Aaron Casey will attempt to follow a path to the NFL forged by a wave of recent Indiana linebackers.
The next step for the Georgia native is the NFL Draft Combine.
The IU football program announced on Friday Casey received an invitation to participate in the annual event in Indianapolis.
Invited to Indy.
Congratulations, @A_casey2! 👊 pic.twitter.com/NUeliZb7rL
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) February 2, 2024
Casey was among the nation’s best at the linebacker position with 109 tackles on the 2023 season, which included a Big Ten-best 20.0 tackles for loss – a total that ranked No. 2 in the FBS at the end of the regular season. The only FBS defender with multiple games of 4.0 tackles for loss or more, his 19 solo tackles for loss led the nation.
In 2023, Casey led the Big Ten and ranked No. 2 nationally in solo tackles (78). His 109 total tackles sit No. 4 in the Big Ten and No. 23 in the FBS and mark the first 100-tackle season by an IU defender since Tegray Scales (126) in 2016. He led the Power 5 with 22 tackles for loss or no gain per Pro Football Focus.
His 20.0 tackles for loss are tied for No. 4 on the IU single season charts with Nathan Davis (1995) and were the most by an IU defender since Scales’ 23.5 in 2016. His career total of 36.0 tackles for loss finished No. 8 all-time at IU, just one behind Micah McFadden’s career total (37.0).
Casey is the 12th linebacker in Indiana history to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors and the third since 2017. He joins Scales (2017) and Micah McFadden (2020) as the most recent to win the award. In 2023, Casey was the first IU defender to earn multiple Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week awards in a career and gave IU two defensive weekly award winners for just the second time in a single season.
Over the last few years, former Indiana linebackers Tegray Scales, Chris Covington, Micah McFadden, Marcelino McCrary-Ball and Cam Jones have all seen snaps in the NFL.
At the Combine, 300+ of the best college football players are given the stage to showcase their skills in front of coaches, GMs, and scouts. This key stop before the NFL Draft is a chance for players to elevate their football profiles and showcase their talents to clubs and fans across the country before finding their new teams. Their performances at Combine could directly impact their Draft positions.
NFL Scouting Combine Live Drills begins Thursday, February 29th, with coverage on NFL Network starting at 3pm ET. Full lineup below:
- Thursday, February 29th, 3pm ET – Defensive Linemen, Linebackers
- Friday, March 1st, 3pm ET – Defensive Backs, Tight Ends
- Saturday, March 2nd, 1pm ET – Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Running Backs
- Sunday, March 3rd, 1pm ET – Offensive Linemen
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