Lee Beebe had to watch from the stands in 2025. Now he enters 2026 even stronger

As Indiana’s players poured from the sidelines onto the field inside Hard Rock Stadium to celebrate a national championship game victory, Lee Beebe Jr. wasn’t one of them. In fact, during each of the Hoosiers’ historic achievements throughout the 2025-26 season, Beebe Jr. wasn’t on the sidelines with the rest of his teammates.

He was watching from the stands — or on television — as Indiana completed a 12-0 regular season, won the Big Ten Championship Game, earned a victory in the Rose Bowl and captured the CFP National Championship. Beebe Jr. was forced to watch from afar and experienced the glory of a 16-0 season much differently than the rest of the Hoosiers.

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“In the beginning, it was a lot mentally,” Beebe Jr. said after spring practice Tuesday. The running back, who suffered a torn ACL during Indiana’s Week 3 matchup against Indiana State, was beginning to emerge as one of the Hoosiers’ main contributors. Instead, his season went sideways due to the noncontact injury to his knee.

The UAB transfer said he underwent surgery later that month and has been working on his recovery ever since — including keeping tabs on what his teammates were doing throughout their run to the mountaintop of college football.

But not being out there for each win was tough. While Indiana was working toward perfection, Beebe Jr. was working to be able to play football at a high level again. Recovering from any injury can be taxing physically, but Beebe Jr.’s situation was equally difficult mentally.

“I had to get the right mindset,” Beebe Jr. added. “I talked to my dad, talked to my mom. They gave me some words of encouragement. It made me see the game differently. I encouraged my teammates, lifted them up when they were doing good, lifted them up when they were down.”

He turned an unfortunate situation into one where he could support those around him, even if he wasn’t on the field with them every day. With an alternate perspective, Beebe Jr. internalized Indiana’s historic campaign in a different way, but that didn’t stop him from appreciating the Hoosiers’ success.

“Mostly I was in the stands, or if I couldn’t get to the stadium, I was watching on television. I would cheer the loudest in my section,” he said.

It wasn’t all about supporting those around him, as he had to work on himself as well. As Beebe Jr. mentioned, his support system — especially his parents — was key, as he was able to overcome the mental side and focus on getting back into football shape as quickly as possible. This included rehab, of course, but he also said he dove into film study during the months he would have been competing during the 2025 season.

“I’ve applied myself in the film room,” Beebe Jr. said when asked what he learned most during the time following his knee surgery.

Observations from day three of Indiana football spring practice

He said he began to see everything from an “eyes in the sky” perspective, which allowed the running back to view the game more holistically and slow it down to a point where he could break things down more easily.

Beebe Jr. found a silver lining in hindsight, and he plans to use it to his advantage in 2026. He rushed for 209 yards on 7.7 yards per carry during his three games played a year ago, proving he can be a very impactful player at full strength.

And according to Beebe Jr. himself, he’s close to getting back into the thick of things. Now just over six months since his surgery, the redshirt junior shared how he’s feeling to open spring ball.

“I was out there today on the practice field, and I was feeling great,” Beebe Jr. said. “I feel like myself again. I just have to continue doing it.”

With the mental hurdle conquered, the only thing that stands between Beebe Jr. and suiting up with the Hoosiers is the final stage of his rehab. Spring practice offers him the chance to get back into the swing of things so he can hit the ground running once fall camp arrives.

While many of Indiana’s players are looking to go back-to-back, Beebe Jr. is searching to be part of a championship-level team for the first time as a Hoosier. Not being able to get the full experience was tough, but it has prepared him for 2026 to be the best version of himself.

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