indiana has three capable running backs once again in 2026. They will likely be used the same way, but their spots on the depth chart are yet to be determined. The Hoosiers have the talent and the depth at the position; they just need to put the pieces together in the right order.

The running back room

Turbo Richard (Junior, 5-foot-9, 204 pounds)

Richard will likely play a significant role in the Indiana offense after transferring from Boston College.

In 2025 with the Eagles, he ran for 749 yards and nine touchdowns on 145 carries and caught 30 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns. He was rated the No. 10 running back transfer prospect and the No. 154 overall transfer prospect by 247Sports.

Richard has seen the field in both years of his college career, with a big jump from his freshman year to his sophomore year. For the staff at Indiana who value production and improvement, Richard has the track record the coaching staff likes to see.

As Richard makes the jump from BC to Indiana and learns the system, he will have to make a case to be a featured back in the offense. His resume already starts him on a good note.

Khobie Martin (Redshirt sophomore, 6-feet, 204 pounds)

It is rare for young players to see increased playing time under Cignetti, especially in skill positions. Martin is an exception.

He saw action in 14 games as a redshirt freshman in 2025. While most of his appearances came in lower-leverage situations, he showed the promise to be a real threat in 2026.

Martin ran for 505 yards and six touchdowns on 78 carries in the 2025 campaign. His best production came in back-to-back 100-yard games against Indiana State and Illinois, where he tallied a total of four touchdowns and ran for almost 10 yards per carry.

Martin is an explosive, shifty runner who has shown flashes of stardom. He has proven himself in the No. 3 role. He will have to prove it in a starting role if he gets a chance. Either way, he is an incredible asset to have in the run game.

Lee Beebe Jr. (Redshirt senior, 5-foot-10, 218 pounds)

Beebe Jr. may be one of Indiana’s biggest question marks offensively. In 2025, he played in three games, rushing for 209 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. He suffered a season-ending non-contact injury during Indiana’s Week 3 win against Indiana State.

In his two full games, he had 11 carries for 73 yards and 11 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown. He was the clear No. 2 back before injury.

In 2024 at UAB, Beebe Jr. rushed for 885 yards and seven touchdowns and caught 30 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown. He has shown the ability to be a major threat on offense. It is just a matter of how well he comes back from his injury and how he compares to Martin and Richard.

If he is the No. 3 back, he may be one of the best No. 3 backs in the nation. If he is not the No. 3, Martin or Richard can hold the same title. Indiana really cannot go wrong.

Sean Cuono (Redshirt freshman, 5-foot-10, 193 pounds)

Cuono appeared in Indiana’s 73-0 win against Indiana State in 2025, rushing for 17 yards on two carries. He redshirted the 2025 season after coming to Indiana as a three-star recruit from Clearwater Central Catholic High School in Clearwater, Florida.

Jayreon Campbell (Freshman, 5-foot-8, 205 pounds)

Campbell was a consensus three-star recruit in the 2026 class and a top-70 rated prep running back nationally from McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia.

Predicted depth chart

• Turbo Richard
• Khobie Martin
• Lee Beebe Jr.
• Sean Cuono
• Jayreon Campbell

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

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