Maybe the most surprising team in the nation this year has been Indiana, a team that entered this season #20 on the preseason AP poll and has jumped all the way to #2. Some people have had concerns about the Hoosiers’ schedule so far, but they have two ranked wins against both Illinois and Oregon. The Hoosiers are undefeated, have won each game by an average of 35 points, and the only one score game they have been in was against Iowa.
The success of Indiana has resulted in the team getting a lot of attention from NFL scouts, primarily on star QB Fernando Mendoza. But the team’s success goes much deeper than just their quarterback. They have an elite WR duo in Elijah Surratt and Omar Cooper Jr, as well as a left tackle prospect, Carter Smith. But today, I want to talk about their star running back, Roman Hemby.
Hemby was one of the top transfer portal additions Indiana made following a college football playoff birth under new head coach Curt Cignetti. Entering his second season, Cignetti sought to reload through the transfer portal, where he added star quarterback Fernando Mendoza, as well as several other top players. Maybe the most underrated addition for any team this offseason was Indiana landing star RB Roman Hemby.
Hemby spent four years at Maryland, where he committed as a three-star recruit. Hemby went to high school about an hour away from College Park and decided to stay home for his college career. This decision appeared to be a good one, as Hemby redshirted his first season with the Terps, but broke out in year two as a redshirt freshman.
Hemby went for over 1000 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022, proving to be one of the best young backs in the Big 10. The next year, Hemby weirdly got fewer touches, but still went for over 1000 scrimmage yards. Many people thought he would declare for the NFL draft, but he chose not to and returned to Maryland, hoping to put up better numbers and boost his stock.
Once again, as a redshirt Junior, Hemby’s role diminished with the team, and he struggled to eclipse 1000 yards from scrimmage. Hemby is 13th all-time in Maryland’s scrimmage yards and 11th in rushing yards, but he elected to transfer, understandably, due to frustrations with his role.
Now at Indiana, Cignetti is using Hemby the way Maryland always should have. Hemby already has nearly identical rushing statistics to what he had last season with Maryland. Indiana still has three more games left this season, excluding the Big Ten championship and the College Football Playoff. Hemby will likely surpass 1000 yards again this season and has clearly established himself as a top prospect yet again.
Hemby (and fellow IU RB Kaelon Black) are flying under the radar this season and are not getting nearly enough recognition for their development. Hemby is a big back at 6’2/210, but runs with great vision and quickness out of the backfield. He does a great job reading gaps in front of him, hitting them quickly, and using burst and power to break tackles in space. Hemby is also a solid reciever and pass blocker, which allows him to be an every-down back.
Also, as a bit of a side track, I myself attended the University of Maryland, and I got the opportunity to meet and work with Roman Hemby outside of football. On the field, Hemby is a great back, but off the field, he is a great person as well. He is a humble, hardworking, and kind person who I think has what it takes, both mentally and physically, to be a great NFL player.
As of today, Hemby is widely seen as a late-day three pick in the draft and is seen as RB 15-20 in this year’s class. I currently have Hemby graded as RB 11 in this year’s class with a 4th-5th round grade. I think in the NFL, he will make an immediate impact and would be the perfect RB 2-3 who can provide depth and contribute in any situation. In the draft this offseason, Hemby will be the perfect day three pick up, who can provide consistency out of the backfield the second he arrives in the NFL.
