Aiden Fisher Injury Update: Curt Cignetti Reveals Status of Indiana Football LB

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana football senior linebacker Aiden Fisher appears poised to return to the field for the No. 2 Hoosiers' 3:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday against Maryland at SECU Stadium in College Park.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said in his press conference Monday that Fisher, who suffered an apparent left knee injury on the second defensive series of Indiana's 56-6 win over UCLA on Oct. 25, is trending in the right direction to play Saturday.

"I would list Aiden Fisher as probable," Cignetti said.

Cignetti initially ruled Fisher's absence as "precautionary" following Indiana's victory, though he noted the Fredericksburg, Va., native would undergo MRIs and X-rays nonetheless.

The results, evidently, were positive.

Prior to his injury, Fisher intercepted UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava on the second play from scrimmage and returned it for a 25-yard pick-six. It marked his second interception and first defensive touchdown of his 44-game college career. Fisher also made one tackle and recorded a half-tackle-for-loss.

Fisher, the closest Indiana has to a team captain, watched the remainder of the game from the sideline with a brace around his left knee and a white Gatorade towel wrapped around his neck. An engaged spectator, Fisher doubled as a cheerleader and post-drive communicator.

Without Fisher, Indiana handed the starting spot and green-dot communication dutes to redshirt junior Isaiah Jones, who played alongside sophomore Rolijah Hardy. Jones leads the Hoosiers with 11.5 tackles for loss and he's tied with Hardy for the team lead in sacks (five).

Jones made a team-best eight tackles and added a half-sack vs. UCLA, while Hardy collected six tackles and one sack. Though Fisher was a preseason All-American and remains one of college football's best linebackers, Cignetti said postgame Jones shares many of the same qualities.

"He's a real smart player, just like Fisher is," Cignetti said. "Fisher was just a year ahead of him in his development because when Isaiah came here as a freshman, he was injured. He's really stepped up and taken a huge step this year. He's still a young guy. He knows the ins-and-outs of the defense just like Aiden does."

Jones has largely served as the additional pieces in Indiana's three-linebacker "trio packages," but the Hoosiers didn't go away from those looks after Fisher's injury. Instead, redshirt junior linebacker Kaiden Turner saw playing time. Turner played 10 defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, and made two tackles and a half-tackle-for-loss against UCLA.

And while Indiana gave up only six points and held UCLA to just 201 yards of total offense, the Hoosiers need their leader and proverbial heart of their defense — and it appears, in Cignetti's words, probable they'll get Fisher back.