Amidst new-look surroundings, Indiana linebacker Aaron Casey and defensive back Noah Pierre are the final two of a kind.
Both members of the 2018 recruiting class – the first true class to come in under current Indiana head coach Tom Allen – the sixth-year seniors have been through it all in Bloomington.
The peaks have been high – a two-year, combined 14-6 stretch that culminated in one of the most successful runs in Indiana's program history, but was absent a bowl victory. Yet, the valleys have been low – the program hitting a wall, falling flat in the years since and struggling to pick itself up again.
The defensive leaders at the forefront of that effort? Casey and Pierre, who are surrounded by many new faces on a defense that hopes to rid itself of its ineffective identity from the two seasons prior. How they plan on doing it, however, is centered on trust and relying on one another to help shoulder the load.
"We're together a lot, almost all the time," Casey said during Big Ten Football Media Days in Indianapolis last week. "I believe that connection and trust is a big part of any team, any defense. Having people around you who you can trust to get the job done and carry out their responsibilities is big time."
"We've been together every step of the way," Pierre said, reinforcing the bond the two have built. "Our journey has pretty much been the same, not coming in and playing as much as we would've liked when we were younger, but staying dedicated to what we believe in – dreams that we have for ourselves.
"Having (Casey) in a locker room, having him by my side, even having him today has been huge for me, because I know I always got that brother by my side."
More often than not, given the nature of Indiana's recruiting approach and the programs that surround them, leaders like Casey and Pierre at their specific positions must be developed from within.
Despite their star status – Casey was a three-star prospect out of Douglasville, Ga., Pierre a two-star recruit from Hallandale, Fla. – the Hoosiers have to entrust their own process in seeing these guys through to bring out the best in each recruit. It's been a hit-or-miss, inconsistent process for Indiana, thus contributing to producing the same type of inconsistent results on the field.
Casey and Pierre, however, have been hits. Six years later, they stand as the last two members of a recruiting class that ranked No. 45 in the nation and included 26 signees, according to Rivals.
When Allen first met Pierre, he understood the size disadvantage that Pierre played at, but believed he could still be special for his program.
Don't believe him? Ask his wife.
"My wife, she reminded me, she said, 'You told me this kid was going to be a special player,'" Allen said. "Even though we may have been (Pierre's) only Power Five offer, the toughness he showed, the grit that I thought he had, I was right.
"I'm so proud of him for being able to really prove that he did have something special and he is a really, really talented player. Yeah, he's undersized, but he what inside of him that you cannot ever measure, it's huge."
More on Pierre: Noah Pierre was patient. Now it's his time to shine
Casey's process included a position switch, something Allen and his staff noticed early on in recruiting him. A high school safety, Indiana saw Casey as a linebacker despite him having never played in the box and the need to learn an entire new skillset upon entering the program.
It's been Casey's work ethic that's made his progress possible, with his passion and desire for learning more earning him the respect of his teammates and coaching staff, an on-field honor to George Taliaferro every Saturday, an "Ace" nickname fit for leaders and the responsibility of quarterbacking the Indiana defense.
"He's just such a consistent, hardworking guy," Allen said.
Tradition takes on new form: Indiana creates tradition to honor George Taliaferro, wear No. 44
As a duo, they were largely overlooked in their recruiting process. Upon arrival to Indiana, both had to grind through trials and tribulations to earn a spot on the playing field, then to hold it.
They've enjoyed the highs and endured the lows. Now in charge of what's to come next, they hope that their sense of familiarity can be the guiding light to turning around a defense that is in desperate need of something good to happen to them.
"To have those two guys, to show tremendous leadership, perseverance to stay the course through the ups and downs and what they've been through since they've been here is pretty special," Allen said.
The Hoosier defense hasn't been special in some time. Casey and Pierre, as they always have, will put their trust in themselves toward being the leading agents of change.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON THE HOOSIER'S MESSAGE BOARDS
-- SUBSCRIBE TO THE HOOSIER'S YOUTUBE
