Indiana's Aiden Fisher (4) and CJ West (8) celebrate West's sack of Maryland's Billy Edwards Jr. (9) during the Indiana versus Maryland football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Watch: CJ West Highlights From His Indiana Career

Originally posted on Indiana Hoosiers on SI
By Todd Golden | Last updated Apr 26, 2025 1:04 PM ET

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - CJ West only played with Indiana for only one season, but it was a memorable one, and the Chicago native got his reward on Saturday.

West was chosen 113th overall in the fourth round by the San Francisco 49ers. West is the first player chosen directly from Indiana since Micah McFadden was taken in the fifth round by the New York Giants in 2022.

Here is video of CJ West in action at Indiana. Video provided by NFLFilmRoom.

West is the first defensive tackle from Indiana taken in the draft since Nolan Harrison (who was a hybrid end-tackle) was picked by the Los Angeles Raiders in the 1991 draft.

The last true defensive tackle taken was Mark Smythe, who was chosen by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1984, but he did not play in the NFL.

West had 40 tackles and two sacks for the Hoosiers in 2024. He forced and recovered one fumble.

Before he finished his college career at Indiana, West played four seasons at Kent State. He had seven career sacks and 110 tackles for the Golden Flashes.

This article first appeared on Indiana Hoosiers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: