COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: Day 14 Kaiden Turner
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 229 pounds
Hometown: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Class/Position: Redshirt Junior / Linebacker
The Hoosier Huddle countdown to kickoff is almost complete! For the 100 days leading up to kickoff, we at Hoosier Huddle will feature every player from the 2025 roster in anticipation of Indiana’s first game of the season against Old Dominion. Today, we take a look at linebacker Kaiden Turner.
Turner came to IU with high expectations out of high school and was labeled the next Micah McFadden. He was the 31st best linebacker in his class and was an All-State selection as a senior.
Turner was thrown into the fire at the end of the 2022 season as IU dealt with injuries to their linebacking corps. He made his debut against Penn State and played at Ohio State, Michigan State and started the finale against Purdue. Turner played well too. He made 17 tackles in five games with one tackle for loss. His Hoosier career got off to a terrific start.
Then Turner vanished.
In 2023 Turner played sparingly in six games and totalled just two tackles after entering the season looking for a larger role. With a coaching change in 2024, one would have thought Turner could work his way back into the rotation. That didn’t materialize as Turner ended up redshirting and playing in just two games.
Heading into the 2025 season, there is a window of opportunity for Turner to get back into the rotation behind Aiden Fisher, Rolijah Hardy and Isaiah Jones. The Hoosiers are thin at linebacker and Turner will be in the top four of the group. With a good spring under his belt and a path to playing time, the ball is now in Turner’s court to take advantage of an opportunity. If he does, the IU defense gets that much deeper and that much better.
The Hoosier Huddle Countdown to Kickoff continues each and every day so be sure to check back often for the latest profile piece!