IU football 2026 preseason position previews: Linebackers

• Ian Plaskoff

• 31m ago

 

Welcome to “IU football 2026 preseason position previews,” a series that will break down the depth chart and production potential of Indiana’s roster ahead of the 2026 season.

Next up: Linebackers

Previously: Specialists, Cornerbacks, Safeties

The linebacker position is among Indiana’s most continuous groups from 2025 to 2026. One major piece is missing, but there is plenty of depth and experience to fill the void.

The Hoosiers did not hit the portal for new additions at linebacker. That should be as good a sign as any that the staff has a positive feeling about this year’s group.

Personnel

Returners: Isaiah Jones, Rolijah Hardy, Kaiden Turner, Jeff Utzinger, Kaden McConnell, PJ Nelson, Amari Kamara, Clayton Allen

Departures via transfer portal: None

Departures via graduation/NFL Draft/Out of eligibility: Aiden Fisher

Arrivals via transfer portal: None

Incoming freshmen: Jacob Savage, Henry Ohlinger, Ja’Dyn Williams

What is different in 2026?

To answer the question: not much at all.

If the linebacker room was treated as a numbers game, that is.

Indiana only loses one linebacker from a season ago. Unfortunately, he was maybe the most important one in the program’s history.

Aiden Fisher was the captain, the green dot, the leader of men, the Cignetti disciple. He appeared in 51 career games with 39 starts and started all 28 games he played at Indiana. Every game he played came under Cignetti.

As a Hoosier, Fisher was an All-American in both seasons he played. The list of awards and honors to his name is unbelievably long. He was as productive as any linebacker in the country.

What may be the bigger loss is his locker room presence and leadership. That is irreplaceable.

Fisher will begin his NFL career with the Houston Texans in 2026. His 2025 teammates will look to fill his void as best they can.

The likely starters

Indiana runs a 4-2-5 defensive scheme, meaning two linebackers are on the field in its base coverage. Luckily for Indiana, the two linebackers to plug in are quite simple choices.

Isaiah Jones (Redshirt senior, 6-foot-2, 225 pounds)

Jones will wrap up his five-year Indiana career as a starting linebacker and potential green-dot signal caller for the Hoosiers.

His two seasons under Cignetti have seen a steady ascension to stardom. He appeared in 13 games and made two starts, including his first career start, in 2024. In 2025, Jones played all 16 games, starting seven.

In 2025, Jones stuffed the stat sheet with 78 tackles with 15.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from the conference media and honorable mention honors from the coaches panel in 2025.

Perhaps his most memorable play came as he fell on the football in the endzone after Mikail Kamara’s blocked punt in the CFP national championship game. His interception to seal the win at Oregon could rival it.

In spring camp, Jones was a visible and vocal leader of both the defense and the team as a whole. His development under Fisher certainly shows. He will be a major piece, and perhaps the primary leader, of Indiana’s defense in 2026.

Rolijah Hardy (Junior, 5-foot-11, 227 pounds)

Hardy has been a difference-maker since day one.

He appeared in 13 games and made four starts as a true freshman in 2024, where he had 5.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a touchdown.

He was a zero-star recruit.

Cignetti and his staff rarely play true freshmen. They also disregard recruiting rankings. It is fairly evident that they strongly believed in Hardy and he delivered. They still do and he has not stopped delivering.

In 2025, Hardy made 102 tackles with 15 tackles for loss, eight sacks and five pass deflections. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the conference media and coaches panels.

Hardy has a chance to wear the green dot on his helmet, too. It is a luxury to have to choose between him and Jones.

The two were as reliable as can be last year when paired with Fisher. Now it is both of their times to shine together.

The main depth pieces

Indiana will not always have two linebackers on the field. A third will be added for certain situations.

Depth is also important in case Hardy and Jones miss time due to injury. The next-in-line candidates look very familiar to those of a season ago. Their roles might just be slightly bigger this time around.

Kaiden Turner (Redshirt senior, 6-feet, 228 pounds)

Turner, like Jones, is entering his fifth season as a Hoosier. In the 2025 season, he played in 13 games, as many as he had in the rest of his Indiana career combined.

He made 10 tackles with 0.5 tackles for loss and recorded his first career interception in his first career start against Maryland. He also played a big role on special teams.

Turner knows the system and delivered when called upon when the injury bug struck Indiana’s linebacker room a season ago. He will aim to be a special teams ace and a reliable reserve once again, but may also see some more playing time when a third linebacker is called onto the field.

Jeff Utzinger (Redshirt senior, 6-foot-3, 232 pounds)

Utzinger is a former walk-on from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis. In five years, he has gone from walking on to a Tom Allen Indiana team to playing in every game of the Cignetti era.

Utzinger has been a mainstay on special teams over the last two seasons, but his time at linebacker has increased slightly.

In 2025, he made 16 tackles and was key in loaded-box, short-yardage situations down the stretch. Utzinger will absolutely be a highlight piece of the 2026 special teams unit. He has proved he can also provide depth at the linebacker position.

The rest of the room

It is unlikely that Indiana goes beyond the four aforementioned linebackers on the depth chart in the critical moments. It is still important to know who is beneath them on the depth chart.

PJ Nelson (Redshirt freshman, 6-foot-1, 219 pounds)

Nelson appeared in two games in 2025 on special teams. He was a three-star recruit in the 2025 class from Princeton High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Henry Ohlinger (Freshman, 6-foot-1, 224 pounds)

Ohlinger was a headliner piece of the 2026 recruiting class for Indiana. He was rated the No. 119 overall prospect in the class by 247Sports and a consensus top-20-ranked athlete across the major recruiting platforms.

He was a two-way running back and linebacker in high school, but will go the defensive route at Indiana.

Jacob Savage (Freshman, 6-feet, 222 pounds)

Savage was a three-star recruit from Ryle High School in Union, Kentucky. He was named the Paul Hornung Award winner as the top high school football player in Kentucky as a senior.

Ja’Dyn Williams (Freshman, 6-foot-1, 211 pounds)

Williams was ranked as a four-star recruit by 247Sports and as a three-star prospect by ESPN and Rivals/On3 from Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio.

Amari Kamara (Redshirt freshman, 5-foot-11, 202 pounds)

The younger brother of former Indiana All-American Mikail Kamara, Amari redshirted in 2025 and did not see game action.

Kaden McConnell (Redshirt sophomore, 6-foot-2, 228 pounds)

McConnell is a former walk-on from Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Indiana. He appeared in three games in 2025 and redshirted in 2024.

Clayton Allen (Redshirt junior, 6-foot-2, 209 pounds)

Allen is a former walk-on from Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Indiana. He has not seen game action in three seasons at Indiana.

Predicted depth chart

Middle linebacker (MLB): Isaiah Jones
Weak-side linebacker (WILL): Rolijah Hardy

Depth/Special Teams

Kaiden Turner
Jeff Utzinger
PJ Nelson
Henry Ohlinger
Jacob Savage

Redshirt/Likely will not play

Kaden McConnell
Amari Kamara
Clayton Allen

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