Indiana's Aaron Casey (44) celebrates during the second half of the Indiana versus Akron football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, September 23, 2023. Rich Janzaruk/Herald Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Best Indiana Football Players Of The 2020s So Far: No. 8 Aaron Casey

Originally posted on Indiana Hoosiers on SI
By Todd Golden | Last updated Jun 8, 2025 4:16 PM ET

It wasn’t his fault, but Indiana linebacker Aaron Casey peaked at the wrong time.

Poised to be Indiana’s defensive star from 2021-23, Casey lived up to the billing. He was a worthy successor to Micah McFadden as a stalwart in the Indiana linebacking corps.

The problem wasn’t Casey’s as to why his peak years slipped between two winning periods. Casey was an underclassmen contributor on the good 2019-20 teams, and his eligibility ran out before Indiana’s 2024 College Football Playoff season.

Casey’s peak occurred in 2022 and 2023 – when coach Tom Allen was unable to restore the Hoosiers to winning ways.

Indiana’s fortunes didn’t keep Casey from being a defensive force. Casey began playing regularly in 2021 and became a starter during the 2022 season.

Casey led Indiana in tackles with 86 in 2022, including 11 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He also forced two fumbles.

In 2023, Casey peaked in his senior season. He started all 12 games for the first time in his career. He became the first Indiana player in seven seasons to reach 100 tackles as Casey had 109, including a Big Ten-high 20 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

Casey was remarkably consistent. Other than a two-tackle game against Maryland, Casey had at least seven tackles in every game, peaking with 13 in a win against Akron. He also had two sacks in a win against Wisconsin, which earned him Defensive Player of the Week.

Casey was a first team All-Big Ten selection by the media at linebacker and was a Phil Steele second-team All-American. He went undrafted in 2024 and was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals, but did not make the final cut out of training camp.

Casey may not have had his best years when the Hoosiers did, but he did not let it affect his performance. He was a bright spot in some dim years for Indiana football.