Like much of the rest of the team, Indiana’s linebacker room underwent a good amount of turnover from 2023 to 2024.
Aaron Casey wrapping up his stellar IU career may be the biggest individual loss from last season’s roster, and it’s not easy to replace a player and presence like that. And with head coach Curt Cignetti and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines moving Jacob Mangum-Farrar from linebacker to stud, the Hoosiers had to fill both linebacker spots. But IU brought in a duo from James Madison that could pick up where its predecessors left off.
Prior previews:
Roster turnover — who’s gone
- Aaron Casey (exhausted his eligibility)
- Jared Casey (entered transfer portal, no landing spot)
- Darryl Minor Jr. (transfer — Memphis)
- Xavier Trueblood (graduated)
- Sam Tallen
- Matt Hohlt
Roster turnover — who’s back
- Josh Rudolph (senior)
- Isaiah Jones (redshirt sophomore)
- Jeff Utzinger (walk-on, redshirt sophomore)
- Kaiden Turner (redshirt sophomore)
- Clayton Allen (walk-on, redshirt freshman)
Roster turnover — who’s new
- Aiden Fisher (transfer — James Madison)
- Jailin Walker (transfer — JMU)
- Nahji Logan (transfer — UMass)
- Rolijah Hardy (transfer — Navy)
- Quentin Clark (3-star, Dexter, Ga.)
- Kaden McConnell (walk-on, Greenwood, Ind.)
- Carter Imes (walk-on, Fishers, Ind.)
Projected depth chart
Here’s our best estimate of Indiana’s defensive line starters and who the other key players will be.
- Mike: Aiden Fisher, junior, 6-foot-1, 233 pounds (11 career starts at JMU)
- Isaiah Jones, redshirt sophomore, 6-foot-2, 230 pounds
- Will: Jailin Walker, senior, 6-foot-1, 218 pounds (20 career starts at JMU)
- Nahji Logan, redshirt senior, 6-foot-3, 226 pounds (17 career starts at UMass)
- Josh Rudolph, senior, 6 foot, 223 pounds (11 career starts at Austin Peay)
The starting duo at linebacker is locked in. Fisher and Walker will be two of the biggest key players across Indiana’s entire defense. The depth chart behind them is less secure. Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines was particularly effusive in his praise for Jones, and his ability to play in both linebacker spots could help him see the field this season. Logan and Rudolph have more experience, and are solid reserve options.
Quotable
Curt Cignetti on Aiden Fisher and Jailin Walker:
“Those two guys have a lot of reps together. And Aiden, it’s been well-documented, kind of the quarterback of the defense. And J-Walk really is our run-and-hit guy, very fast. Very fast. Made a lot of big, explosive defensive plays for us, interceptions for touchdowns, things of that nature. So they’re used to playing with each other, communicating with each other, but at the end of the day, every defense has a certain responsibility, and they’ve got to know that and do their job, regardless of who’s playing on the other side.”
Bryant Haines on linebacker depth:
“There’s been good competition in that linebacker room. Guys that are pushing both J-Walk and Aiden Fisher. Isaiah “Bones” Jones would be the first one I’d bring up. He’s playing really good football right now. I like the way he played in the spring, and he’s really built off of that this fall camp so far. He’s playing both positions, both will and mike, that’s not easy to do. There’s a lot of content in our playbook right now, and he can handle it quite well. So been pleased with him. Nahji Logan has flashes. Josh Rudolph has flashes. Jeff Utzinger’s a walk-on, from Cathedral High School, he’s having a good camp. Smart kid. Knows the system well. So I’ve been pleased with a number of those guys. They’re pushing those top two.”
Why it will work
If both Fisher and Walker stay healthy and play up to their potential, Indiana could have a really strong linebacker pair. Fisher is one of the biggest vocal leaders on the team and is coming off a strong season. He has the sort of instinct that good linebackers possess, putting himself in the right positions at the right times to make a lot of plays. Walker is the flashier player between the two, and he graded as the better player last year on PFF, with the 38th-best overall grade among linebackers in the country. Walker’s speed is a major asset in all facets, from pass rush to run defense to coverage. It’s fair to wonder how well this duo will translate from the Sun Belt to the Big Ten, but if healthy, Fisher and Walker should be two of Indiana’s better defensive players.
Why it won’t
For all the praise that Haines heaped on Jones and the other reserve options, it feels like a big step down from Fisher and Walker to the other linebackers. The two starters can’t be expected to play every single defensive snap, even if they stay healthy all year. But especially if one of them suffers an injury at some point, how much will it impact IU’s defense? That would put a lot on Jones’ shoulders, and it could have a trickle-down effect to the rest of the defense if the linebacker play dropped off significantly.
An additional concern with the starters: Fisher did not grade particularly well in run defense on PFF last season. He was much better at pass rush and coverage. If he struggles with run again, that could become an exploitable hole in the IU defense.
For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- Find us on Facebook: thedailyhoosier
- You can follow us on Twitter: @daily_hoosier
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
