Indiana’s Run Defense Was The Nation’s Best In 2024, But Aiden Fisher Isn’t Satisfied
How do you improve on being the best?
That’s the question that confronts Indiana’s defense when it returns to the field in the fall of 2025. In 2024, Indiana had the best run defense in the country, giving up just 80.2 yards per game.
One of the reasons Indiana’s run defense was so stout was linebacker Aiden Fisher. The first team All-American led Indiana in tackles with 118. His dogged pursuit of ball carriers is one big reason Indiana’s defense was so stingy in 2024.
Now Fisher and the rest of the defense aim to repeat the feat. Just maintaining last season’s standard will be challenging. Bettering it will be a daunting task.
However, Fisher trusts his preparation and his mindset. On Tuesday, after Indiana’s second spring practice, he spoke to the media about what goes into his own path to excellence.
“There’s just a lot of small details that go into that. So just make sure everybody knows what that standard is and that’s to be the number one defense in the country year in and year out,” Fisher said.
“There’s the things that come with that in practice. Running to the wall and over communicating to a point where coaches tell you, ‘Hey, that’s a little too much.’ So just getting to that point is about being really clean and organized in everything we do. From notes to film to getting out on the field,” Fisher added.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti has espoused the philosophy of getting better every day. Fisher, who has played for Cignetti and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines for his entire career, takes that to heart.
One way in which Fisher motivates himself to constantly improve is the motivational philosophy of Kaizen. A philosophy that originated in business practices in Japan after World War II, the notion of constant improvement has crossed over into the world of sports. It’s a philosophy based on order and discipline and intended to be a daily process of growth.
“It’s something that I’ve always kind of been familiar with. I actually talked to (Indiana linebacker) Isaiah Jones about it. When I first got here, they asked us to use a word to describe yourself. He used it, and then it kind of came back to me,” Fisher said.
“I have goals written down in my mirror every day I wake up and that’s the first thing I see. I want to make sure I’m getting close to those goals. Other people are going to be getting closer to him, I want to make sure that you know I’m working hard and represent my family right, represent my above right, to get closer to my goals and make sure I’m improving every day,” Fisher added.
So what does improvement mean to the leading tackler from the leading run defense in the country? Fisher doesn’t feel like he’s a finished product.
“There’s a lot of things that I want to work on as a player myself. My pass coverage and pass rush, my run defense. I just want to keep improving. Make any weaknesses that I’ve had and make them strengths and then reflect it on the young guys,” Fisher said.
Fisher is still at Indiana when he might have had the opportunity to go pro after his excellent first season with the Hoosiers, one that followed a 108-tackle season at James Madison in 2023. However, the Fredericksburg, Va., native isn’t in any hurry to leave Bloomington in his rear view mirror. After the College Football Playoff loss at Notre Dame in December, he has unfinished business.
“I just feel like I left a lot out there on the field. If that’s stats, if that’s plays, if that’s just moments with my teammates. It wasn’t something I was ready to give up yet,” Fisher said.
“That Notre Dame game really left a sour taste in my mouth. I just wasn’t ready to go, especially on that note. So give it one more ride,” Fisher remarked.
Fisher is excited about what Indiana will have to offer on the defensive side. Returning are defensive ends Mikail Kamara and Mario Landino, defensive linemen Marcus Burris Jr. and Tyrique Tucker, cornerbacks D’Angelo Ponds and Jamari Sharpe, fellow linebackers Rolijah Hardy and Jones and safety Amare Ferrell.
Added to that group is former Indiana safety Louis Moore, who spent the 2024 season with Ole Miss. There’s also defensive backs Devan Boykin (NC State), Ryland Gandy (Pitt) and Amariyun Knighten (Northern Illinois).
“A lot of the transfers have really meshed well with us. Boykin – from NC State – has been a really good addition. He just works hard. He’s always trying to learn something,” said Fisher, who also mentioned Gandy and Knighten as doing well.
Fisher is unshaken in his confidence that Indiana’s defense will perform as it did in 2024 – or perhaps even better. He shared the advice he imparts to his defensive teammates in how to make that happen.
“We’re at ground zero right now. You have zero stats as you come in. So just set the tone for this team. Make sure we know that we have a long way to go, but we’re going to get there,” Fisher said.
