Stephen Carr's Impressive Fall Camp Helps Fill Indiana's Biggest Need

Stephen Carr played four years at USC before deciding to transfer to Indiana for his final season, reuniting him with Hoosiers running back coach Deland McCullough, his coach at USC his freshman year.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Stephen Carr grew up loving the Los Angeles life, and even a move to the Midwest for his last season of college football hasn't changed that. He's about to become Indiana's starting running back, but he's still rocking the LA look – right on down to the shorts.

Carr, a former 5-star running back in high school who spent four years playing at USC, met with the local media on Thursday and he did his interview from behind the podium in Indiana's team room while wearing a pair of black shorts with the USC logo on them.

"Hey, it's OK. I'm an alum,'' Carr said with a smile after his news conference. "It was a very tough decision to leave one of my dream schools. I left so much family and so many friends behind. I also left of a lot of opportunity that Los Angeles has to offer. I think this I what I needed to take a further step in my life. 

"It's good that I am out here on my own because this is the first time that I have lived alone, and I have learned a lot about myself. In terms of football, it gave me the chance to [refocus] and I am tuned in now. Everything is going how it needs to go. I think it was what I needed to take a step further."

Carr took advantage of the NCAA's ruling to give athletes an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic after four seasons at USC. And even though he was a high school star in the Los Angeles area and always dreamed of playing at USC, he also knew it was time to leave.

A couple of things came into play with his decision to come to Indiana. First off, new Hoosiers running backs coach Deland McCullough was his coach at USC during his freshman year. McCullough, who coached at Indiana before his move to USC, spent the past three years with the Kansas City Chiefs,  but decided to return to Bloomington this winter.

And when Carr entered the transfer portal, he got a push from his mother to consider reuniting with McCullough at Indiana. That strong relationship still existed – and Carr and his mother also thought it might be good for him to move away and play elsewhere, getting out of Los Angeles and growing up at the same time. 

"It was a no brainer. I think it was just God’s timing,'' Carr said. "By the time I entered the portal, I found out he was coaching here. Having a good relationship with Coach McCullough has meant a lot. He has taught me more about that game than I’ve learned from any other coach. 

"It's been amazing reuniting with Coach McCullough because we have a lot of history. He is still holding me to that high standard like he did when we first met.''

Carr also fills a huge need for Indiana. The Hoosiers lost three-year starter Stevie Scott in the offseason, heading off to chase his NFL dreams after three straight seasons of double-digit touchdowns. 

The depth behind Scott was limited at best, with Sampson James having just one big game during his two years at Indiana and freshman Tim Baldwin Jr. having only one stellar performance, too. 

Indiana could have gone to battle with them, but there was no doubt that a big upgrade could improve the Hoosiers' lackluster running game, which averaged just 3.1 yards per carry last year, 13th in the Big Ten ahead of only Michigan State.

Carr has had a great fall camp, and he's been impressing his coaches and teammates at the same time. Indiana hasn't named a starter yet, but all signs point to Carr being the guy when No. 17 Indiana opens the season at No. 18 Iowa a week from Saturday.

"I love all the talent that's here,'' he said. "It is crazy seeing both sides, the Pac-12 and now the Big Ten. I love being in this position because it gives another perspective on college football. 

"These guys here are bigger and that helps me put some more tools in my toolbox if I want to get to the next level. The talent at Indiana is amazing and I think we are going to win a lot of games this season. We are eying that Big Ten Championship, so we have to stay focused and keep preparing like we have been. All the pressure is the same. We all got the same goal in college football and it is to get to the league."

McCullough has been impressed with Carr so far, which is no surprise to him. He remembers how good he was at USC in 2017, and he's seeing all the great tools this fall at Indiana.

“He is very explosive, his change of direction is high-end, his ability to make people miss, he runs with power, he runs with decisiveness,” McCullough said. “His pass protection is where I want it to be also, and obviously he has great hands.

"The biggest thing was assimilating to the way we work and blending into the culture here at IU. I knew it would be a cultural fit when the opportunity came to get him. Having him and immersing him into the playbook, but more importantly with the culture and getting to know the guys, that was the number one thing. I knew his skill set would be high level. He had to continue to learn our offense and see if he could fit into it. I think the last couple of scrimmages and practices have put him in the position to potentially have that lead role and continue to evaluate that as we prepare for Iowa.''

Baldwin has had a good camp, too, and is going to see plenty of work as well. McCullough likes using several backs, and he's happy with the depth in the running backs room, even with James decided to transfer (Purdue) earlier in the month.

"I think my history is pretty well noted. Here at IU and USC and in the NFL, I’m going to play several guys,'' McCullough said. "There's going to be a lead-horse guy that is the main feature guy, but I believe you get diminishing returns when you burn a guy out. Whoever is the lead guy, he will get the bulk of the action, but I think people will be surprised how much the second guy and other guys supplement the main person.''