By Andrew Thomison | @Andrew_Thomison
Sports Capital Journalism Program
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana interior defensive lineman CJ West will fly under NFL teams’ radars no more. Over the last few weeks, West has started to garner more attention as a prospect in the 2025 National Football League Draft.
In his lone season with Indiana University, West recorded 14 solo tackles, two sacks and one forced fumble, helping the Hoosiers clinch an unexpected College Football Playoff berth.
West, a 6-foot-2, 317-pound defensive tackle had some success at Kent State, where he started in 35 games over four seasons for the Golden Flashes while being named third-team All-Mid-American Conference in 2023 before joining the Hoosiers for his final season in college.
With a chance to reflect on such a strong season at the NFL Scouting Combine Wednesday afternoon, West was candid about his own experiences, even those as recently as the Shrine Bowl.
“It was awesome, man,” West said. “I feel like the biggest part for me was learning from not only different coaches, but the other players who have been in different cultures, different schemes and different programs throughout college. I feel that was great for me because I picked their minds a little bit.”
Indiana left an everlasting impact on West, who had offers from other teams including Louisiana State, Michigan, Texas A&M and Wisconsin.
“That season was something special,” West said. “It’s really because of those guys, how hard they worked and just everybody that’s in that building. I’m glad to be in this position, but I really miss being in that locker room, chopping it up with the guys, messing with the guys, you know, making jokes and just going to work with them.”
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti was a big reason why West chose to join IU.
“If you know Coach Cig, he’s gonna talk his talk,” West said. “He did the same thing in recruiting. Honestly, I fell in love with the program, his culture, just the way he ran things. I had offers from plenty of schools, but I felt like Indiana was the right choice for me. It was a great time, and I loved it.”
West, however, was looking for more than just a fresh start elsewhere. He was looking for a place that could help him reach his potential while continuing to showcase his versatile skillset along the defensive line.
“I just want to prove everybody wrong,” West said. “I’m not the biggest defensive tackle. I want to prove that I’m a guy who loves to work, who’s ready for the NFL. I’m a high energy guy. I love the morale of the teammates. The closer you get with your guys, the better guys play together, the more you can trust each other….
“I’m just a hard worker,” West continued. “I put my nose down. I don’t look at all the flashy stuff, the media. I just go in and work hard. I’m always the same guy you’re going to see every morning. I’m gonna walk into the facility with a smile on my face, making jokes. And when it’s time to work, it’s time to work.”
Even as an undersized defensive tackle, West believes he possesses the skills necessary to play at an elite level in the NFL.
“I’m a very violent player, and I’m very violent with my hands,” West said. “I feel like that’ll really transfer at the next level. I’ve got really quick hands, quick feet, so I think that’ll do very well for me when I go on to play in the NFL.”
As he stood at the podium and took in everything and everyone around him, West didn’t forget to mention where he came from and the adversity that he and his family had gone through for him to reach this moment.
“Back in 2022, when I was still at Kent State, my childhood home burned down when I was away at school,” West said. “My mom was by herself with my brother at the time. It was tough for me because my mom was going through a lot. She was going from hotel to hotel, house to house, running places while we’re waiting on all the insurance to come back and figure out the building of the house….
“It was really tough seeing my mom struggle and not really being there to help with that situation,” West continued. “My mom is a very hard-working person. No matter what, she’s never gonna let anything take her down. She’s gonna keep going and keep rolling. She just continues going no matter what the situation is. That’s where I get my motivation and work ethic from.”
