Aiden Fisher Leads An Indiana Defense That Wants To Deliver ‘Bad Intentions’

The junior linebacker has unshaken faith that Curt Cignetti can devise a plan for No. 5 Indiana to win at No. 2 Ohio State.

Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Aiden Fisher (4) gets ready for the snap during the second quarter of a game against the Washington Huskies at Memorial Stadium. / Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – If you equate time on a football roster and with coaches with college class structure, linebacker Aiden Fisher is a player who has reached the 400 level in terms of his knowledge of what Indiana coach Curt Cignetti and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines want from him within their defense.

Fisher has been playing for both coaches since the 2022 season at James Madison. He was elevated to a starter in the 2023 season at JMU and assumed the same role in the middle of the Indiana linebacking corps when he came with Cignetti to Bloomington.

With No. 5 Indiana preparing for its biggest test of the season with a trip to No. 2 Ohio State at noon ET on Saturday, it’s good to have a steady hand on the tiller in charge of the Hoosiers’ fate. Fisher is that guy for the Indiana defense.

Fisher, a junior, has demonstrated his dependability. He leads Indiana in tackles with 98, including a Big Ten-high 61 assisted tackles. Having a high assisted tackles total means one thing – Fisher gets involved with a lot of plays. He swarms ballcarriers and receivers, and he is rarely caught out of position.

As Fisher and fellow veteran linebacker Jailin Walker are veterans and de facto captains (Cignetti doesn’t name official captains) of the Cignetti/Haines system, the Indiana coaching staff has been more than willing to put more on their plates.

And as one of the veterans, Fisher sets the tone for how the defensive unit absorbs what’s being asked of them.

“He definitely puts a lot on our plate, but when he does, we can handle it. I think the biggest thing is we do a great job as a unit to make sure we're on the same page,” Fisher said on Tuesday.

“We see about every look that you can think of, but we prepared really well. With all those things thrown at us, we make sure that we have all the loose ends tightened up,” Fisher added.

One of the strengths of Indiana’s defense has been the multiple looks Indiana creates from its front six. Stunts are abundant, and it’s made the task of blocking Indiana’s defenders a chore for opponents.

Expect more of the same against the Buckeyes. Fisher said the level of detail in the Ohio State game plan is “high”.

“(Haines has) done a great job with the new fronts we run. How we use certain players in certain situations,” Fisher said. “It’s definitely more than last year, and I think that's just kind of the development of him and how great he's been here and making that next step up.”

Part of the mission on Saturday is to contend with an Ohio State partisan crowd expected to be over 100,000. Indiana has not faced this kind of hostile environment. Crowd noise was piped into Memorial Stadium during practices this week, but that can only do so much to simulate the real thing.

Indiana is preparing for the noise by attempting to take it out of the equation.

“I would say a lot will not be communicated verbally. There will be a lot of signals, false signals, everything kind of going in together to make sure we're on the same page,” Fisher said.

“When we get off the sideline, we'll be verbal, we'll talk to each other, get everything together. But when we're on the field, it's gonna be a lot of signals and stuff like that,” Fisher added.

Indiana's Aiden Fisher (4) tackles Washington's Adam Mohammed (24) during the Indiana versus Washington football game at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 26, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Fisher’s bond with Cignetti is unbreakable. Like many of the players who profess similar loyalty to the coach, Fisher’s devotion is rooted in Cignetti’s genuine approach.

“A lot of people say certain things and go about their business in a different way. That's not the case with him. You know, the way he talks, he walks what he talks,” Fisher said.

During Fisher’s time with Cignetti, the rise has not stopped for the Fredericksburg, Va., native. In 2022, JMU was 8-3 and won the Sun Belt Conference East Division, but was ineligible for the Sun Belt championship game as JMU transitioned from FCS to FBS.

In 2023, JMU finished 11-2, reached a high of No. 18 in the Associated Press Top 25, and the team was chosen for a bowl game.

In 2024, Indiana is unbeaten at 10-0 and playing Ohio State for the chance to cement inclusion in the College Football Playoff.

Why doesn’t Cignetti fall victim to pitfalls that other coaches – even winning ones – sometimes fall into as far as peaks and valleys are concerned? Fisher thinks it's rooted in what Cignetti brings out of his players.

“The hunger and the edge that this team has and his teams of his past (have had), that starts with Coach Cig,” Fisher said.

“I think the biggest thing with this team, you look at the transfers that came in. You look at the guys that have been here that haven't won a lot. Everybody's getting this feeling of winning,” Fisher continued. “We’re going to do everything that we can to make sure that we keep this feeling. A lot of these guys were under recruited. They feel like they should have been here the whole time.”

Cignetti also instills an even-keeled feeling into his players, something some coaches won’t or can’t do. He speaks repeatedly about not letting negative game moments spiral into something bigger than they are in that moment. Fisher noted that the Hoosiers are going to have to fall back on Cignetti’s belief as Indiana will have good and bad moments to confront against the Buckeyes.

Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman CJ West (8) and linebacker Aiden Fisher (4) celebrate after a defensive stop against the Maryland Terrapins during the first half at Memorial Stadium. / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Mainly, though, Fisher embodies the confidence and belief that Cignetti and his coaches have made these Hoosiers believe in. The aggressive scheme Indiana uses fits that belief.

Fisher wouldn’t want it any other way.

“I love it. A lot of defenses, you’ll look at them, and they’re trying to survive the game and let their offense win the game,” Fisher said.

“Here, it’s different. If we need to win a game, our defense will win the game. That’s something I really enjoy. I love the aggressive aspect of it, and I think it fits me and a lot of the players on this defense,” Fisher added. “They want to get after the quarterback, and they want to get to the ball carrier with bad intentions.”

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