Sophomore Marcus Thigpen makes switch from receiver to running back
Marcus Thigpen is in a transition phase. Not a difficult phase, the sophomore said, but a transition nonetheless. After finishing the 2005 season as IU's second-leading receiver, the coaching staff asked Thigpen how he felt about moving back to his natural position -- running back. "It's been pretty easy because it's just something I'm used to doing," said Thigpen, who played running back in high school. "Just learning the plays, that's the hardest part. Receivers are a little fancier. As a running back, you've got to be a bruiser, be able to hit and take hits so I work harder, I lift harder." After redshirting as a freshman in 2004, Thigpen had a breakout year last season. He pulled down 32 receptions for 432 yards with two touchdowns, even though he originally signed with IU as a running back. For the upcoming 2006 season, the Hoosiers will need to replace their two leading rushers, Chris Taylor and Yamar Washington, who combined for 1,271 rushing yards. But that was only part of the reason for Thigpen's switch from wide receiver to running back, the coaching staff said. "We made the move knowing Marcus is an explosive player," said IU assistant coach Gerald Brown, the running backs and special teams assistant. "We feel like if he gets enough touches, that with his speed and explosive play, he can make big plays for us. That was a lot of it,
