Rolijah Hardy
| No. 5 – Indiana Hoosiers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker |
| Class | Junior |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 10, 2004[1] |
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Listed weight | 229 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Lakeland (Lakeland, Florida) |
| College | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats at ESPN | |
Rolijah Hardy (born September 10, 2004)[1] is an American football linebacker for the Indiana Hoosiers. He previously played for the Navy Midshipmen.
Early life
Hardy attended high school at Lakeland located in Lakeland, Florida, where he was a four-year varsity athlete for football and basketball.[2][3] Coming out of high school, he committed to play college football for the Navy Midshipmen.[4]
College career
Navy
After just one season with the Midshipmen in 2023, Hardy decided to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal.[5]
Indiana
Hardy transferred to play for the Indiana Hoosiers.[6] In week two of the 2024 season, Hardy notched two tackles with one being for a loss, a sack, a forced fumble, and an interception which he returned for a touchdown in a blowout win over Western Illinois.[7] He finished his freshman season in 2024, appearing in 13 games with four starts, recording 22 tackles with five and a half going for a loss, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.[8] Heading into the 2025 season, Hardy entered the year as a full-time starter for the Hoosiers.[9] In week seven of the 2025 season, he recorded 13 tackles with two being for a loss, and a sack in an upset win versus Oregon.[10] In week eight, Hardy put up two sacks in a victory against Michigan State.[11]
References
- ^ a b @Rolijah_Hardy23 (September 10, 2022). "Blessed to see another year #18🙏🏾" (Tweet). Retrieved January 20, 2026 – via Twitter.
- ^ Fuoco, Roy (October 20, 2022). "The full package: Hardy uses brains and brawn to lead Lakeland's defense". Lakeland Ledger. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ^ Fouco, Roy (December 30, 2022). "Hardy's talent stood out on Lakeland's dominating defense". Lakeland Ledger. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ^ Fuoco, Roy (February 7, 2024). "Lakeland's Hardy signs with Navy despite injury plus all of Wednesday's signings". Lakeland Ledger. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ^ Lasley, Alec. "Rolijah Hardy 'did something every single day to get better' this spring and will continue to see his stock 'skyrocket' this offseason". On3.com. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ^ Ankony, Jack. "Linebacker Rolijah Hardy Commits to Indiana". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ^ Kelly, Jared. "Indiana LB Rolijah Hardy poised for breakout 2025 season: 'Just gonna skyrocket'". 247Sports. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ^ Flick, Daniel. "'Just Erupted': Indiana Confident in 'Top-Line Guy' Rolijah Hardy Replacing Jailin Walker". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ^ Niziolek, Michael (August 28, 2025). "Linebacker is 'everything you want' and more for Indiana football, who landed once-unknown recruit". IndyStar. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ^ Tow, Seth. "IU football: Hoosier linebackers anchor strong defensive performance at Oregon". The Daily Hoosier. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ^ Lagendorf, Jackson (October 18, 2025). "3 Key Stats That Defined Indiana's Victory Against Michigan State". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 3, 2025.