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Tom Allen talks departure of Sampson James, Indiana’s depth at RB position
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In a move that makes Indiana’s backfield picture a little more clear, junior running back Sampson James entered the NCAA transfer portal on Wednesday.
This is the second time James has put his name in the portal, as he did so in March 2020, but elected to remain with the Hoosiers a few days later.
An in-state product from Avon, the 6-foot-1, 211-pounder was a 247Sports Composite four-star prospect and the state’s third-best player in the 2019 cycle. Interestingly, he was Indiana’s all-time highest-rated recruit when he committed on October 7, 2018.
Seeing time behind Stevie Scott over the 2019 and 2020 seasons, James finished his Hoosier career with 113 carries for 371 yards and three touchdowns, while adding three receptions for 30 yards.
Addressing the media on Thursday, fifth-year head coach Tom Allen discussed James’ departure and touched on what he expects from the young men remaining in the position room.
Allen on James: "He just made a decision on his future and what he wanted to do. We have a strong running back room. A lot of guys who have had really good practices so far. … He made his decision and we wish him well."
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) August 12, 2021
Allen talking about running backs, says "we're going to play a lot of guys." Said today was the first day in full pads and they hadn't even tackled yet when Sampson James made his decision. But said, "it definitely wasn't something we expected."
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) August 12, 2021
Allen: "Running backs, you really need to be able to be live to be able to make somebody miss, to be able to pick up pass rush."
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) August 12, 2021
Moving forward, redshirt senior Stephen Carr, a USC graduate transfer, and sophomore Tim Baldwin, Jr. appear to be the favorites for touches at tailback.
In 35 games with the Trojans, Carr tallied 1,329 yards and 12 scores on 264 carries, plus 57 catches for 421 yards and another touchdown.
Hailing from Nokesville, Virginia, Baldwin, Jr. rushed for 141 yards on 22 attempts for Indiana in 2020, including a 106-yard game in a November 28 victory over Maryland.
The Hoosiers will be tested right out of the gate in 2021, as the program will open their season on September 4 by traveling to Iowa City to battle the Hawkeyes at 3:30 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.
A graduate of Bowling Green State University, Rydquist has been contributing to Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition since 2019. He can be found on Twitter @TeddyRydquist.