Isaiah Jones answers the call after Aiden Fisher’s early exit as Indiana crushes UCLA

The smoke from the pregame fireworks hadn’t even cleared when linebacker Aiden Fisher put his stamp on the game — and then, just as suddenly, disappeared from it.

On the second play from scrimmage Saturday at Memorial Stadium, UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava dropped back and fired to his left. Instead of finding a receiver in white, the ball found Fisher, Indiana’s defensive heartbeat and the de facto captain of Curt Cignetti’s team.

Fisher snatched the pass, sprinted 25 yards the other way, and crossed the goal line before the crowd could even catch its breath. Just 57 seconds had passed, and Indiana already led 7–0.

But less than a quarter later, Fisher — who has become as essential to Indiana’s defense as the green dot sticker on the back of his helmet — was standing on the sideline, his day cut short by a knee injury described later as “precautionary.”

Without Fisher, the Hoosiers lost not just their leader, but their on-field signal caller. Fisher is the one who relays the play calls, the one who sets the tone. Without him, someone had to inherit that responsibility — and all the pressure that came with it.

Enter Isaiah “Bones” Jones.

SEE ALSO: Before ‘Google me,’ he did: How Isaiah Jones found his fit in Indiana’s new era

“I was ready when my number was called,” Jones said postgame.

What followed was not panic, not hesitation, but poise. The redshirt junior linebacker slipped on the green dot helmet and the responsibility that came with it, steering Indiana’s defense through the rest of a 56–6 demolition of UCLA without the faintest sign of drop-off.

“Sliding over one position wasn’t really that big of a deal to me. That’s something we rep in practice,” Jones said. “I was ready. I felt like I had been prepared all week.”

Jones’ preparation showed. He finished with eight tackles, half a sack, half a tackle for loss and a forced fumble. But his impact reached beyond the box score.

When Fisher left, the Hoosiers needed steadiness, structure and voice. Jones provided all three.

“Everything’s earned, not given. He’s earned everything he’s got,” Cignetti said. “He’s really stepped up and taken a huge step this year.”

That step wasn’t just measured in tackles or stats, but in command.

Indiana’s defense never wavered after Fisher’s departure. It allowed only six points — the fewest against an FBS opponent this season — and continued to swarm UCLA with the same energy, precision and attitude it began the game with.

“He’s a real smart player, just like Fisher is,” Cignetti said. “He knows the ins-and-outs of the defense just like Aiden does.”

That knowledge didn’t materialize overnight. Jones’ rise to the center of Indiana’s defense has been a slow, deliberate climb. After logging just 73 snaps across the final six games of 2024, he’s already long eclipsed that total this fall while learning all three linebacker positions.

Through eight games, Jones leads the Big Ten in tackles for loss with 11.5 and ranks inside the top five in sacks with 5.5.

It’s not a coincidence. For two seasons, Jones has studied the full defensive scheme — not just his position, but everyone’s. The linebacker room, he said, preaches total understanding. If Fisher ever had to come off, Jones was always next in line.

“It’s something that you want to prepare for but you hope never happens,” Jones said. “It’s something that you have to be ready for and you have to step up when it’s your turn.”

COACH Q&A: Curt Cignetti reacts to Indiana’s Week 9 win over UCLA

When that moment came, teammates met him on the sideline with pats on the back, quiet reassurances, reminders that the defense believed in him. Jones didn’t need much else. He was calm, decisive and in complete command.

For Jones, who’s seen the program’s highs and lows since arriving in 2022, Saturday represented something more personal — a validation of patience, of readiness, of belief. He didn’t just take over the green dot. He took ownership of the moment.

Jones’ performance wasn’t just about stepping up for a day. It was about proving that the standard can be upheld — that Indiana’s defense, under Cignetti and Haines, is being built to sustain itself through moments like this.

Fisher’s pick-six may have lit the spark, but it was Jones who carried the torch on Saturday — a reminder that even when the voice changes, the fire in Indiana’s defense burns the same.

Not yet a member of TheHoosier?  Join our community for Just $1 for your first week and get a complimentary year of The Athletic included with your membership. Join here!

Use the code “IND20” on Rhoback.com for a generous 20% off for all new customers through the end of this week. Rhoback — Best Fit, Best Feel.