Joe Hjelle’s path to Indiana says almost everything you need to know about him. Defensive linemen don’t usually climb from Iowa Western Community College to Tulsa to the Big Ten without a lot of grinding along the way, and Hjelle has built his career the hard way.
He wasn’t ready for the power conference level when he finished high school, so he took the junior college route to sharpen his pass-rush game and round out his frame. Hjelle said in August, “In high school I was a little smaller,” and later added, “I didn’t have the experience or tools quite yet to play at this level and I feel like going that junior college route really helped me grow as a football player.”
That stretch at Iowa Western gave him more than reps. It gave him a standard. After two seasons there, along with two NJCAA national championships, he moved on to Tulsa, where he played in 24 games over two seasons before transferring again, this time into the Big Ten.
At Indiana, he’s done more than just make the roster. He’s become part of the rotation on a defensive front loaded with production and depth.
Head coach Curt Cignetti described him in August as “Really a tough guy... kind of a blue-collar guy, and he'll be in the mix inside for sure,” and that prediction has held up. Through seven games, Hjelle has 13 total tackles and has recorded at least one in every game.
Teammates noticed the work before the stats piled up. Fifth-year defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker said, “It’s the way he puts his head down and works,” and added, “He gets after it.
He’s a worker. That’s ultimately what you want.”
That effort shows up on the field in the moments that don’t always make the highlight reel. Against Ohio State, with Indiana up 7-3 late in the first half, Hjelle knocked Carson Hinzman off his spot on a run from the 2-yard line, forcing Bo Jackson to alter his path.
The play helped set up a stop, with Rolijah Hardy and Jacob Savage finishing it for no gain. Ohio State later scored on that drive, but only through the air on fourth down with under 40 seconds left.
Hjelle said the style of play at Indiana stood out immediately when he was being recruited. “I feel like when I was first getting recruited here,” he said, “the thing that stuck out to me the most was how active they were.
They’re not sticking around, staying on blocks. You’re getting vertical, you’re trying to cause as much havoc as you can.”
He has also found a way to help on offense, showing up on the line of scrimmage in jumbo packages in short-yardage situations.
His mother, Tracy Hjelle, put it plainly in the parking lot of her hotel the day before Indiana defeated Michigan: "It’s his passion,” she said. "He'd run through a brick wall.”
That’s the through line with Hjelle. He outworked the longer odds, earned his place at Indiana, and kept earning snaps once he got there. Even on a defensive unit with 10 different linebackers and defensive linemen who have at least 10 tackles this season, he’s impossible to ignore.
Josh Burnham, who has roomed with Hjelle in the hotel for the last couple of weeks, said after Indiana’s 55-0 win over Howard in September, “Yeah, 100% a blue-collar guy,” Burnham said. “He's been my roommate in the hotel for the last couple of weeks and I love him, he’s awesome.
He’s great. He’s a big, tough dude.
Just seeing him ever since the spring in the weight room, he’s strong, he’s stocky. So, yeah, I love that guy.”
Indiana’s season may go anywhere from here. The Hoosiers have one loss already, and their final place in the national picture remains unclear. But one thing around their defensive front is not in doubt: Joe Hjelle will keep working.
He worked to get here, he works now, and by all indications he’ll keep doing it long after this season ends.
In Other News...
Indiana Faces A New Kind Of Pressure In Huge Minnesota Matchup
Memorial Stadium is set for a bigger spotlight than usual when Indiana hosts Minnesota, with ESPNs College GameDay on hand for a matchup that suddenly carries the feel of a showcase game. The Hoosiers enter at 7-1 and, on paper, have the edge against a Golden Gophers team coached by P.J. Fleck that arrives with a 5-2 record of its own.
For Indiana, the noise around the game is part of the challenge now. The Hoosiers have earned the kind of attention that comes with being favored by odds and predictive models, but the stakes are no longer just about staying in the win column. With the weather also in the mix on game day, this one has the ingredients of a test that goes beyond the standings and into how Indiana handles the pressure of being the featured team. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Gets A Josh Hoover Update Fans Needed Before Minnesota
Curt Cignetti offered a reassuring update on Josh Hoover as Indiana turns its attention to Minnesota, saying the quarterbacks injury is expected to improve in time for the next game. Its a timely bit of news for a team that has otherwise come through a physical stretch in pretty good shape, even as the grind of recent games has been felt on both sides of the ball.
Indianas defense has continued to do its job by keeping opponents out of the red zone when it matters most, and the special teams also drew praise after Billy Gowers and Nico Radicic stood out in the Michigan game. With that kind of week-to-week stability, the Hoosiers can at least enter the Minnesota matchup with a clearer picture of the pieces around Hoover, even if his final status still bears watching. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Starters Leave Hoosiers With A Real Debate Before Opening Night
Indianas exhibition win over Western Kentucky offered a useful first look at a team still sorting itself out before opening night. The Hoosiers trailed in the second half at the Ford Center, then leaned on a strong bench rally to flip the game and come away with a 79-74 victory. Three freshmen played a major role in the closing stretch, giving Indiana a glimpse of the kind of depth it may need as the real games begin.
The bigger takeaway may have been how much the result seemed to tilt once the reserves got involved. Western Kentucky got a huge night from Teagan Moore, who scored 30 points, but Indianas defense still managed to keep the Hilltoppers to 36.9% shooting overall. With the starters leaving the exhibition with some real questions still hanging, the Hoosiers now have a decision to make about how they want to line up when the season opens. [Read more 🡒]