Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 52-16vs North Texas | 7 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 55-0vs Howard | 5 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | 6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 |
#5
Rolijah Hardy
Rolijah Hardy started every game of Indiana's run to the national championship game and racked up 8.5 sacks from off the ball -- rare for a linebacker. He came back instead of chasing an early jump. The engine is back.
5′11″ · 227 lb · Lakeland, FL · Lakeland
CFB Index 94 · #6 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceNational watchReturning to Indiana for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
12
tackles · 2026
1 TFL · 1 PBU
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 5 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, vs Howard
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Rolijah Hardy started every game of Indiana's run to the national championship game and racked up 8.5 sacks from off the ball -- rare for a linebacker. He came back instead of chasing an early jump. The engine is back.
- Signed with Indiana in 2024.
- Named Preseason All-America in 2026.
Rolijah Hardy started every game of Indiana's run to the national championship game and racked up 8.5 sacks from off the ball — rare for a linebacker. He came back instead of chasing an early jump. The engine is back.
Hardy was the motor of Indiana's title-game defense: 103 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks while starting all 16 games of the deepest run in school history, earning second-team All-Big Ten. The 8.5 sacks are the eye-opener — that kind of blitz production from an off-ball linebacker is rare, and it ranked him top-five nationally at the position in tackles for loss. At 5-11, 229 he plays bigger than his frame. The forward stakes are recognition catching up to production: he's been the underrated engine of an elite defense, and 2026 is the year a player this disruptive turns "underrated" into All-America. He came back to finish what Indiana started.
How he plays
Hardy is a high-motor, blitzing linebacker whose calling card is backfield production from an off-ball spot. The 8.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss are the tell: he times pressures, beats blockers in the hole, and finishes — the kind of disruption usually reserved for edge players. At 5-11, 229 he's not the biggest, but he plays downhill with real pop and covers ground. He's an every-down engine — a tackle-machine in the run game (103 stops) and a pressure threat on passing downs — the connective tissue of a defense that played in the national championship game. The production has been elite; 2026 is about the name catching up to it.
The story
Hardy was the motor of Indiana's title-game defense: 103 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks while starting all 16 games of the deepest run in school history, earning second-team All-Big Ten. The 8.5 sacks are the eye-opener -- that kind of blitz production from an off-ball linebacker is rare, and it ranked him top-five nationally at the position in tackles for loss. At 5-11, 229 he plays bigger than his frame. The forward stakes are recognition catching up to production: he's been the underrated engine of an elite defense, and 2026 is the year a player this disruptive turns "underrated" into All-America. He came back to finish what Indiana started.
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
Hardy is a high-motor, blitzing linebacker whose calling card is backfield production from an off-ball spot. The 8.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss are the tell: he times pressures, beats blockers in the hole, and finishes -- the kind of disruption usually reserved for edge players. At 5-11, 229 he's not the biggest, but he plays downhill with real pop and covers ground. He's an every-down engine -- a tackle-machine in the run game (103 stops) and a pressure threat on passing downs -- the connective tissue of a defense that played in the national championship game. The production has been elite; 2026 is about the name catching up to it.
Written by our staff.
202410 games
- Signed with Indianaout of Naval Academy Prep
202516 games
- All-Big Tensecond
2026
- Preseason All-AmericaFirst Team
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Indiana
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🥇
ALL-AMERICA
Named All-American (2026)
1 selectors honored him
🎖
ALL-BIG TEN · 2ND TEAM
All-Big Ten 2nd team (2025)
Badges
- Honors Badge
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coach2024–2026
Indiana
Played his entire career under Curt Cignetti.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Curt Cignetti — 29-2 over that span.
2024Indiana11-2HC: Curt Cignetti · Run-leaning
2025Indiana16-0HC: Curt Cignetti · Run-heavy
2026Indiana2-0HC: Curt Cignetti · Run-heavy, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidenceBreakout
Elite: qb hurries (83rd percentile).
Box-score production (7)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 6.0 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Curt Cignetti
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
All-Conference
Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.
our read the All-Conference honor is earned — and the box score backs it up emphatically: #6 of 583 FBS linebackers by CFB Index Score.2025 profile
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
94 · #6 of 583 LBs
Unranked recruit. Now #6 at the position.
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #2 of 72 Big Ten LBs
How the All-Big Ten estimate is computed
49% estimated, 95% confidence interval 43–54%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Selector Grid · 2026
AP—
FWAA—
AFCA—
WCFF—
SN—
SI—
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 55–0
vs Howard
5 TOT · 4 SOLO · 1 TFL
Dominant 55-point win at home against Howard.
With J. Hoover — 145 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · QBR 75.5 · 18 rush yds (6 car) · T. Richard — 108 rush yds (11 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Hardy is a high-motor, blitzing linebacker whose calling card is backfield production from an off-ball spot. The 8.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss are the tell: he times pressures, beats blockers in the hole, and finishes -- the kind of disruption usually reserved for edge players. At 5-11, 229 he's not the biggest, but he plays downhill with real pop and covers ground. He's an every-down engine -- a tackle-machine in the run game (103 stops) and a pressure threat on passing downs -- the connective tissue of a defense that played in the national championship game. The production has been elite; 2026 is about the name catching up to it.
Our classifier reads him the same way: carries tight ends down the field in coverage.
2026 Outlook
Indiana
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Indiana
Returning around him
- 8 Indiana players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +0 net (17 in / 17 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Indiana · Last season: 16-0 (AP #1) · Talent rank #38 · 2026 recruiting class #29
DNA match
Player DNA
Coverage 'Backer
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Chandler Martin’s 2024 season.
72%match
All-AAC
Matches Chandler on
Tackle volume
Weight
Solo tackle rate
Differs from Chandler on
Hurry rate (lower)
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Drake Thomas's sophomore season at NC State (2021).
74%match
All-ACC
Matches Drake on
Sack rate
Height
PD rate
Differs from Drake on
Class year (lower)
Hurry rate (lower)
Background
Career Notes & Records Appeared in all 29 career games with 20 starts ... Made collegiate debut in the season opener versus FIU (8/31) in 2024 ... Made first collegiate start against Nebraska (10/19) in 2024 ... One of 12 true freshmen to debut in 2024 and one of five not to redshirt ... One of s...
The linebacker corps · Indiana
- #5Rolijah Hardy103 tackles · 2025
- #46Isaiah Jones78 tackles · 2025
- #34Jeff Utzinger16 tackles · 2025
- #14Kaiden Turner10 tackles · 2025
- #52Clayton Allenno box-score line yet
6 more on the roster · Indiana team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology