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MUNCIE — Ball State football held its annual Spring Showcase event on Saturday to give fans an early opportunity to check out the new-look Cardinals under new head coach Mike Uremovich.
With only seven regular starters from 2024 returning, there were plenty of new faces on the field at Scheumann Stadium for fans to start getting familiar with. Of those new faces, 15 were transfers, and many of those look primed to step in and start right away.
Like most college football programs in this era, Ball State opted for a two-hour practice with some controlled scrimmage situations rather than an organized, four-quarters game between offense and defense. However, there were still plenty of players who used the opportunity to show their skills.
Here are five top performers from Ball State's spring showcase:
More: Former Ball State football player Marlon Llewellyn bringing Jamaican cuisine to spring game
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Kiael Kelly looked every bit the part of a starting quarterback. He appeared calm and confident operating the offense and looked smooth as both a runner and a passer. The presumed first-team offense scored at will in redzone drills, as Kelly threw five passes for five touchdowns. He was very impressive in 7-on-7 drills as well.
Last season was frustrating for Kelly. After starting at QB for most of 2023, he moved to defensive back ahead of 2024 before moving back to offense to play wide receiver, a role where he couldn't quite crack the rotation. Now back at his natural position, Kelly seems ready to make his last season at Ball State his best one yet.
While Kelly and the offense produced a fair share of highlights, the best player on the field Saturday was defensive end Nathan Voorhis. The senior was a menace off the edge and consistently made the quarterbacks uncomfortable. It felt like Voorhis was involved on every single pressure, whether getting a sack or forcing the QB to roll into another oncoming rusher.
Voorhis produced five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss last season at Bryant and already looks like Ball State's top edge rusher. The Cardinals lack depth at defensive end with only four on the roster, but even if they add some reinforcements in the spring transfer portal, Voorhis should feel safe about his playing time.
Another transfer who looks primed to make a big impact is wide receiver Eric Weatherly. In WR-DB one-on-ones, Weatherly beat his man deep on his first route and then made a tough catch through some contact on a short zig route. He also flashed some speed on a jet sweep during 11-on-11 drills.
Weatherly seems to have developed some early chemistry with Kelly. Two of Kelly's five touchdown passes in redzone drills were to Weatherly, and the duo hooked up for big plays multiple times.
Ball State looks to have a deep running back room this year with speedy Kennesaw State transfer Qua Ashley and returners T.J. Horton and Jalen Alexander. However, it was Purdue transfer Elijah Jackson who stood out during the showcase. The redshirt sophomore flashed elite speed and elusiveness that separated him from the rest of the running back group.
At 5-foot-8, Jackson is the second-shortest player on the roster, and he has less experience than Ashley or Horton after playing sparingly for one season as a walk-on at Purdue. However, a guy with his level of speed is going to be difficult to keep off the field.
Most of Ball State's newcomers are transfers, but there are also 10 freshmen getting their first taste of spring ball. Of those freshmen, wide receiver Elisha Durham stuck out the most as a potential early-career breakout candidate after taking plenty of snaps alongside Kelly and Weatherly with the (presumed) first-team offense.
The former 3-star recruit out of West Bloomfield, Mich., looks the part of a college wide receiver with his 6-foot-1 frame, fluid movement and soft hands. He looks like he has a natural feel for both route-running and positioning and, like Weatherly, has quickly developed a rapport with Kelly. He could stand to put on some muscle at 155 pounds, but Durham is a name to keep an eye on in the future.
Contact Cade Hampton via email at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Ball State football: Spring Showcase top performers
Continue reading...
With only seven regular starters from 2024 returning, there were plenty of new faces on the field at Scheumann Stadium for fans to start getting familiar with. Of those new faces, 15 were transfers, and many of those look primed to step in and start right away.
Like most college football programs in this era, Ball State opted for a two-hour practice with some controlled scrimmage situations rather than an organized, four-quarters game between offense and defense. However, there were still plenty of players who used the opportunity to show their skills.
Here are five top performers from Ball State's spring showcase:
More: Former Ball State football player Marlon Llewellyn bringing Jamaican cuisine to spring game
More: Lessons in chemistry: Ball State football coaching staff was years in the making
QB Kiael Kelly
Kiael Kelly looked every bit the part of a starting quarterback. He appeared calm and confident operating the offense and looked smooth as both a runner and a passer. The presumed first-team offense scored at will in redzone drills, as Kelly threw five passes for five touchdowns. He was very impressive in 7-on-7 drills as well.
Last season was frustrating for Kelly. After starting at QB for most of 2023, he moved to defensive back ahead of 2024 before moving back to offense to play wide receiver, a role where he couldn't quite crack the rotation. Now back at his natural position, Kelly seems ready to make his last season at Ball State his best one yet.
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DE Nathan Voorhis
While Kelly and the offense produced a fair share of highlights, the best player on the field Saturday was defensive end Nathan Voorhis. The senior was a menace off the edge and consistently made the quarterbacks uncomfortable. It felt like Voorhis was involved on every single pressure, whether getting a sack or forcing the QB to roll into another oncoming rusher.
Voorhis produced five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss last season at Bryant and already looks like Ball State's top edge rusher. The Cardinals lack depth at defensive end with only four on the roster, but even if they add some reinforcements in the spring transfer portal, Voorhis should feel safe about his playing time.
WR Eric Weatherly
Another transfer who looks primed to make a big impact is wide receiver Eric Weatherly. In WR-DB one-on-ones, Weatherly beat his man deep on his first route and then made a tough catch through some contact on a short zig route. He also flashed some speed on a jet sweep during 11-on-11 drills.
Weatherly seems to have developed some early chemistry with Kelly. Two of Kelly's five touchdown passes in redzone drills were to Weatherly, and the duo hooked up for big plays multiple times.
RB Elijah Jackson
Ball State looks to have a deep running back room this year with speedy Kennesaw State transfer Qua Ashley and returners T.J. Horton and Jalen Alexander. However, it was Purdue transfer Elijah Jackson who stood out during the showcase. The redshirt sophomore flashed elite speed and elusiveness that separated him from the rest of the running back group.
At 5-foot-8, Jackson is the second-shortest player on the roster, and he has less experience than Ashley or Horton after playing sparingly for one season as a walk-on at Purdue. However, a guy with his level of speed is going to be difficult to keep off the field.
WR Elisha Durham
Most of Ball State's newcomers are transfers, but there are also 10 freshmen getting their first taste of spring ball. Of those freshmen, wide receiver Elisha Durham stuck out the most as a potential early-career breakout candidate after taking plenty of snaps alongside Kelly and Weatherly with the (presumed) first-team offense.
The former 3-star recruit out of West Bloomfield, Mich., looks the part of a college wide receiver with his 6-foot-1 frame, fluid movement and soft hands. He looks like he has a natural feel for both route-running and positioning and, like Weatherly, has quickly developed a rapport with Kelly. He could stand to put on some muscle at 155 pounds, but Durham is a name to keep an eye on in the future.
Contact Cade Hampton via email at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Ball State football: Spring Showcase top performers
Continue reading...
