Overview:New Coach Brady Hoke signed 19 players from seven different states.Coach Hoke was able to keep nine of the eleven verbals that were given to
former coach, Bill Lynch.The two
players who signed elsewhere went to rival MAC West schools while the Cardinals
were able to persuade Antonio Tharpe away from Akron.This was a well-balanced class that focused more on skill positions than
linemen.
Highlights:
WR
Bryan Williamson was one of the top receivers in Ohio and in the Midwest.He gives Ball State their best big play threat at wideout since Brian
Oliver in the mid-1990s.
Ball
State signed bigger DBs to counter with the bigger WRs that the MAC has been
attracting since the late 1990s.
Kicker
Brian Jackson is considered to be one of the most accurate kicking prospects
in the country, falling in line with the many quality kickers this school
has produced.
Speed
still needs to be addressed at Ball State and this class did not bring in as
much as most other MAC programs signed.
Michael
Turner, the #4 rated all-purpose back in the country by Rivals.com,
seriously considered signing Ball State but then opted to sign with
Wisconsin.
Final
Thoughts:
Ball
State always seems to find quality kickers and quality student athletes for
their football program.This class
falls in line with that trend.Ball
State has some of the conferences worst football facilities that has to put a
stranglehold on the BSU coaches during recruiting visits.Like many Cardinal classes, this years group looks to be great at GPAs
but short on speed.Overall this
class rates as AVERAGE
compared to the other classes this year in the MAC.
