Heading into the 2026 season, the Indiana RB room was viewed as a huge strength of the roster. Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black were both off to the NFL, but a trio of rushers that included Boston College transfer Turbo Richard as well as returners Khobie Martin and Lee Beebe Jr. gave the Hoosiers a three-headed monster in the backfield. The Hoosiers lean on the run game often, and all three of those players were expected to see significant playing time this season.
But just four weeks into the season, Indiana's RB room is suddenly facing several injuries. Martin suffered a broken forearm early on in Week 1 against North Texas, and has not returned to the field since. He is expected to be out for a few more weeks, and could return at some point in the middle of the season.
Richard took on a leading role over the first three games of the season, and was off to a strong start in Week 4 against Northwester. Unfortunately, he went down with a lower body injury in the first half. He would not return to the game. Here is the latest we know on Richard's injury.
Turbo Richard suffers leg injury vs. Northwestern: Here's the latest
Richard ran 9 times for 68 yards before going down with the injury. He ripped off several impressive runs that included multiple highlight-reel plays. It seemed like the was on his way to a career game.
But then disaster struck. After another strong run, Richard was dragged down out of bounds and even hit well outside the field of play, but no flag was thrown. Here is the play in which the injury occurred:
Clearly out of bounds, obvious late hit on Turbo Richard but no flag is thrown and Richard is injured. pic.twitter.com/4p6C7P0EyB
— NCAAF Nation (@NCAAFNation247) September 26, 2026
Richard then hobbled off the field, putting little to no weight on his right foot. He was treated in the injury tent before being taken to the locker room. The extent of the injury has yet to be specified.
3 winners and 2 losers from Indiana's close call against Northwestern
When asked about Richard's injury after the game, Curt Cignetti simply said, "We'll find out."
"Late hip drop. Penalty not called, which was consistent early in the game," Cignetti added about the play that left Richard hobbling. "Penalties on their side not called. Penalties on us, mysterious penalties being called. Regardless, you just hate to see that happen to a good player like that who was playing really well."
Lee Beebe Jr. thrust into leading role in Indiana's backfield
A timeline for Richard's return has not yet been revealed, leaving Indiana's RB room even more depleted than it previously was. What was once a major strength of the roster has suddenly become a question mark.
However, Lee Beebe Jr. thrived with an increased role against Northwestern. In total, Beebe ran for 203 yards and an eye-popping 8.5 yards per carry to go along with a touchdown. He ripped off several long runs in the second half, which included a 70-yarder late in the 4th quarter that setup a crucial Indiana touchdown to make it a two-score game. Moving forward, Beebe should be expected to take on a leading role as Indiana's top go-to rusher. On the season, the fifth-year senior has racked up 398 yards and 3 touchdowns on 71 carries (5.6 yards per rush).
Other running backs on Indiana's roster include Sean Cuono and Jayreon Campbell. Cuono has 11 carries for 45 yards this season, while Campbell has run 6 times for 43 yards. They could also see increased opportunities if Richard misses more time.
It will also be interesting to see if the Hoosiers ask QB Josh Hoover to utilize his legs more. While it's not his strong suit, Hoover flashed some mobility against Northwestern and was called upon for the game-sealing rushing TD with under two minutes to play. Indiana's next matchup comes next Saturday on the road against Rutgers.
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