Indiana University Athletics
In Command -- Casey Checks All the Linebacker Boxes
5/16/2023 10:00:00 AM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Aaron Casey gets it. He does. Excellence is more than just thriving on the field. It’s getting everyone to thrive, at the same time, all the time.
If that happens this coming fall, the Indiana redshirt senior linebacker will have a monster season, and so will the Hoosiers.
It starts, as so many things do, with communicating.
“I have to be more vocal,” Casey says. “I have to be encouraging and holding guys accountable. Just being that encouraging aspect of the defense. Teaching and helping guys understand the defense and why we do the things we do.”
Will that mean changing the way he plays?
Not a chance.
“I want to be the same player, just have that leadership aspect and be more vocal. Step up in tough situations. Be the person for the defense like Cam was.”
Casey refers to Cam Jones, the former standout IU linebacker who recently signed as a free agent with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. Jones set the standard in multiple ways during his Cream & Crimson career -- how to play, how to work, how to lead.
Casey noticed.
“He always brought energy.”
That includes leadership in getting teammates, especially younger ones, to play to their potential.
“You have to handle each situation differently,” Casey says. “You can’t handle all situations the same. I noticed that. You can’t talk to everybody the same way.”
Leading isn’t for everyone. It requires delivering uncomfortable truths, exceptional performance and holding yourself and others accountable. Some want to lead just by example, but to have a good team and defense, more is required.
Casey embraces that.
“I have to be more vocal,” he says again.
Even a quiet Casey is a formidable on-field presence. Last season, his first as a consistent starter, the 6-2, 235-pounder totaled a team-leading 86 tackles (12 more than any other Hoosier), including 10.5 for loss, four quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, and two pass breakups. It would have been more if he hadn’t missed the season finale against Purdue with an injury. He had 11 tackles against Rutgers and 10 each against Ohio State, Maryland, and Cincinnati. He earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten recognition.
Casey’s knack for avoiding blockers and getting to the ball comes from his vision and awareness.
“I have different keys I go off of, whether it’s the tight end or the way the D-line sways,” he says. “I use that, take my eyes to the running back and the ball, and go.”
While new co-defensive coordinator Matt Guerrieri hasn’t seen Casey play in a live game, he likes what he’s seen in practice and on film.
“He has the athleticism to play sideline to sideline,” Guerrieri says. “He has physicality. He can play in the box. That’s unique.”
Uniqueness extends to Casey’s cerebral approach to the position.
“He has command in the middle of the defense,” Guerrieri says. “That’s how we look at backers -- do you have command?
“It’s hard. You have to know what the front end and back end does. The D-line doesn’t have to worry about that. The corners don’t have to worry about that. The backers and the safeties have to understand that.
“He has the athleticism to play in space, and the physicality to play in the box. If you can do those things at linebacker, you check all the boxes.”
IU used the transfer portal to boost the linebacker room, bringing in Jacob Mangum-Farrar from Stanford, Darryl Minor from UTEP, and Joshua Rudolph from Austin Peay. They made progress in the spring. They’ll need to make more this summer and then in fall camp.
“Those guys are growing fast,” Casey says. “There’s been a lot of progression and understanding. They’re playing faster, coming out of their shells.”
In so many ways, Casey leads the way.
