Indiana football held its pro day March 5, with seven players performing a variety of athletic and positional drills in front of double-digit NFL evaluators inside Mellencamp Pavillion.
The event marked the final time each participant will compete wearing Indiana colors — and for linebacker Aaron Casey and defensive back Noah Pierre, the day was six years in the making.
Casey and Pierre were members of the Hoosiers’ 2018 recruiting class, both unheralded 3-star recruits ranked outside the top-100 of their respective positions who turned into team captains this past year.
They saw the peaks of Indiana’s success under head coach Tom Allen, including the 6-2 season in 2020 that saw the program finish ranked for the first time since 1988. But they were also around for the valleys of Allen’s tenure, watching as the Hoosiers went 9-27 over the past three years and parted ways with Allen and much of his staff after the 2023 season.
There were highs and lows, lessons and memories — but most of all, maturity.
“It’s kind of bittersweet,” Pierre said. “This [is] the place that I came in as a boy, basically, and left as a man, have my son now. These guys that are here now, they saw me come in as a young boy and grow into a man. So, kind of bittersweet, but I’ll be back around — I love IU.”
Pierre’s final season came to an abrupt close due to a hip injury suffered Oct. 21 against Rutgers, shifting him into a coaching-esque role with the Hoosiers’ young secondary.
The Miami, Florida, native said he was cleared to return in early January and is now fully healthy. He’s trained for two months but intends on taking a few weeks off before participating in local pro days with the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins.
With several family members in attendance, Pierre said he performed well and hit his testing numbers. Of note, he completed 14 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, vertically jumped 37.5 inches and recorded a 10-foot broad jump.
Pierre, after what he described as a long four months of recovery, believes he ended his time in Bloomington on a high note.
“A lot of ups and downs,” Pierre said. “Some days, I felt 100%. Some days, I felt like I couldn’t even go. I’m just grateful for where I am now — I give it all to God.”
Pierre noted his athleticism, IQ and versatility can help teams at the next level. Casey, who’s spoken with several teams in the draft process at the East-West Shrine Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine, thinks he’ll bring similar traits to the next level — and has heard as such from league evaluators.
“Instincts,” Casey said about what teams like about him. “The way I can move and find the ball in the backfield was one of the main things. How aggressive I am at the point of contact.”
Casey, a second-team All-Big Ten selection who led the conference with 20 tackles for loss last season, ran a 4.75 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He ran as fast as 4.64 in his pre-draft training but didn’t see it translate to Lucas Oil Stadium.
While he didn’t have an official number, Casey said his time improved Tuesday. So did his vertical jump, which went from 30 inches to 34. As for the on-field drills, Casey feels that’s just a return to normalcy, back where he’s most comfortable.
The 23-year-old Casey finished the fall semester early and departed for Fort Myers, Florida, shortly after the Hoosiers’ season ended Nov. 25. The pro day, which marked his first return to Bloomington since leaving, came with a wave of memories.
“It’s a long time I put in work here,” Casey said. “A long time making friendships, making connections with players, coaches, staff, everybody. Just coming back, it feels good. I grew up here for the most part.”
Indiana’s other five participants were defensive end Andre Carter, long snapper Sean Wracher, receiver DeQuece Carter and running backs Christian Turner and Josh Henderson.
Andre Carter posted 33 reps on the bench press, tops on the team. Wracher only did positional drills, firing a few snaps. DeQuece Carter spent extensive time after his session speaking with a scout from the Atlanta Falcons.
Turner notched a team-best 10-feet, 5-inch broad jump to go along with 26 bench press reps. Henderson registered similar numbers, logging 22 reps, a 35-inch vertical and a 10-foot broad jump.
In addition to the extensive list of scouts, several others came to watch, including new Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti, defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, outside linebacker Lanell Carr Jr., quarterback Tayven Jackson and more.
Kurtis Rourke, the presumptive favorite to start at quarterback for the Hoosiers, threw passes to DeQuece Carter, Henderson and Turner during the drills. It was Rourke’s first time throwing publicly since transferring from Ohio University to Indiana this December.
Between Pierre, Casey and others bidding adieu and Cignetti and Rourke making appearances, Indiana football officially turned the page on 2023 — and Casey, speaking on an overcast, rain-filled afternoon, sees brighter days ahead.
“Getting back to see how things are, seeing the new guys coming here — excited for them, excited for the new opportunities they have,” Casey said. “I wish the best for IU.”
Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana football offseason.
