Ball State Cardinals
4-8 2025 record (3-5 conf)
Title odds (#55 board)
Win total (O -118)
29% Returning starter games
98th Hardest path of 138
Coaching
All coachesMike Uremovich Head Coach · 2nd year
4–8 Career · 2 seasons, all at BALL
Multiple Offense
3-4 Defense
Returning production
| Unit | Ret games | Games | Depth | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skill offense | 29% | 19 / 65 | 5 / 13 | 14% |
| Offensive line | 63% | 32 / 51 | 4 / 8 | 44% |
| Defensive front | 0% | 0 / 78 | 6 / 18 | 11% |
| Secondary | 38% | 21 / 55 | 5 / 14 | 14% |
Back 20
Gone 35
Eric McClain CB · 4 INT+PD · 12g · to UNM 18%
New 9
Jabari Smith Jr. WR · 166 yds · 9g · from FAU 
Johnny Thompson Jr. RB · 75 yds · 4g · from KU 
Jared Badie OLB · 2 havoc · 12g · from SDSU 
Stu Smith DB · 0 INT+PD · 11g · from PUR 
Anthony Pinnace DB · 0 INT+PD · 9g · from MSU 
Maverick Gracio DE · 3 havoc · 7g · from PITT 2025 Percentile vs FBS
Offense
Points per game 15.8 3
Explosive play rate 9.0% 12
Red zone TD rate 59.0% 10
Line yards per carry 1.4 1
Sack rate allowed 15.4% 0
Defense
Points allowed per game 29.8 24
Explosive rate allowed 13.0% 16
Red zone score rate allowed 81.4% 63
Line yards per carry allowed 2.7 32
Sack rate 5.5% 35
2025 Margin by Game
PUR
AUB
UNH
CONN
OHIO
WMU
AKR
NIU
KENT
EMU
TOL
M-OH
2026 schedule
98th-hardest path in FBS · 1 title-contender games · 7 road| W1 | Sat 4:30 PM | @ |  Ohio State | 12-2 | 83 | BTN | |
| W2 | Sat 6:00 PM | vs | Stony Brook Seawolves | 8 | ESPN+ | ||
| W3 | Sat 8:00 PM | @ |  Liberty | 4-8 | 33 | ESPN+ | |
| W4 | Sat 5:00 PM | @ |  Kent State | 5-7 | 30 | ||
| W5 | Sat 5:00 PM | vs |  Toledo | 8-5 | 34 | ||
| W6 | Sat 5:00 PM | @ |  Northwestern | 7-6 | 41 | ||
| W7 | Sat 5:00 PM | @ |  Bowling Green | 4-8 | 28 | ||
| W8 | Sat 5:00 PM | vs |  Sacramento State | 26 | |||
| W10 | Wed 6:00 PM | @ |  UMass | 0-12 | 15 | ||
| W11 | Wed 6:00 PM | vs |  Buffalo | 5-7 | 23 | ||
| W12 | Wed 12:00 AM | @ |  Ohio | 9-4 | 42 | ||
| W13 | Sat 5:00 PM | vs |  Central Michigan | 7-6 | 29 |
Depth chart
Transfer First year| Starter | 2nd | 3rd | |
|---|---|---|---|
| QB |  Tyler Mizzell JR · #9 |  Keldric Luster JR · #6 | |
| RB |  TJ Horton JR · #4 | Jalen Bonds FR · #2 | Johnny Thompson Jr. JR · #20 |
| WR-X |  Elisha Durham SO · #14 |  Corey Thompson Jr. JR · #3 | DJ Young JR · #17 |
| WR-Z |  Donovan Hamilton SO · #1 |  Isaiah Thacker JR · #11 |  Jamarion McDougle SR · #10 |
| WR-SL | Jabari Smith Jr. JR · #5 |  CJ Nelson SR · #7 |  Derion Talbert FR · #80 |
| TE |  Tate Hoover JR · #84 |  Sean Ward SR · #89 |  Alex Scherle SR · #12 |
| LT |  Chris Hood SR · #66 |  Brady Barrowman FR · #71 | |
| LG |  Zach Bandy SO · #75 | ||
| C |  Maxwell Wentz SR · #63 |  Jackson Ruess JR · #67 | |
| RG |  Cole Mosier JR · #73 |  Grant Haworth SO · #68 | |
| RT |  Tristan Cook SO · #70 |  Luke Dalton SR · #61 |
Roster 116
| # | Player | Pos | Class | Ht | Wt | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 |  DJ Fields | DB | JR | 6'1" | 192 | St. Charles, MO |
| 0 |  Elijah Jackson | RB | JR | 5'8" | 182 | Indianapolis, IN |
| 1 | Donovan Hamilton | WR | SO | 6'4" | 210 | Fishers, IN |
| 1 | Stu Smith | DB | JR | 5'11" | 198 | Indianapolis, IN |
| 2 | Jalen Bonds | RB | FR | 6'0" | 215 | Indianapolis, IN |
| 2 |  Tobi Adewoyin | DB | SO | 5'11" | 185 | Atlanta, GA |
| 3 |  George Okorie | DE | SO | 6'3" | 240 | Vancouver, BC, CAN |
| 3 | Corey Thompson Jr. | WR | JR | 5'10" | 168 | San Diego, CA |
| 4 | TJ Horton | RB | JR | 5'10" | 200 | Lexington, KY |
| 4 |  Will Yates | DB | JR | 6'0" | 177 | Springboro, OH |
| 5 | Jabari Smith Jr. | WR | JR | 5'9" | 160 | Orlando, FL |
| 5 |  Chris Jackson | DB | SR | 5'11" | 172 | San Diego, CA |
| 6 |  Cincear Lewis | LB | SR | 6'2" | 222 | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 6 | Keldric Luster | QB | JR | 5'10" | 250 | McKinney, TX |
| 7 |  Ben Marsh | DE | JR | 6'2" | 252 | Hilliard, OH |
| 7 | CJ Nelson | WR | SR | 5'11" | 184 | North Richland Hills, TX |
| 8 |  Avery Stuart | DB | JR | 6'1" | 206 | Montgomery, AL |
| 8 |  Mason Riggins | TE | FR | 6'5" | 248 | Zionsville, IN |
| 9 | Tyler Mizzell | QB | JR | 6'1" | 170 | Denver, NC |
| 9 |  Justin Thomas | OLB | SR | 6'0" | 241 | Flossmoor, IL |
| 10 | Jamarion McDougle | WR | SR | 6'0" | 180 | Deerfield Beach, FL |
| 10 | Austin Stief | DE | SR | 6'4" | 215 | Orlando, FL |
| 11 |  Layton Starks | OLB | SO | 6'4" | 235 | Versailles, KY |
| 11 | Isaiah Thacker | WR | JR | 5'11" | 195 | New Palestine, IN |
| 12 | Alex Scherle | TE | SR | 6'4" | 255 | Rochester Hills, MI |
| 12 |  Deondre Shepherd | DB | SO | 5'11" | 195 | McKinney, TX |
| 13 | Khalel Wright | QB | FR | 6'1" | 195 | Charlotte, NC |
| 13 |  Kamron Chamble | DB | FR | 5'11" | 180 | Daytona Beach, FL |
| 14 | Elisha Durham | WR | SO | 6'1" | 175 | Pontiac, MI |
| 14 | Anthony Pinnace | DB | SR | 6'0" | 155 | Ypsilanti, MI |
| 15 | Tayshon Bardo | WR | FR | 6'0" | 180 | Elkhart, IN |
| 15 |  Jovan Clark | LB | FR | 5'10" | 200 | Chicago, IL |
| 16 | Mason Atkins | QB | FR | 6'3" | 218 | North Aurora, IL |
| 16 |  Kaleb Stewart | LB | SO | 6'0" | 246 | Broward County, FL |
| 17 | Kamari Williams | DB | SO | 6'1" | 190 | Baltimore, MD |
| 17 | DJ Young | WR | JR | 6'0" | 174 | Lafayette, IN |
| 18 |  Cedric Franklin II | DB | SO | 6'1" | 187 | Mableton, GA |
| 18 |  Bodie Derrer | QB | SO | 6'2" | 211 | Arcadia, IN |
| 19 |  Zyon Hill | DB | FR | 6'3" | 182 | Fishers, IN |
| 19 | Lachlan Mathieson | P | FR | 6'2" | 185 | Melbourne,, AUS |
| 20 |  Cole Earlewine | DB | JR | 5'11" | 206 | Fishers, IN |
| 20 | Johnny Thompson Jr. | RB | JR | 5'10" | 193 | Canoga Park, CA |
| 21 |  Diante Griffin | DB | SR | 5'9" | 192 | Lima, OH |
| 21 | Anthony McMullen Jr. | RB | FR | 5'10" | 217 | Akron, OH |
| 22 | Gavin Yates-Lyons | DB | FR | 6'2" | 175 | Greenville, FL |
| 23 |  Jordan Suggs | DB | SO | 6'0" | 178 | O'Fallon, IL |
| 24 |  Gabe Aramboles | DB | FR | 5'11" | 215 | Westfield, IN |
| 24 | Tate Hoover | TE | JR | 6'2" | 252 | Manhattan, KS |
| 25 | Mikeah Webster | LB | FR | 6'1" | 238 | Sheridan, IN |
| 25 | Char'rese Breveard | RB | FR | 5'8" | 184 | Elkhart, IN |
| 26 |  Lucas Szymborski | LB | FR | 6'1" | 220 | Crown Point, IN |
| 27 |  Gavin Forsha | LB | SR | 6'3" | 224 | Nashville, TN |
| 28 | Stone Perkins | DB | FR | 5'11" | 198 | Louisville, KY |
| 29 |  Micah Lillard | DB | SO | 6'1" | 198 | Lafayette, IN |
| 30 |  Donovan Lanier | DB | FR | 6'0" | 174 | Winter Garden, FL |
| 31 | Jared Badie | OLB | SR | 6'3" | 236 | Aurora, IL |
| 32 |  Cole Stumbaugh | P | SO | 6'2" | 220 | Plainfield, IL |
| 33 |  Quentavius Scandrett | DB | SR | 6'3" | 206 | Clayton, GA |
| 34 | Coby Tripp | LS | FR | 6'0" | 200 | Spring Arbor, MI |
| 35 | Drew Bostic | DB | FR | 5'8" | 175 | Brownsburg, IN |
| 36 | Cole Mynett | LB | FR | 6'0" | 224 | Muncie, IN |
| 37 |  Hudson Fiene | K | JR | 5'10" | 177 | Yorkville, IL |
| 38 |  Jayden Bernavil | DB | JR | 5'7" | 193 | Indianapolis, IN |
| 38 |  Brody Boehm | K/P | SO | 6'1" | 203 | Westfield, IN |
| 39 | Maverick Gracio | DE | JR | 6'4" | 245 | West Palm Beach, FL |
| 40 | Gannon Knowles | LB | FR | 6'0" | 205 | Indianapolis, IN |
| 41 | Zach Becker | TE | FR | 6'3" | 223 | Vernon Hills, IL |
| 42 | AJ Seymour | TE | FR | 6'4" | 235 | Brookfield, WI |
| 44 | Lucas Andresen | TE | FR | 6'3" | 220 | Chicago, IL |
| 45 |  Caden Britton | LS | SR | 5'10" | 204 | New Albany, OH |
| 45 | Sebastian Moore | DB | FR | 6'0" | 170 | Fort Wayne, IN |
| 48 |  Sam Feeney | OLB | SO | 6'2" | 205 | Indianapolis, IN |
| 50 |  Carsen Burckhardt | LB | FR | 5'10" | 225 | Long Lake, MN |
| 51 | CJ Sanchez | DT | FR | 6'4" | 280 | North Judson, IN |
| 52 |  Michael Thacker | DT | FR | 6'0" | 290 | New Palestine, IN |
| 54 | Evan Downer | OL | FR | 6'4" | 300 | Palatine, IL |
| 54 | Spencer Vaka | DT | JR | 6'1" | 303 | Shawnee, KS |
| 55 | Dominic Infelise | DT | FR | 6'3" | 300 | New Lenox, IL |
| 55 | Michael Varon | OL | FR | 6'3" | 301 | Palatine, IL |
| 56 |  Ameir Glenn | DT | SO | 6'1" | 304 | Fairburn, GA |
| 56 | Jacob Jeudy | OL | SR | 6'3" | 290 | Miami, FL |
| 57 | Nolan Cicero | OL | FR | 6'4" | 301 | Crown Point, IN |
| 57 | Reese Hill | DT | SO | 6'3" | 296 | Greenfield, IN |
| 58 |  Keilan Smith | DT | JR | 6'2" | 335 | Pickerington, OH |
| 60 |  Blake Scriber | OL | SO | 6'2" | 303 | Cincinnati, OH |
| 61 | Luke Dalton | OL | SR | 6'4" | 304 | Crystal Lake, IL |
| 62 | Sam Spicer | OL | FR | 6'4" | 300 | Mount Juliet, TN |
| 63 | Maxwell Wentz | OL | SR | 6'3" | 301 | Huntington, WV |
| 65 |  Ryan Eldridge | OL | FR | 6'7" | 287 | Goshen, IN |
| 66 | Chris Hood | OL | SR | 6'10" | 330 | Kendallville, IN |
| 67 | Jackson Ruess | OL | JR | 6'4" | 298 | Crown Point, IN |
| 68 | Grant Haworth | OL | SO | 6'2" | 303 | Fishers, IN |
| 70 | Tristan Cook | OL | SO | 6'6" | 300 | Lexington, KY |
| 71 | Brady Barrowman | OL | FR | 6'4" | 303 | Minooka, IL |
| 72 | Brady Weber | OL | FR | 6'6" | 258 | Greenwood, IN |
| 73 | Cole Mosier | OL | JR | 6'4" | 305 | Columbia City, IN |
| 74 | Khristian Zachary | DT | SR | 6'3" | 278 | Fayetteville, GA |
| 75 | Zach Bandy | OL | SO | 6'5" | 297 | Avon, IN |
| 76 | CJ Zeltwanger | OL | FR | 6'4" | 300 | West Lafayette, IN |
| 77 |  Misael Sandoval | OL | JR | 6'6" | 312 | Chula Vista, CA |
| 78 |  Kaden Mayle | OL | FR | 6'5" | 288 | Fremont, OH |
| 79 | Zion Haney | OL | FR | 6'3" | 301 | Indianapolis, IN |
| 80 | Derion Talbert | WR | FR | 5'8" | 157 | Lexington, KY |
| 81 |  Leo Collins | TE | JR | 6'3" | 234 | Evansville, IN |
| 82 | TJ Byard | WR | SO | 6'1" | 194 | North Muskegon, MI |
| 83 |  Eli Hohlt | WR | JR | 6'0" | 185 | Greenwood, IN |
| 85 | Ace Cooper | WR | FR | 5'10" | 162 | Cincinnati, OH |
| 87 | Cole Coonrod | TE | JR | 6'5" | 243 | Manhattan, KS |
| 89 | Sean Ward | TE | SR | 6'5" | 255 | Cleveland, OH |
| 90 |  Lincoln Mason | DT | FR | 6'6" | 289 | Wilsonville, OR |
| 91 |  Jamar Birden | DE | FR | 6'2" | 233 | Waycross, GA |
| 93 | Mason Holbrook | DT | FR | 6'2" | 270 | Hamilton, OH |
| 94 |  Ka'Shawn Thomas | DT | JR | 6'0" | 291 | Brunswick, GA |
| 96 | Joshua Coleman | DT | FR | 6'1" | 290 | Americus, GA |
| 97 | Myles Hancock | DT | SO | 6'1" | 296 | Corona, CA |
| 99 |  Kendrick Gilbert | DT | JR | 6'4" | 255 | Indianapolis, IN |