2026 NFL Prospect Profile: Indiana’s Running Back Roman Hemby

Roman Hemby was a three-star recruit out of The John Carroll School, where he tallied 1,543 yards and 18 touchdowns in his 2 seasons. He originally played for the Maryland Terrapins but transferred to Indiana to complete his collegiate career in 2025. 

While at Maryland, Hemby stood out, rushing for over 2,300 yards in his two starting seasons and wrangling in over 900 receiving yards, proving he can hold down a dual, three-down role as a running back at the next level. He earned All-Big Ten honorable mentions in back-to-back years and now takes his services to Indiana to compete for a playoff spot.  

Strengths

• Vision
• Patience
• Pass Catching

Hemby is an efficient receiver and can make big yards out of a simple screen play or swing pass. He possesses excellent vision to find emerging running lanes and cutback opportunities, but more importantly, he has enough burst to be a danger to the backend of defenses. He’s a patient runner and lets his linemen make their blocks before accelerating through. 

In the passing game, Hemby runs precise routes and can be a weapon as a primary receiver or a reliable check-down option in a pinch. As a blocker, he’s more than willing to take on bigger rushers and is proficient in pass pro sets. 

Weaknesses

• Frame
• Balance

Hemby tends to try and make every run a home run instead of running north and south and taking what is given to him. While a reliable blocker, he prefers to cut block defenders instead of squaring up against them. That will need to change in the NFL. 

Hemby isn’t small but needs to add weight and muscle to be a workhorse running back at the next level. Because of this, he can get knocked around going through holes by arm tacklers and needs to develop better contact balance.

Conclusion 

Draft Nation expects Hemby to be a day three pick in 2026, finding a complementary role in a running back committee. Yes, he can be a three-down starter one day, but he will need to add some bulk and convince his new coaches that he can engage blockers face up instead of cut blocking before assuming that mantle.