Ball State Football 2014 Spring Wrap Up

Strengths & question marks coming out of spring 

The team’s strength offensively is the offensive line and the run game. Jahwan Edwards is back and is one of the MAC’s most talented running backs. He will benefit from running behind the offensive line, which returns four starters from last season.

The biggest question mark is who is going to be the starting quarterback in the season opener against Colgate. The Cardinals have two very talented receivers in Jordan Williams and KeVonn Mabon, Jack Milas and Ozzie Mann are the two leading contenders to be the quarterback throwing the ball to them.

Defensively, the linebacker corps is the strongest unit. Zack Ryan is a former walk-on and younger brother of Michigan linebacker Jake Ryan who performed well in his first year as a starter. Ben Ingle is well on his way to becoming one of the best linebackers in the MAC, Sean Wiggins played well as a true freshman, and Aaron Taylor has been impressive after moving down from safety.

New defensive coordinator Kevin Kelly has said the Cardinals are going to use a multitude of defensive fronts and concepts; I wouldn’t be surprised to see him use the 3-4 a lot to get all four linebackers on the field at the same time.

The defensive line is the biggest question mark heading into the season, three of the four starters from last season graduated. Carlutorbantu Zaramo, Michael Ayers, and Darnell Smith all gained experience as backups last year, it remains to be seen if they can successfully transition to being starters.

Name a few breakout players to keep an eye on in 2014

Offensively I would keep an eye on tight end Sam Brunner. He’s a former high school tackle, so he’s a good blocker, but also has the athleticism to make an impact as a receiving threat.

I would also keep an eye on true freshman slot receiver Corey Lacanaria, he caught 65 passes for 1,111 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior and the Cardinals don’t currently have a clear cut starter at slot receiver.

Defensively I think Taylor has the potential to be an impact player. He has the speed and athleticism to keep up with tight ends and slot receivers and has a reputation as a hard-hitter.

Grade each position group

QB: C+  This grade will likely be higher at the end of the season. Milas and Mann are both talented, but as a redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomore respectively they don’t have a lot of experience. I wouldn’t be surprised if offensive coordinator Joey Lynch relies on the running game early into the season to ease the new starter’s transition.

RB: B  This grade would be either a B+ or an A- had backup Horactio Banks not torn his ACL late in the season. If Banks is fully healthy he’s the lightning to Edwards’ thunder in the running game and gives Coach Lynch a potent 1-2 punch. Edwards should end his career as Ball State’s all-time leading rusher with a strong season; Teddy Williamson will also push for playing time as his backup.

WR: B+  Williams was last season’s breakout player and helps cushion the blow of losing Willie Snead to the NFL draft. He’ll be joined in the starting lineup by Mabon, who broke his collarbone against North Texas and missed most of last season after playing well as a true freshman. Both Williams and Mabon are tall, physical receivers capable of winning jump balls in the end zone. Senior Chris Shillings is on top of the depth chart as the third receiver exiting spring practice but he’ll be pushed by Lacanaria and former walk-on Aaron Hepp.  

TE: B  Brunner and Dylan Curry complement each other well, with Curry being more of a traditional in-line blocking tight end. Michael Raby is another blocking tight end and redshirt freshman Calvin Blank is possibly the most physically gifted tight end on the roster. This grade would be higher except for the fact that Zane Fakes didn’t leave the field very often last season.

OL: B+  Senior P.J. Scott is likely new starter at guard, he was the primary backup along the offensive line last season and came to Ball State after being a two-year starter in junior college. He’ll be joined in the starting lineup by Steven Bell and Drake Miller at tackle, Jalen Schlachter at guard, and Jacob Richard at center.

DL: C+  This grade will hopefully be higher at the end of the season after the new starters gain experience. It’s tough to replace All-MAC players Jonathan Newsome and Nate Ollie, but the projected starters are talented in their own right.

LB: A-  As I mentioned earlier, this is the most talented unit on the defense. Ryan’s starting job might be under threat from Wiggins, who turned down a couple of ACC scholarships to come to Ball State.

CB: B  Eric Patterson has the talent, hopefully he can put together a consistent senior season after being benched in several games last season. Tyree Holder is the projected replacement for Jeffrey Garrett; he gained experience as a starter last season filling in for Patterson when he was benched and as an injury replacement for Garrett. Quintin Cooper is the nickelback, how much playing time he receives will depend on how often Coach Kelly pulls a linebacker.

S: B+  Martez Hester and Dae’Shaun Hurley both played well last season as redshirt freshmen and are both contending to start this year. Brian Jones played well last season as the starting strong safety after a terrible sophomore year but might find himself squeezed out of the starting lineup this season.

ST: B+  Kicker Scott Secor had some shaky moments early last year but settled in as a quality kicker and remains the kick off specialist as well. Punter Kyle Schmidt has a big leg, but will need to improve his consistency if he wants to be the next All-MAC punter from Ball State.

What can we expect from Ball State in 2014?

So far under Coach Lembo I’ve looked silly each year with my projected win-loss record versus how the team actually performed but here goes nothing. I think the Cardinals will slightly regress in 2014 due to the team having to replace Keith Wenning at quarterback.

I see the Colgate, Indiana State, Army, Eastern Michigan, and UMass games as games Ball State should win. I see the Toledo, Western Michigan, and Bowling Green games as toss-ups, while the Iowa and Northern Illinois games are probable losses. Overall, I think the team will go 8-4 this season and hopefully snap the bowl loss streak.

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Brandon Smith of Hustle Belt provided the information for our Ball State Football 2014 Spring Wrap Up. For more Ball State football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow Brandon on Twitter @Ball_U_Blog & @HustleBelt.

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