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The Ball State Cardinals have an interesting recruiting class in 2018 as they have several transfers coming in that come in and play right away. The class has 20 recruits, eight of which are three-star prospects, and came in at #118 in the country per 247sports.com. Let’s see how Mike Neu’s latest class will translate in Muncie in the near future.
QB Hank Hughes - Richardson, Texas, Texas A&M (6’2”, 210 lbs.)
QB John Paddock - Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Bloomfield Hills High School (6’0”, 185 lbs., three-star)
The Cards added some depth to the quarterback position with the acquisitions of Hughes and Paddock. The former has great accuracy but needs to be able to make throws in the pocket while the latter has some athleticism, good feet, and a big arm.
RB Tye Evans - Macedonia, Ohio, Nordonia High School (6’0”, 230 lbs., two-star)
Evans is a versatile athlete that can make plays from the slot as well as the backfield. He’s a very powerful runner in the open field, but he’ll be challenged to be an every-down back at the next level by being asked to do more in pass protection.
WR Yo’Heinz Tyler - New Orleans, Lousiana, Warren Easton High School (6’4”, 200 lbs., three-star)
Tyler provides a big target for QBs and he’s more than capable of doing some serious damage after the catch. If he can pick up a college playbook quickly and become an effective blocker on the perimeter, expect to see him on the field sooner rather than later.
OL Joseph Boggs - Reynoldsburg, Ohio, Reynoldsburg High School (6’5”, 290 lbs., two-star)
OL Thomas Lopez - Middletown, New Jersey, ASA College (6’5”, 300 lbs., three-star)
OL Luke Martin - Noblesville, Indiana, Fishers High School (6’4”, 290 lbs., three-star)
OL Jaylen Turner - Indianapolis, Indiana, Arsenal Tech High School (6’4”, 305 lbs., three-star)
BSU got some serious depth on the OL to develop in the next couple of years. Boggs can be an anchor at OT despite being heavy-footed at times, Lopez brings a lot of physicality at the guard position, Martin is good enough of an athlete to get out on pulls and screens, and Turner is a great finisher at OT. Expect Lopez to challenge for playing time in the fall as there are five upperclassmen OLs on the roster.
TE Caleb Murray - Prospect, Kentucky, Trinity High School (6’6”, 250 lbs., two-star)
TE Wes Obermeier - Fort Branch, Indiana, Gibson Southern High School (6’6”, 235 lbs., three-star)
You can’t go wrong with big targets in the passing game like Murray and Obermeier, and their games complement each other. The former is a capable blocker, while the latter is a match-up nightmare for DBs in the passing game.
DE Shannon Hall - Indianapolis, Indianapolis, College of DuPage (6’2”, 260 lbs., two-star)
DE Jack Sape - Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Bloomfield Hills High School (6’4”, 260 lbs., two-star)
Defensively, Hall is wrecking ball on the edge and should see some playing time in 2018, while Sape has a great nose for the football and shows good burst. With six DEs already on the roster, Hall will have to perform well in fall camp in order to see the field.
DT Emeka Jillani - Indianapolis, Indiana, Lutheran High School (6’2”, 295 lbs., two-stars)
DT Kyron Mims - Baton Rouge, Lousiana, Woodlawn High School (6’4”, 275 lbs., three-star)
Ball State picked up some long-term prospects to fill the middle of the DL with Jillani and Mims. Jillani can hold his ground at the point of attack, while Mims moves well enough to play a lot of different positions on the DL. After a redshirt year, these two should be ready to contribute.
LB Davion Tyson - Delphos, Ohio, Delphos Jefferson High School (6’3”, 220 lbs., two-star)
LB Ray Wilborn - Lansing, Michigan, Garden City Community College (6’4”, 225 lbs., three-star)
Tyson is a long, athletic OLB/DE-type that can set the edge for your defense, while Wilborn is a complete LB that can run, hit, and cover. These two will likely sit out this season, but look for them to make an impact in 2019.
DB Tyler ‘Red’ Potts - Pickerington, Ohio, Pickerington North High School (5’11”, 175 lbs., two-star)
DB D.T. Stephens - Augusta, Georgia, Academy of Richmond County (6’0”, 185 lbs., two-star)
DB Amechi Uzodinma II - Orlando, Florida, University High School (6’0”, 185 lbs., two-star)
With only five corners on the roster, someone from this trio could end up seeing the field in 2018. Potts is a good cover corner that’ll need to be more physical in college, Stephens is raw as a corner but has exceptional ball skills, and Uzodinma II has phenomenal athleticism and ball skills.
K/P Patrick LeCorre - Minneapolis, Minnesota, Eastern Arizona College (6’0”, 200 lbs., two-star)
Hoping to break the curse of #MACKickers, LeCorre has a big leg that can change field position on punts and kickoffs, and can be a weapon on BSU’s field goal team. He’ll have to adjust to kicking on mostly turf fields and the Midwestern climate, but Neu might have gotten a gem in this year’s class.
Next up in the National Signing Day 2018 Recap series: the Eastern Michigan Eagles. You can get caught up with the recaps below.