Indiana’s backfield took a hit in the season opener, and now the timeline on Khobie Martin is coming into focus.
Head coach Curt Cignetti said Monday that the redshirt sophomore running back “will be out for a little bit and expect him back sometime around midseason,” after Martin left Saturday’s game against North Texas with an apparent arm injury in the first quarter.
Martin was on the field for offensive snaps but never got a carry before heading to the sideline and speaking with athletic trainers. He did not return for the rest of the game. Cignetti had already hinted after the opener that Martin could miss time, and Monday’s update gave the situation a clearer window.
Indiana will move forward without one of its more productive reserve backs from a year ago. Behind Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black last season, Martin still made the most of his chances, piling up 506 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 77 carries in 2025.
For now, the Hoosiers will lean on redshirt senior Lee Beebe Jr. and junior Turbo Richard to carry the load.
Beebe, back after missing most of last season with a torn ACL, handled 14 carries for 33 yards in his return Saturday. He also made a splash on special teams, taking the opening kickoff back 67 yards.
Richard, who arrived from Boston College, made his Indiana debut in the win and showed immediate juice. He finished with 58 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, and added a 38-yard catch.
Cignetti also said Monday, “Yeah, I think the corners are day-to-day right now,” as Indiana continues to sort through injuries early in the season.
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Curt Cignetti took the opportunity to reinforce the standard he wants his team to follow, making clear that Indiana prefers group celebrations over individual ones. It was not a new message from the head coach, either, since he has already addressed similar reactions from other players and made sure Chandler understood where that line is drawn. For a Hoosiers offense trying to build an identity, the playmaking matters, but so does the way the moment is handled afterward. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Suddenly Has An Early Depth Problem It Can't Ignore
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The ripple effects do not stop there. Indiana also has questions at tight end and along the defensive line, where Trevor Gibbs and Blake Smythe are among the players sidelined but potentially on a quicker path back. For a team still trying to establish rhythm in the first stretch of the 2026 season, the issue is not just who can play next week - it is how long the Hoosiers can keep absorbing these losses before the depth chart starts to look thinner in the places that matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Should Be Watching Michigans Quarterback Situation Very Closely
Michigans quarterback picture already looks unsettled after one game, and Indiana has every reason to keep an eye on it. Bryce Underwoods debut against Western Michigan did not produce the kind of certainty Michigan wanted, as he completed 12 of 22 passes for 170 yards while turning it over twice. For a team trying to stabilize the most important position on the field, that kind of opener leaves more questions than answers.
Kyle Whittingham has said Underwood is still the starter, but the language around that status sounded far from locked in. With Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and Tommy Carr waiting behind him, Michigan appears ready to at least consider alternatives if the early-season inconsistency continues. From Indianas perspective, a volatile quarterback situation in a conference opponent is the kind of development worth tracking closely, because it can quickly change the shape of a game plan later in the year. [Read more 🡒]