IU football’s RB depth will be tested as Tim Baldwin latest to enter transfer portal
BLOOMINGTON – The top three names on IU’s 2020 running back depth chart have all now left or plan to leave the program, following Tim Baldwin’s decision to enter the transfer portal Monday morning.
Baldwin, a sophomore from Virginia, had been Stephen Carr’s primary backup this fall, with 28 carries for 103 yards across the Hoosiers’ first five games.
“He’ll no longer be part of our football team,” IU coach Tom Allen confirmed during a Monday Zoom call.
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Baldwin becomes the second IU back to enter the portal since the start of the preseason. Former Avon standout Sampson James left the program for Purdue midway through fall camp.
Baldwin, an early enrollee out of Nokesville (Va.) Patriot, was recruited to Indiana by former running backs coach Mike Hart. Baldwin flashed last season with a 100-yard performance against Maryland and had good moments through this season’s first month. He also struggled with ball security, most notably a lost fumble inside the 5-yard line against Cincinnati on a fourth-quarter drive when a touchdown might have seen IU take the lead.
His departure will leave the Hoosiers with three scholarship running backs for the remainder of 2021. Only one of those has significant experience at the college level.
Stephen Carr, a transfer from USC, has received the lion’s share of the carries this season. Carr has 102 rush attempts for 386 yards and three touchdowns through five games. This is his COVID-allowed fifth season of eligibility, and thus his last.
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Behind him, freshman David Holloman has been used sparingly in 2021. Another freshman, Trent Howland, a promising, big-bodied back from Illinois, missed the preseason while recovering from an injury sustained in high school. It’s unclear whether Howland will be able to contribute at any point this season.