Indiana’s running back depth just got a little more shallow. For the fourth time this offseason, a running back from the Hoosiers has entered the transfer portal. The most recent addition to the transfer portal is sophomore running back Sampson James, according to a report from 247 Sports on Monday afternoon.
By entering the transfer portal, James is free to have communication with any other college football program looking to recruit him. While James may pull his name out of the portal at any time should he decide to stay at Indiana, the Hoosiers are no longer obligated to hold his scholarship. It is not unprecedented for players to pull their names out of the portal and stay where they are, but the majority of players entering the transfer portal do eventually land somewhere else.
If James does leave Indiana for another FBS program, NCAA rules dictate James will have to sit out the 2020 season as part of the transfer process. But if James files a waiver for immediate eligibility and relaxed waiver policies are put in place in time, James could potentially still be eligible to play this fall. For now, we’ll just wait to see where James ultimately decides
James was Indiana’s second-leading rusher in 2019 with 275 yards and three touchdowns.
Other Indiana running backs to have entered the transfer portal this offseason have included Ronnie Walker (HERE), Ivory Winters, and Cole Gest (HERE). The good news for Indiana is leading rusher Stevie Scott has not shown any signs he is looking to carry the football elsewhere. Scott led the Hoosiers with 845 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns last season. The bad news is there is not a whole lot of running back depth to fall back on this spring, at least at the moment.