BREAKING: Lee Beebe Jr. Added to Indiana Availability Report as Questionable Ahead of Rutgers
Indiana’s running back situation took another significant turn Thursday night.
Indiana running back Lee Beebe Jr., the Hoosiers’ leading rusher through four games, was added to the Big Ten availability report Thursday evening and is now listed as questionable for Saturday night’s game at Rutgers.
Beebe was not listed on Indiana’s initial Wednesday availability report, making his Thursday addition particularly noteworthy. As of Thursday night, no specific injury or reason for the change had been publicly announced.
That leaves Indiana facing the possibility of entering its first Big Ten road game with a severely depleted running back room.
Indiana’s RB Availability
- Lee Beebe Jr. — Questionable
- Sean Cuono — Questionable
- Turbo Richard — Probable
- Khobie Martin — Out
That’s essentially Indiana’s top four running backs appearing on the availability report.
Beebe’s status is especially important after his performance against Northwestern. He carried the load after Richard suffered his ankle injury and enters Saturday as Indiana’s leading rusher.
Could Indiana Turn to Jayreon Campbell?
If Beebe cannot play and Cuono is also unavailable, the name to watch becomes true freshman Jayreon Campbell.
Campbell is a 5-foot-8, 205-pound freshman from Powder Springs, Georgia, and is the only one of Indiana’s five scholarship running backs who does not currently appear on the availability report.
His opportunities have been limited, but Campbell has been productive when called upon. That could put him in position for the largest role of his young Indiana career Saturday night.
What About Turbo Richard?
Richard being listed as probable is encouraging, particularly after suffering an ankle injury against Northwestern.
But “probable” and “100 percent” aren’t necessarily the same thing. Even if Richard is cleared, the larger question is how much of the workload Indiana is prepared to give him just eight days after the Northwestern injury.
If Beebe and Cuono are unavailable, Indiana could suddenly be asking a returning Richard and a freshman Campbell to handle most of the rotation.
A Major Development to Watch
There is still plenty we don’t know.
There has been no public explanation for why Beebe was added Thursday, and his questionable designation does not mean he has been ruled out. The significant fact tonight is simply that his status changed between Wednesday and Thursday.
For a Hoosier offense that has relied heavily on its running-game depth, the status of Lee Beebe Jr. may now be one of the biggest stories to follow between now and kickoff.
