Voters typically overlook good players on bad teams when casting ballots for postseason honors.
How good was IU linebacker Aaron Casey in 2023?
Despite Indiana having the worst record in the 14 team conference, the Georgia product was named first team All-Big Ten on Tuesday based on the media voting.
Defensive lineman Andre Carter and cornerback Kobee Minor received honorable mention for the league’s defensive All-Big Ten.
Jaylin Lucas (kick returner) and James Evans (punter) earned third team recognition on the special teams All-Big Ten squad.
Casey was among the nation’s best at the linebacker position with 109 tackles on the season, which included a Big Ten-best 20.0 tackles for loss – a total that ranked No. 2 in the FBS at the end of the regular season. The only FBS defender with multiple games of 4.0 tackles for loss or more, his 19 solo tackles for loss led the nation.
In 2023, Casey led the Big Ten and ranked No. 2 nationally in solo tackles (78). His 109 total tackles sit No. 4 in the Big Ten and No. 23 in the FBS and mark the first 100-tackle season by an IU defender since Tegray Scales (126) in 2016. He led the Power 5 with 22 tackles for loss or no gain per Pro Football Focus.
His 20.0 tackles for loss are tied for No. 4 on the IU single season charts with Nathan Davis (1995) and were the most by an IU defender since Scales’ 23.5 in 2016. His career total of 36.0 tackles for loss finished No. 8 all-time at IU, just one behind Micah McFadden’s career total (37.0).
Casey is the 12th linebacker in Indiana history to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors and the third since 2017. He joins Scales (2017) and Micah McFadden (2020) as the most recent to win the award. In 2023, Casey was the first IU defender to earn multiple Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week awards in a career and gave IU two defensive weekly award winners for just the second time in a single season.
Carter was among the most disruptive defensive linemen in the Big Ten and finished his one season on campus with 49 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. Per Pro Football Focus, Carter ranked No. 8 in the Big Ten in total pressures (sacks, hits and hurries) at 32 and his 697 total snaps played were No. 4 among Big Ten defensive linemen.
Minor made 29 tackles on the season and was credited with four pass breakups in 615 total snaps played on the season. Of the 615 snaps, 339 of those came in pass coverage. Among FBS cornerbacks with 300 coverage snaps played, Minor led the Big Ten and was No. 7 nationally with just 18 receptions allowed (339 coverage snaps).
Lucas was the highest-rated kickoff return man in the FBS among specialists with 25-or-more returns on the season. His 572 kickoff return yards led the Big Ten, was No. 5 among Power 5 returners and sat ranked No. 14 in the FBS. His 100-yard kickoff return against Purdue tied for the longest play in IU history and was one of 10 returns of 100 yards in the FBS during the 2023 season, the only 100-yard effort in the Big Ten.
With his kickoff return touchdown at Purdue, Lucas is tied for the lead among active FBS returners with three career kickoff return touchdowns, which ties Marcus Thigpen (2005-08) for the IU career record. His career kickoff return yardage total of 1,163 ranks No. 10 all-time at Indiana, as well as No. 22 among active NCAA returners and second among non-upperclassmen.
In 2023, Lucas finished with 1,108 all-purpose yards, the most in a season since Stevie Scott III (1,223) in 2018. His total included 572 kickoff return yards, 275 rushing yards, 247 receiving yards and 14 punt return yards. He accounted for five total touchdowns – 1 return, 2 rushing and 2 receiving – and led the team with 101 offensive touches during the season.
With a punting average of 45.8 yards per punt, Evans set the Indiana single season record by one yard per punt, blasting past Drew Hagan’s mark of 44.8 in 1999. Of his 57 punts, 22 traveled over 50 yards, with a long punt of 70 yards. His punting average ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 15 nationally.
A three-year anchor on special teams, he owns 201 punts in his career and is just the fifth Hoosier to reach the 200-punt mark in a career. With a career 43.9 yards per punt average, Evans ranks No. 1 on Indiana’s career charts, more than a full yard ahead of Alan Sutkowski (42.5 ypp; 1995-97).
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