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BLOOMINGTON — Can Indiana football make another playoff run?
The Hoosiers took a step towards that goal by retaining a core group of All-Big Ten honorees — linebacker Aiden Fisher, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, defensive end Mikail Kamara, and left tackle Carter Smith — but they can’t do it alone.
Indiana’s spring game last week offered the best glimpse of the players who could join them as key contributors in 2025.
Here’s a look at four players on the rise heading into IU’s summer workouts:
LB Rolijah Hardy on fast track to becoming household name
Hardy’s 43-yard pick-six was the highlight of the spring game for the defense, but the play shouldn’t have come as a total shock to Indiana fans. The 5-foot-11, 225-pounder flexed his playmaking ability as a true freshman last year and earned a larger role in IU’s 4-3 package because of it.
His performance during spring practice working with the first-team defense reinforced his status as one of the program’s most promising underclassmen.
“Throughout the entire spring, you saw him take a step every single day,” Fisher said. “Whether that’s beating a block, getting more surface area on tackles, he did something every single day to get better.”
Fisher raving about Hardy’s work ethic is another strong sign that IU’s linebacking corps is trending in the right direction. He worked with Hardy daily during camp to make sure he was ready to take over for Jailin Walker. Walker was a three-year starter for Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines at outside linebacker and his athleticism allowed the assistant to cook up those stifling game plans in the lab.
Hardy’s skill set checks a lot of the same boxes for the…
Source link : https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/sports/college/iu/2025/04/22/indiana-football-players-who-raised-their-stock-spring-practice/83020556007/
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Publish date : 2025-04-22 08:01:00
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