Hoosiers Now

Indiana Football Position Preview: Linebackers

Indiana football's leading tackler from the last three seasons, Micah McFadden, is off to the NFL. Team captain Cam Jones will take over as the leader of the room, which brings in transfers Bradley Jennings Jr. from Miami (FL), Jared Casey from Kentucky and the top-rated recruit in program history, Dasan McCullough.

Jack Ankony

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Editor's note: In our nine-part "Position Preview" series, we'll break down the entire Indiana football roster leading up to the Hoosiers' season opener against Illinois on Friday, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. In our fifth installment, let's break down the linebackers room.

Nobody made more tackles in an Indiana jersey than Micah McFadden the last three seasons. The middle linebacker was the heart and soul of Indiana's defense, and now he's off to the NFL to make even more tackles for the New York Giants. 

As Tom Allen prepares the Hoosiers for what he hopes is a bounce-back season in 2022, he'll have to find a replacement – or, more likely, replacements  – capable of filling the All-American sized hole left in McFadden's wake.

Allen hired Chad Wilt away from Minnesota, where he coached defensive linemen for two seasons, to replace Charlton Warren as Indiana's defensive coordinator. With Allen returning to defensive play-calling duties, Wilt will coach linebackers and work on a recipe to compensate for the loss of McFadden.

The Captain

Cam Jones will own the label 'team captain' for a third consecutive season at Indiana. Jones enters 2022 with 42 games under his belt at Indiana's stinger, or weak-side linebacker, position.

Jones said at Big Ten Media Days that Indiana lost its swagger and its edge during a disappointing 2022 season. Approaching his final year as a Hoosier, Jones has made a point to make sure that doesn't happen again. For Jones, there's no 'sad days' this season, and he's pushing his teammates to follow his lead.

"I feel like 2020, there was no debate that we could beat anybody on the field at any time, lineup, grass, concrete, anything," Jones said. "I think that during spring ball and summer training, we got our edge back."

Wilt called Jones the 'bell cow' of Indiana's defense, and in his short time coaching Jones, Wilt has been impressed with his energy, football IQ and willingness to speak up. Jones' fifth season will look a bit different without his partner McFadden alongside him, but for Wilt, Jones is exactly who he wants leading the Hoosier defense.

"He's what we want our daughters to date, he's what we want our sons to be, and he's what we want our football players to be," Wilt said. 

The Transfers

Despite Jones' talent and leadership, Indiana knows he can't stop opposing offenses alone. Allen reached into the transfer portal to add a trio of Power Five linebackers to bolster the unit, and it appears each player will take on a large role.

Bradley Jennings Jr., a sixth-year transfer from Miami (FL), figures to slide in at McFadden's spot at Mike linebacker next to Jones. Jennings will rotate with redshirt senior Aaron Casey, who made his first start for Indiana last season despite seeing the field in 33 games as a Hoosier. Casey takes on the honor of wearing the No. 44 jersey this season in honor of George Taliaferro. 

Jennings started all 11 games for the Hurricanes in 2020, and he opened the 2021 campaign with six tackles against No. 1 Alabama. Allen said Jennings has transitioned his body to become more lean and a step quicker since joining Indiana, and he expects him to be a huge part of Indiana's defense. Jennings' father led Florida State in tackles as a senior, and Allen has noticed his strong depth of football knowledge.

"He's been well trained," Allen said. "When you talk to him, he says ‘I’ve been making these reads since I was in grade school with my dad.’ 

Jared Casey transfers in from Kentucky, and said he's honored to be Jones' backup at weak-side linebacker. He joins the Hoosiers as a redshirt junior after appearing in 23 games at Kentucky from 2019 to 2021.

Jones has taken Jared Casey under his wing, and Allen believes he has improved as much as anybody since last spring. Allen said he is Indiana's most athletic linebacker and probably top three in speed among defensive players. 

The third transfer Allen brought last spring is Myles Jackson, who is competing with sixth-year senior Lance Bryant at Bull – Indiana's hybrid linebacker-defensive end position. Jackson played seven games at UCLA last season, and said he was brought in as an inside linebacker, moved to their Bruin position, then ended up at defensive end. But at Indiana, he's starting to feel at home at the Bull position.

"Everything I can do, I feel like I'm allowed to do," Jackson said. "I feel like the Bull position uses my athleticism to its fullest and doesn't hold anything back, which I really appreciate."

The Top Recruit

Dasan McCullough is listed as a linebacker on Indiana's roster, but don't be surprised if you see him lining up and roaming the field in different spots. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound true freshman is the highest-ranked recruit in Indiana football history, and all signs point to him playing a big role for the Hoosiers right away.

Indiana outside linebackers coach Kasey Teegardin called McCullough a 'Swiss Army knife' because of his ability to rush the passer, cover receivers and play physical in the box. Teegardin was surprised at how physical McCullough was on day one, and he's excited to utilize his long arms and quickness to torment opposing quarterbacks.

"We have to take advantage of his athleticism and his physicality and the way he moves," Teegardin said. "We have to. He's a playmaker."

McCullough has impressed his teammates early on, as well. 

"We put 11 on the field and he stands out the most," Jared Casey said. "I think when they put some weight on him, he'll be a really good player."

Rich Cirminiello, the Vice President of College Awards for Maxwell Football Club, put McCullough on the Preseason True Freshman All-American Team.

“The highest rated recruit in Hoosier history can play linebacker or stand-up end, and he’s going to play plenty this season," Cirminiello wrote. 

Related stories on Indiana football:

  • FRESHMEN MAKING STRONG FIRST IMPRESSION: The Indiana football program began fall camp on Tuesday, and there were a handful of freshmen that made a strong impression on Tom Allen. With significant roster turnover from last season, Allen rattled off some newcomers that will push for playing time in 2022. CLICK HERE
  • AARON CASEY TO WEAR GEORGE TALIAFERRO'S NO. 44: Indiana linebacker Aaron Casey was chosen by the Indiana coaching staff to represent George Taliaferro's legacy by wearing the No. 44 jersey during the 2022 college football season. Taliaferro played at Indiana from 1945 to 1948 and was the first African American drafted by an NFL team. CLICK HERE
  • 'HE'S A UNICORN': Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz played with Indiana freshman linebacker Dasan McCullough at Blue Valley North High School, and believes the Hoosiers have a special talent on their hands. CLICK HERE
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Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.

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