Ball State football storylines to keep an eye on at spring showcase

Between Luster's athletic pedigree and Mizzell's collegiate starting experience, the two transfers seem to be Ball State's top options under center this year as the younger arms develop. The spring showcase should paint a clearer picture of which one will take the opening snap at Ohio State in September.

Who will command touches in Ball State's offense?

Quarterback isn't the only offensive position where Ball State will feature new starters. The Cardinals are looking to replace their most productive running back and tight end, as well as three of their top wide receivers. There are plenty of candidates to replace these players among both returners and transfers, and spring showcase may provide an early glimpse at the pecking order for touches.

At wide receiver, Ball State added four transfers — Corey Thompson Jr. from Utah State, Jabari Smith Jr. from Florida Atlantic, CJ Nelson from Eastern Illinois and DJ Young from Siena Heights. All four have similar physical profiles and were productive at their previous stops, and with so many targets up for grabs, any of them could emerge as a breakout transfer find. The Cardinals also have some solid holdovers at receiver. Redshirt sophomore Donovan Hamilton broke out down the stretch last season, redshirt junior Isaiah Thacker has had a strong spring and true sophomore Elisha Durham was one of the stars of last year's showcase.

Ball State wide receiver Elisha Durham during the Ball State football Spring Showcase at Scheumann Stadium on Saturday, April 12, 2025.

While Ball State was aggressive in its pursuit of wide receivers, the Cardinals didn't see much activity at running back. Last year's leading rusher, Qua Ashley, hit the portal, but Ball State's other four running backs all returned — redshirt juniors Elijah Jackson and TJ Horton, redshirt sophomore Jalen Alexander and redshirt freshman Jalen Bonds. Ball State also added Kansas transfer Johnny Thompson Jr. and true freshmen Anthony McMullen and Char'rese Breveard to the mix. Their relative lack of additions seems to indicate that the staff likes the returning backfield, but the depth at running back gives them the ability to play a committee.

Who will fills holes left in the front seven?

Ball State lost nearly its entire front seven on defense to graduation or the transfer portal. Linebackers Joey Stemler, Alfred Chea, Jack Beebe and Jackson Wiegold all used up their eligibility, as did breakout transfer portal gem Nathan Voorhis. Meanwhile, other significant contributors like linebacker Caden Johnson and defensive tackle Darin Conley transferred elsewhere.

The Cardinals added some experienced players from the portal in order to fill these gaps. Outside linebacker Jared Badie (San Diego State), linebackers Cincear Lewis (Cincinnati) and Gavin Forsha (Tennessee State) and defensive end Austin Stief (Davenport) are all seniors or redshirt seniors who will look to make an impact during their final seasons of collegiate eligibility.

The Cardinals also added a significant amount of front seven players from the Power 4 level. In addition to Lewis at linebacker, Ball State also brought in defensive end Maverick Gracio (Pitt) and defensive tackles Ka'Shawn Thomas (Wake Forest), Keilan Smith (Cincinnati) and Kendrick Gilbert (Louisville) to shore up the defensive line.

Last year's spring showcase saw Voorhis dominate the day and give fans an early signal of the game wrecker he would become for the Ball State defense. This year's roster has no shortage of candidates who could do the same thing.

Contact Cade Hampton via email at cbhampton@usatodayco.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Ball State football storylines to watch at 2026 spring showcase