With the 2025 football season that will start later this month, Inside the Hall offers a position-per-position preview of the selection. Today: Linebacker.
Earlier: Quarterback, running back, attacking line, broad recipients and tight ends, defensive line
Indiana Football was active in the transfer portal during the low season, so that transfers were added except for one: Linebacker. Even after losing Jailin Walker, defensive coordinator Bryant Haines held the Linebacker unit of Indiana intact around returning the All-American Aiden Fisher.
The stability in the Linebacker room has led to optimism that the dominant group of last season can replicate the success in 2025.
First team: Aiden Fisher (Sr.), Rolijah Hardy (SO.)
Second team: Isaiah Jones (R-Jr.), Kaiden Turner (R-Jr.)
Aiden Fisher, Rolijah Hardy
One of the three defensive all-Americans of Indiana, Fisher returns to Bloomington for his last season of suitability. His presence alone will bring his teammates confidence, given his fame with defensive coordinator Bryant Haines.
Fisher played a Team-High 744 Snaps last season during the defense, a total of 118 tackles (49 solo), 1.5 bags and 5.5 tackles for loss. The James Madison Transfer is in 16th place in the IE Single-Season hit lists in Tackles and becomes the very first First-American all-American Linebacker of the program.
Coach Curt Cignetti has trusted Fisher on and off the field to be one of the team leaders. Fisher addressed the entire team on Wednesday morning for the first autumn camp training of Indiana.
Accolades have begun to gather for Fisher, because he was mentioned on the Butkus Award watch list on Wednesday, which further improves expectations for his senior season. Fisher also joined Mikail Kamara and d’Angelo Ponds on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski -Trophy and set the tone for the Hoosier defense.
Haines found the replacement of Walker before the 2024 season ended, when Hardy played a crucial role in the late seasonal success of Indiana.
Hardy, signed in May 2024, made the best out of every occasion last season. When Indiana switched to a three -line backlook in the second half of the season, Hardy earned most of the representatives as the third backer.
When he saw the field in all 13 games of his first -year season, the resident of Lakeland, Florida has 22 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and two forced junk. Hardy had a career-high four tackles in the loss of Indiana against Notre Dame in the play-off of the University Football.
The decision of the coaching staff not to bring a Linebacker through the portal was in the beginning a main scale for some. Hardy’s outbreak in the springbal was in doubt, because it was clear that he felt at ease in the role.
Isaiah Jones, Kaiden Turner
Another rotation -liner, Jones, saw most of his playing time in special teams. The indigenous London, Ohio, blinded in that department, assessed as the 18th best Special-Teams player according to Pro Football Focus.
Jones was the third backer of Indiana from the autumn camp last year, but lost his place to Hardy while playing the conference. With Hardy in a starting role, Jones is probably in the game when the Hoosiers switch to a 4-3 defense.
Another upperclassman who compete for a place, Turner has the least experience among the recurring Linebackers. The Redshirt Junior appeared in two games last season and placed two tackles against Western Illinois.
Turner appeared the previous two seasons in ten games and earned a start against Purdue in 2022. However, the additions of Fisher, Walker and Hardy dropped him out of the rotation last season.
Prospect
It is still unknown whether Haines is sticking to the 4-3 look at the end of last year. What is known is that defensive coordinators like to switch in a game.
That said, Indiana has three more than estimated Linebackers, led by an all-American. The leadership of Fisher, parled with the athletics of Hardy and Jones, could make Indiana just as deadly in the position in 2025.
(Photocredit: iu athletics)
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