Minnesota · W 23-16
No tackles.
Hardy has tackles in 8 of Indiana’s 9 games: none against Minnesota.
4 stories in the last 30 days, from 3 outlets.
Indiana linebacker Rolijah Hardy injury update
247Sports Oct 31
Written , before the 2026 season
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.
Sources
Play style, written June 13, before the season
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.
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
58 tackles. 1 pass defended. 1 interception. 5.5 TFL.
Counts only, never a rate — splash-event sample sizes this small (interceptions, pass breakups, TFL) are noise as a rate and signal only as a tally.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
from 3 outlets
Indiana linebacker Rolijah Hardy injury update
247Sports Oct 31 · 1 outlet
from 12 outlets
Indiana’s Curt Cignetti optimistic on Turbo Richard, Rolijah Hardy injuries
Inside the Hall +1 Sep 28 · 2 outlets
On3Players' Perspective: Charlie Becker, Rolijah Hardy discuss progress ahead of Week 2Sep 8
The Daily HoosierWatch: IU football players Rolijah Hardy and Charlie Becker Q&As — Howard weekSep 8
Indiana University AthleticsQuoted: Charlie Becker & Rolijah HardySep 8
Sports IllustratedRolijah Hardy is Ready to Step in the SpotlightAug 9
RoundtableRolijah Hardy Confronts Defensive Standards and Details His Journey to Indiana FootballSep 9247SportsIndiana Fall Camp Q&A: All-American LB Rolijah Hardy, WR Charlie Becker preview 2026 seasonAug 6The Daily Hoosier“He loves the game”: IU football LB Rolijah Hardy staying humble amid All-American talkAug 18247SportsIndiana LB Rolijah Hardy named Lott IMPACT Trophy National Player of the WeekOct 29247SportsThe Daily Hoosier247Sports
FOX SportsRoundtableThe Daily HoosierIndiana University Athletics +1Each week: his team’s game, the stories about him that week, and the week’s biggest news headline.
Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Nov 4.
Fans first named Rolijah Hardy vs Western Kentucky.
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Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 8 games
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| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 52-16vs North Texas | 7 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | W 55-0vs Howard | 5 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 38-0vs Western Kentucky | 9 | 6 | 2.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 9 tackles |
| Wk 4 | W 29-23vs Northwestern | 8 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 47-15@ Rutgers | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 20-17@ Nebraska | 8 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | L 15-19vs No. 4 Ohio State | 8 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | W 13-6@ Michigan | 9 | 8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 sacks |
| Total | 58 | 35 | 5.5 | 2.0 | 1 | 1 |
Oct. 24 · W 13-6 at Michigan, play by play
9 tackles, including 2 sacks, tied for 5th-most sacks in FBS that week.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Sacked the quarterback for a 12-yard loss on 3rd and 3. Second quarter, up 6-0.
Against his own season: tied for his best backfield disruption game of the season so far.
His game this year: disruption in the backfield — 5 tackles for loss, 2 of them sacks, in the 8 games with play by play.
How Indiana’s defense played that day
Michigan’s 11 drives: 9 stopped (2 takeaways) · 2 scored. While the game was within a score they held 9 of 11. His sack came with Indiana up 3.
8 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
8 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
4 tackles. He hurried the quarterback once.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
8 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 7 of his 8, sacks included.
9 tackles, including 2 more for loss. He hurried the quarterback once.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
A defensive touchdown: his interception went 19 yards for the score. 5 tackles, including 1 more for loss.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Intercepted on 3rd and 8, returned 19 yards for the score. Second quarter, made it 34-0.
7 tackles, including 1 pass broken up. He hurried the quarterback once.
Week 8 · 2026
W 13-6
at Michigan
2 sacks · 2 tackles for loss · 9 tackles
A close one, won by 7 on the road.
Conference ranks count every player in the conference with a row in that stat, any position. Career ranks count current FBS players, from the games in our log.
Ratings of the games shown run from -12 to +29 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
58tackles this seasonTFL rate
9%6 TFLSack rate
3%2 sacksPD rate
2%1 pass breakups58 tackles · 5.5 for loss · 2 sacks · 1 interception.
3 seasons under Curt Cignetti — 35-3 over that span.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 8 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 7.4 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Road3g | 7.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 7.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Weeks 8+1g | 9.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Curt Cignetti
Pass share
42.5%
231 pass / 312 run
Plays / game
60.3
9 games
Team sack rate
5.4%
259 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2025
Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.
Recognition
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #2 of 72 Big Ten LBs
A base rate for the rank, not a forecast of this player: 49% of returning players who ranked #1–3 at their position in their conference made an all-conference team the next season (95% confidence interval 43–54%).
2026 is in progress.
Recruited without a star rating, and honored since.
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-BIG TEN · 2ND TEAM
All-Big Ten 2nd team (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coachPlayed every college season under Curt Cignetti.
