Indiana Football Position Preview: Linebackers Led By James Madison Transfer Duo

After losing 2023 leading tackler Aaron Casey, Indiana is hoping production from James Madison transfers Aiden Fisher and Jailin Walker translates to the Big Ten.

Indiana's Aiden Fisher (4) stretches during fall practice at Mellencamp Pavilion Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – New faces are sprinkled throughout the 2024 Indiana football roster, and linebacker is no exception.

Aaron Casey was a multi-year leader at the position, ranking third nationally with 20 tackles for loss and earning first-team All-Big Ten honors last season. But he’s off to the NFL, and Jacob Mangum-Farrar, who started alongside Casey in 2023, is transitioning to Indiana’s stud position on the defensive line. 

That leaves close to zero returning production at linebacker, so new head coach Curt Cignetti brought two starters with him from James Madison, Aiden Fisher and Jailin Walker, to fill the void. 

Bryant Haines steps in as Indiana’s new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach after years on Cignetti’s staffs at James Madison, Elon and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In 2023, Haines guided a James Madison defense that led the nation with 114 tackles for loss and run defense, allowing just 61.5 rushing yards per game.

Here’s a full breakdown of Indiana’s linebacker room heading into the 2024 season.

Personnel

• #2 Jailin Walker: senior, 6-foot-1, 218 pounds, 32 games at James Madison.
• #4 Aiden Fisher: junior, 6-foot-1, 233 pounds, 23 games at James Madison.
• #14 Kaiden Turner: redshirt sophomore, 6-foot, 228 pounds, 10 games at Indiana.
• #21 Rolijah Hardy: redshirt freshman, 5-foot-11, 225 pounds, did not play in one season at Navy.
• #26 Joshua Rudolph: senior, 6-foot, 223 pounds, 18 games at Austin Peay, 10 games at Indiana.
• #33 Nahji Logan: redshirt senior, 6-foot-3, 226 pounds, 39 games at UMass.
• #34 Jeff Utzinger: redshirt sophomore, 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, has not played in two seasons at Indiana.
• #38 Kaden McConnell: freshman, 6-foot-2, 222 pounds.
• #39 Carter Imes: freshman, 6-foot, 196 pounds.
• #40 Quentin Clark: freshman, 6-foot-1, 212 pounds.
• #46 Isaiah Jones: redshirt sophomore, 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, four games at Indiana.
• #52 Clayton Allen: redshirt freshman, 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, did not play in one season at Indiana.

Notable departures from the 2023 roster: Aaron Casey, Jared Casey, Matt Hohlt

Indiana's Jailin Walker (2) during fall practice at the Mellencamp Pavilion on Thursday. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

James Madison transfer duo

The top candidates to lead Indiana’s linebacking corps are Aiden Fisher and Jailin Walker, who transferred from James Madison to Indiana during the transfer portal’s winter cycle. After making just five tackles in 2022, Fisher had a breakout sophomore season in 2023, leading the Dukes with 108 total tackles, including a career-high 17 in their bowl game. He earned third-team All-Sun Belt honors and was James Madison’s leadership award winner. 

Walker brings more experience than Fisher, having started 20 games and playing in 32 over the last three seasons. He was second on the team with 61 total tackles in 2023 and earned All-Sun Belt honorable mentions each of the last three seasons. Walker was recently named to the College Football Freaks list by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic for his speed and explosiveness, reportedly running 22 miles per hour. Walker did not practice in the spring due to postseason surgery to address a torn labrum, but he has been on the field for fall camp.

“That’s a good team. They’ve got a lot of reps together, and they’re both good players,” Cignetti said of Fisher and Walker. “You can see J-Walk’s athleticism on the practice field. Sideline to sideline, he can really run. He’s one of the fastest guys on the team.”

Although they’re at a new school, the transition shouldn’t be too drastic for Walker and Fisher due to their experience playing together under Haines and Cignetti. 

“It’s fun,” Walker said about playing in Haines' defense. “The motto is fast, physical, relentless. So Haines’ defense relies on speed and blitzes. He says freedom equals discipline, so he just lets us fly around, make plays and just enjoy it with the guys.”

Returning linebackers

With Jacob Mangum-Farrar changing positions, Joshua Rudolph is the most experienced Indiana linebacker returning for the 2024 season. He played 116 snaps in the box last season as a backup for Casey and Mangum-Farrar, and he could have a similar role behind Walker and Fisher this season. Rudolph transferred to Indiana before the 2023 season after two years at Austin Peay, where he was second on the team with 73 tackles in 2022. 

Along with Rudolph, Indiana could look to returners like Isaiah Jones and Kaiden Turner for depth at linebacker. Turner only played special teams in 2023, but he logged 75 snaps in the box in the final four games of Indiana’s 2022 season. Jones has even less in-game experience than Turner, but he has good size and could be ready for a bigger role in his third season with the Hoosiers.

"There's been good competition in that linebacker room, guys that are pushing both J Walk and Aiden Fisher," Haines said. "Isaiah 'Bones' Jones would be the first one I'd bring up. He's playing really good football right now. I've been pleased with him. I like the way he played in the spring, and he's really built off that this fall camp so far. He's playing both positions, both Will and Mike, and that's not easy to do."

The bottom line

The biggest question for Indiana’s linebackers in 2024 is whether Fisher and Walker can replicate their Sun Belt play in the Big Ten. There’s reason to believe they can, as Fisher stood out as much as anyone during Indiana’s spring game and Walker is athletically gifted and experienced. Their familiarity with Haines’ system definitely helps. But we won’t know that answer until several weeks into the season, which naturally creates some uncertainty with this position group.

Depth is a potential concern, and Indiana will need at least one player from the group of Rudolph, Jones, Turner or UMass transfer Nahji Logan to step up as a third capable linebacker alongside Walker and Fisher. In a backup role, Rudolph’s 60.2 defense grade ranked 24th out of 35 Indiana defenders in 2023, per PFF, and the other returning Hoosiers are even less proven. Logan is perhaps the most likely to fill that role, as he has 39 games and 17 starts under his belt and made 59 tackles last season on his way to second-team All-Independent honors from College Football Network.

Related stories on Indiana football

• DEFENSIVE TACKLES PREVIEW: Depth is at a premium in the trenches, but Hoosiers hope some new faces emerge. CLICK HERE

• CIGNETTI DRUMS UP EXCITEMENT: Curt Cignetti has energized the Indiana fanbase as he begins his football coaching stint with the Hoosiers. CLICK HERE.

• INDIANA STARTS FALL CAMP: The Hoosiers began fall camp last Friday as the Curt Cignetti era begins in earnest. CLICK HERE.