Transferring in from UAB this past January, Jordan Howard is being viewed as the heir apparent to All-American Tevin Coleman in Indiana’s backfield. While that’s still the case, the running back will have an injury hiccup he’ll be forced to overcome first.
While there’s nothing yet official from IU, Brian Bennett of ESPN.com tweeted earlier Tuesday that Howard has been sidelined with an elbow injury. Just how serious the injury is -- it’s believed to be a hyperextension -- and whether it will have any impact on the back’s availability for the start of the 2015 season is unknown.
What is known is that Howard will very likely miss the remainder of the Hoosiers’ spring, which is roughly at the halfway point of the 15 sessions.
With Coleman and his 2,036 yards gone early to the NFL, and with D’Angelo Roberts (493) using up his eligibility, the Hoosiers have just 118 returning yards, all of those of which belong to Devine Redding. That’s why Howard -- and his experience -- is a very important addition for a football program to become a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten squad.
This past season, and prior to UAB killing its football program, Howard was second in Conference USA and 14th nationally with a school-record 1,587 yards. His 13 rushing touchdowns were also a school record. As a true freshman in 2013, he was second on the team in rushing with 881 yards.
Because of the situation that led to Howard’s transfer, he will be eligible to play immediately in 2015. He’ll be a third-year junior this year, and have two years of eligibility remaining in addition to having a redshirt at his disposal.