2023 Indiana Football Positional Preview: Linebackers
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Image: Indiana Athletics
Written by: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)
As a defensive-minded head coach, linebacker has always been a position near and dear to Tom Allen’s heart. New faces are the recurring theme surrounding these positional previews this year, but Allen has composed a roster of a mix of both returnees and newcomers by way of the transfer portal in this room. If Indiana’s defensive line is as improved as we’re hearing it is, this should allow for the linebackers at the second level of the defense to get into the backfield and make some plays. The Hoosiers finished 95th nationally in tackles for loss and 104th in sacks last season, but an improved front seven led by this linebacker room could really change the complexion of this defense.
Let’s take a look at who we expect to be contributing to the linebackers as we anticipate the Hoosiers’ season kickoff on September 2nd.
The Starters
The clear number one in this room heading into the season will be sixth-year senior and returning honorable mention All-Big Ten player Aaron Casey. Casey has played in every game since 2019 and started every game but last year’s bucket game (injury) since 2022. He immediately filled the shoes of Micah McFadden and Cam Jones last season, donning the prestigious #44 jersey and leading the team in tackles with 86. He was recently named to the Butkus Award Watch List, an award named after Hall of Fame Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus that honors the nation’s most impactful collegiate linebacker.
Joining Casey at the starting linebacker position, we expect to see another redshirt senior, Jacob Mangum-Farrar. Mangum-Farrar is a new face to the Hoosiers but will also be playing his sixth year of ball after transferring this offseason from Stanford. He appeared in nine games last year for the Cardinal, tallying 44 tackles (sixth-best on the team) and forcing one fumble.
Next Men Up
When Casey and Magnum-Farrar come off the field, a few players are likely to be rotating in for them: Kaiden Turner, Matt Hohlt, and Jared Casey.
Turner will be entering his second season with the Hoosiers after appearing in the maximum four games allowed last season before taking a redshirt year. In his four games, he recorded 15 total tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss – he showed enough to even earn a start and closed the year with his best performance against Purdue, in which he led all defenders and totaled nine tackles.
Hohlt, after joining the team as a walk-on in 2021 from Center Grove High School, quickly made a name for himself last season when the defense needed a spark. He played in every game he was healthy (missed the last two due to injury) and even made one start after catching the coaching staff’s attention in practice. Despite not having a scholarship, Hohlt showed flashes of playmaking ability and quickly showed his knack for the ball. He finished the season with 19 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Though the linebacker room hopes to stay a little healthier this season, Hohlt will surely still find his way onto the field.
The final backup linebacker will be Jared Casey, a member of the 2022 transfer portal from Kentucky. Last year as a Hoosier, Casey appeared in eight games and totaled 18 total tackles.
Breakout Potential?
Isaiah Jones is another returning member of the defense that will be looking for an expanded role entering the 2023 season. Jones joined as a part of the same recruiting class as Kaiden Turner mentioned above but saw a bit less playing time last season. He did appear in two games, making his debut against Penn State in November and closing out his game action against Ohio State. He recorded one tackle against the Buckeyes. His father, Darrell Jones, played tight end at Ohio State from 1992-1994.
The two other wild cards in the linebacking room are both newcomers, Darryl Minor Jr. from UTEP and Joshua Rudolph from Austin Peay. Minor Jr started his career at Tyler Junior College before playing one season at UTEP and then heading to Bloomington. He appeared in three games but did not record any stats last season. Rudolph joins from Austin Peay where he had an extremely productive last season; he started in all 11 games and finished second on the team in tackles (73) and third in tackles for loss (7.5). Of the returning linebackers in the Big Ten next season, Joshua Rudolph ranked as the 3rd highest graded by Pro Football Focus’ metrics (Aaron Casey graded 4th).
Practice Squad
· Xavier Trueblood – Redshirt Junior, Walk-On
· Jeff Utzinger – Redshirt Freshman, Walk-On
· Sam Tallen – Redshirt Freshman, Walk-On