2021 Ball State Cardinals

[Leonardfan]

Since 2005, Ball State have started 14, 10, 7, 7, 11, 12, 14, 9, 8, 9, 9, 10 , 9 and 8 white players with no write up done in 2013. Projected to start 8 again in 2021.

The Cardinals do have a few names to look out for. RB Carson Steele being the biggest name - he was an all state RB in Indiana. Per the article I read both Purdue and Indiana offered him to be a preferred walk on with Indiana wanting to convert him to LB. Steele wisely declined both offers and I am pretty sure he is a scholarship player at Ball St.

Ball State also has a preferred walk on in CB Alex Stirn - hopefully he will be able to get on scholarship and be a starting CB.

Laughably they recruited a black quarterback from Florida this past season. I will be rooting hard for any of the midwestern White kids to take over for Plitt after this season.

Players to look out for - RB Will Jones - split carries and should see alot of action this year, RB Carson Steele (winner of Indiana's Mr. Football award/All State selection), WR Trevor Hohlt, DT Josh Tarango, DL Nathan Reichert, DL John Harris LB Clayton Coll, OLB Brock Burns, OLB Nate Pedraza (3 star), OLB Brandon Berger (3 star, S Seth Dunnuck (productive HS player - assuming he is a walk on of course), S Ben Egenolf, CB Alex Stirn (preferred walk on)

Offense
QB Drew Plitt
FB Cody Rudy
TE Dylan Koch
LT Kaleb Slaven
C Anthony Todd
RG Curtis Blackwell

Defense
DE Jake Sape
LB Jimmy Daw

 

[Leonardfan]

Article on Carson Steele: https://www.indystar.com/story/spor...ll-carson-steele-signs-ball-state/4375642001/


When it came down to making a college decision, Carson Steele settled on two choices: Ball State or Purdue.

Ball State offered Steele a scholarship a year ago, barely two months removed from an injury-shortened season that limited him to just three games. Purdue offered the Center Grove running back a preferred walk-on spot in December, a week before he was crowned 2020 IndyStar Mr. Football, the first player from Center Grove to receive the honor.

Steele decided, for multiple reasons, to commit to Ball State. He made it official when he signed his National Letter of Intent on Wednesday, the first day of the traditional football signing period.

“(Ball State) kept with me,” Steele said. “They offered me a year ago and stayed with me through the injuries and kept talking with me, telling me they trust in me and believe in me. That showed me they are in it no matter what happens. That was a big factor.”

Steele returned from his injury-plagued junior year to run for 1,659 yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior and lead Center Grove to a 14-0 record and the Class 6A state championship. The 6-1, 215-pound Steele finished his high school career with 5,907 rushing yards and 82 rushing TDs, breaking 16 single-season and career records at Center Grove.

Along the way, Steele picked up scholarship offers from Ball State, Indiana State, Illinois State, Southern Illinois and Western Illinois. After his senior season, both Indiana and Purdue offered him a preferred walk-on spot. It was a route that appealed to the 2019 Mr. Football, New Palestine running back Charlie Spegal, who was on Indiana’s scout team last season as a redshirt freshman.

Steele said Indiana talked to him about potentially switching to linebacker, but was open to him trying out at running back. So was Purdue. But he sensed more of an opportunity at Ball State to play immediately. The Cardinals, coming off a 7-1 season, a victory in the Arizona Bowl and a No. 23 national ranking, are expected to return Tye Evans (360 rushing yards, two TDs), Will Jones (276 yards, two TDs) and Brownsburg graduate Donny Marcus (82 yards) at running back next season.

“I just want to go somewhere and play,” Steele said. “I don’t really want to go sit the bench for a couple years and then try to play. I want to go somewhere and play right away. I think at Ball State I’ll have that opportunity if I go in and work hard. It was definitely a tough decision.”

It was difficult because there wasn'ta chance to see if he could make a run at playing in the Big Ten Conference. But he felt Ball State “treated me right with an offer.” Not that it will be as easy as walking into automatic playing time. Steele does not expect any favors.

“I definitely have to get back to the basics,” he said. “It’s a ‘Day One’ type of thing, like a freshman going into high school. You have to fight for your spot. Nobody is going to know me at Ball State, so I have to go in there and work for it.”

Steele will at least be familiar with a couple of faces at Ball State. Two former Center Grove teammates, wide receiver Trevor Hohlt and offensive lineman Ethan Crowe, are on the roster. Beyond the opportunity to play is the chance to play for a winning program, which is something Steele is used to at Center Grove.

The Cardinals’ 34-13 win over previously unbeaten San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl on New Year’s Eve was the first bowl win in program history.

“People probably don’t realize it, but Ball State was the only Indiana team to win a bowl game,” Steele said. “The program keeps getting more successful. Once I saw their season this year, that definitely played a part in my decision.”

 

[TwentyTwo]

Athlon's listed RB Will Jones as a starter ...i realize the pre season publication does not take into account of August scrimmages ...wouldn't totally surprise me to see Will Jones lead Ball State in rushing ....last season (8 games) he rushed for 276 ....the other returning RB(starter?) Evans rushed for 360.... Will Jones had a 80 yard TD Run his freshman season in '18

THANKS for the head's up for Carson Steele! Hopefully he can stay healthy & make a big impact! Like how the article mentions another over achieving lunch-pail RB Charlie Spegal

Hopefully a few more pale faces can get on Defense....a Gulf South football observer would expect more than 2 whites on a Defense from a Northern/Midwestern mid-major team like Ball State

 

[Bucky]

18 for 93 and a TD for Jones !

7 for 79 and a TD for Steele!

Nice debut for their RB Duo!

LB Coll had 5 tkls, not sure if he was starting but decent numbers.

 

[El Gringo]

Strong is going to be a stud! It’s awesome that Ball St is giving these guys a chance instead of making them walk on or converting to Linebacker. Hopefully he continues to excel and make Indiana/Purdue regret their decision. Link to 36 yard run. https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401309540