Indiana running back Khobie Martin is officially out roughly half the season with an injury, a tough hit confirmed by coach Curt Cignetti on Monday. This news stings, especially since Martin, a key player in their national championship run last season, actually appeared in Saturday’s season opener against North Texas, logging zero stats before leaving the game and not returning.
A Key Runner Sidelined Midseason
Cignetti kept it concise, saying Martin “will be out a little bit,” but confirmed the expectation is for him to return “midseason.” Martin was stepping into his redshirt sophomore season, fresh off a big year where he was the Hoosiers’ third-leading rusher, racking up 505 yards and six touchdowns across 14 games during that championship push. He was absolutely expected to be a major part of the running back rotation this year. While there’s no official word on the exact injury, a Sunday Instagram post showed Martin with his right arm in a sling. It’s wild to think he was on the field at all in that 52-16 win over North Texas without getting a single stat.
Next Men Up and Defensive Worries
With Martin out for an extended period, the backfield duties are now likely to be split primarily between Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr. This is their moment to prove they can carry the load. The injury report isn’t just about the offense, either. Cignetti also added cornerbacks A.J. Harris and Jamari Sharpe to the preliminary injury list, both day-to-day after leaving Saturday’s game. Indiana has Howard and Western Kentucky coming up to finish their non-conference schedule, before diving headfirst into Big Ten play on September 25 against Northwestern.
It’s a huge test for the Hoosiers to navigate the early part of their season without a proven workhorse like Martin. Can Richard and Beebe Jr. step up and keep the offense rolling? And how will those defensive injuries impact the team against their upcoming opponents? Fingers crossed for a strong performance from the new rotation and a speedy recovery for Khobie.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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