Former UNC football running back Elijah Green commits to Indiana

Elijah Green had a very successful season with the UNC football program in 2022. He carried the ball 131 times for 558 yards and eight touchdowns in nine games, as he was the top running back among the team's talented depth chart.

Green was looking to improve on those numbers in the 2023 season but found himself behind in the depth chart to start the year. It didn't help that teammate Omarion Hampton had a breakout season where he had 1,500 rushing yards and was named a finalist for the Doak Walker Award. Green played in only two games in 2023 and four carries for 12 yards and no touchdowns. The lack of playing time forced Green to enter the transfer portal.

Green was a three-star prospect coming out of high school in the 2020 signing class, according to USA Today. He is the fourth running back that new Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has gotten from the transfer portal, and the team now has nine running backs on their roster. The Indiana football program's leading rusher in 2023 Trent Howland also decided to stay at Indiana after originally entering the transfer portal.

Green will look to provide a spark to an Indiana team that rushed for 120 yards per game in 2023, the fifth fewest in the Big Ten. The team was also 11th in touchdowns with 13 and 12th in average yards per carry with 3.3. Green's physical style of running will work well in the Big Ten as he'll play some of the best defenses in the country such as Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan. The Big Ten is also welcoming USC, Oregon and Washington for the 2024 season.

The Indiana football program is looking to bounce back after suffering a 3-9 record in 2023. The Hoosiers haven't had a season at or above .500 since 2020 when they went 6-2 (6-1). The recent struggles led to the firing of long-time head coach Tom Allen who recently took the job as Penn State's defensive coordinator. Indiana brought in former James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti who went 41-8 during his time with the Dukes.

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