What the Houston Texans are getting in Indiana linebacker Aiden Fisher

Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Aiden Fisher (4) lifts the trophy after the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Indiana football saw its eighth player taken in the NFL Draft on Saturday when the Houston Texans selected linebacker Aiden Fisher with the 243rd overall pick pick in the seventh round. Here’s what to know about the newest Texan (like, for the team and state, I suppose).

Aiden Fisher – LB – 6’1”, 232 lbs Fisher has been a key component of coordinator Bryant Haines’ defense since 2023, when the two were still at James Madison alongside Curt Cignetti. He played depth snaps at linebacker as a freshman in 2022 before moving into a starting role in that 2023 season, improving each year. That time spent as a starter with the Dukes proved pivotal once he joined the Hoosiers in 2024, he was effectively entering year two as a starter in Haines’ defense rather than learning a new scheme like other transfers.

His experience and overall football IQ were crucial to Indiana’s success as a unit in 2024 and 2025 with Haines trusting him in an on-field coaching role to make sure the defense’s formations and alignments were correct. Opposing offensive coordinators were vexed by Fisher in college, as he’d frequently call out opposing plays from the second level and let the rest of the defense know to adjust, acting as the head of the snake for one of the best defenses in the country. If there was a correct spot to be to attack an opposing offense, Fisher was either there or getting another defender there.

If Fisher has any weaknesses, it’s that he’s not necessarily going to be a spy type of linebacker at the next level, lacking the athleticism of some of his peers at the position.