Ball State University Athletics
Quintet of Cardinals garner All-MAC honors
December 01, 2021 | Football
Blackwell, Cosby, Hall, Snyder, Thomas earned all-conference recognition
CLEVELAND, Ohio – After concluding the regular season and securing bowl eligibility for the second consecutive campaign, Ball State placed five on the 2021 All-Mid-American Conference teams, the league office announced Wednesday.
The Cardinals had three representatives on the first team in Bryce Cosby (defensive back), Justin Hall (kickoff return specialist) and Nathan Snyder (punter). In addition, Ball State had three honorees on the second team in Curtis Blackwell (offensive lineman), Jaylin Thomas (linebacker) and Hall (wide receiver).
All five Cardinals have earned All-MAC laurels multiple times, led by Hall, who has been named an all-league player for the fifth consecutive season.
Blackwell served as a catalyst for the offensive line this season. Behind Blackwell, Ball State ran for 1,611 yards and 16 touchdowns during the regular season. The offense as a whole averaged nearly 336 yards per game and had a turnover margin of 0.83, good for ninth-best in the country.
The Uniondale, Ind. native was key in securing positive yardage for the Cardinals as he guided the line to allow only 3.8 tackles-for-loss per game, which was the 13th-best mark in the nation. Blackwell and Co. surrendered just 1.8 sacks per contest, which was among the lowest in the MAC.
Cosby was one of only six defensive backs in the country to amass 100 tackles during the regular season. His 103 stops ranked seventh in the conference overall and second among defensive backs.
The Louisville, Ky. native has 385 career tackles, which stands as seventh among all active players nationally and 10th in the Ball State record books. He is the only player in the country to log multiple games of at least 10 tackles, 1.0 sack and one forced fumble on the year, and he did it in back-to-back games at Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan.
Hall, who is a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, has seven All-MAC honors to his name – five as a receiver and two as a kick returner. He broke the program record for career all-purpose yards (5,359) and career receiving yards (3,385) and tied the NCAA record with for the most consecutive games catching a pass with 54.
The Douglasville, Ga. native was one of seven players in the country to score a touchdown via rush, reception and kickoff return during the regular season. Hall is responsible for 72 points this season through 12 touchdowns, which is tied for the eighth-most by a wide receiver in the country. His touchdown total is tied for sixth among all offensive players in the MAC. Hall has scored six touchdowns on the ground, five through reception and one by way of a kickoff return.
Snyder led the conference with 28 fair catches forced and 21 punts that were downed inside the 20-yard line. He totaled 2,218 yards on 52 punts, good for an average of 42.7 yards per boot. That mark was fourth-best in the league.
The Marysville, Ohio native boasts a 41.1 career punting average, which stands third in Cardinals history. He also has served as the team's holder for field goals and extra points and did not have a botched handle during the regular season.
Thomas had 107 tackles during the 12-game regular season, which was the fifth-most in the MAC. His 396 career tackles rank sixth among active players nationally and ninth on Ball State's all-time tackles list. He had four double-digit tackles games, including each of his last three games during which he totaled 40 stops.
The Lima, Ohio native tied for the most interceptions by a linebacker in the nation with four. That mark is tied for 11th overall among all defensive players.
2021 MAC Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year – Thomas Hammock, Northern Illinois
Offensive Player of the Year – Lew Nichols III, RB, Central Michigan
Defensive Player of the Year – Ali Fayad, DL, Western Michigan
Special Teams Player of the Year – Kalil Pimpleton, PR, Central Michigan
Freshman of the Year – Jay Ducker, RB, Northern Illinois
Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner – Dustin Crum, QB, Kent State
2021 All-MAC First Team Offense
Quarterback – Dustin Crum, Kent State
Offensive Lineman – Sidy Sow, Eastern Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Bernhard Raimann, Central Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Luke Goedeke, Central Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Bryce Harris, Toledo
Offensive Lineman – Mike Caliendo, Western Michigan
Tight End – Christian Sims, Bowling Green
Wide Receiver – Kalil Pimpleton, Central Michigan
Wide Receiver – Dante Cephas, Kent State
Wide Receiver – Jack Sorenson, Miami
Wide Receiver – Skyy Moore, Western Michigan
Running Back – Lew Nichols III, Central Michigan
Running Back – Bryant Koback, Toledo
Placekicker – Nate Needham, Bowling Green
2021 All-MAC First Team Defense
Down Lineman – Troy Hairston, Central Michigan
Down Lineman – Kameron Butler, Miami
Down Lineman – Jamal Hines, Toledo
Down Lineman – Ali Fayad, Western Michigan
Linebacker – Darren Anders, Bowling Green
Linebacker – James Patterson, Buffalo
Linebacker – Troy Brown, Central Michigan
Linebacker – Ivan Pace Jr. Miami
Defensive Back – Bryce Cosby, Ball State
Defensive Back – Elvis Hines, Kent State
Defensive Back – C.J. Brown, Northern Illinois
Defensive Back – Sam Womack, Toledo
Defensive Back – Tycen Anderson, Toledo
Punter – Nathan Snyder, Ball State
2021 All-MAC First Team Specialists
Kickoff Return Specialist – Justin Hall, Ball State
Kickoff Return Specialist – Kalil Pimpleton, Central Michigan
2021 All-MAC Second Team Offense
Quarterback – Kaleb Eleby, Western Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Curtis Blackwell, Ball State
Offensive Lineman – Jake Fuzak, Buffalo
Offensive Lineman – Bill Kuduk, Kent State
Offensive Lineman – Nolan Potter, Northern Illinois
Offensive Lineman – Brayden Patton, Northern Illinois
Tight End – Tristian Brank, Akron
Wide Receiver – Konata Mumpfield, Akron
Wide Receiver – Justin Hall, Ball State
Wide Receiver – Hassan Beydoun, Eastern Michigan
Wide Receiver – Trayvon Rudolph, Northern Illinois
Running Back – Marquez Cooper, Kent State
Running Back – Sean Tyler, Western Michigan
Placekicker – Chad Ryland, Eastern Michigan
2021 All-MAC Second Team Defense
Down Lineman – Daymond Williams, Buffalo
Down Lineman – Lonnie Phelps, Miami
Down Lineman – Desjuan Johnson, Toledo
Down Lineman – Ralph Holley, Western Michigan
Linebacker – Jaylin Thomas, Ball State
Linebacker – Matthew Salopek, Miami
Linebacker – Jonathan Jones, Toledo
Linebacker – Zaire Barnes, Western Michigan
Defensive Back – Jordan Anderson, Bowling Green
Defensive Back – Devonni Reed, Central Michigan
Defensive Back – Sterling Weatherford, Miami
Defensive Back – Dorian Jackson, Western Michigan
Punter – Jake Julien, Eastern Michigan
2021 All-MAC Second Team Specialists
Kickoff Return Specialist – Trayvon Rudolph, Northern Illinois
Kickoff Return Specialist – Devin Maddox, Toledo
2021 All-MAC Third Team Offense
Quarterback – Brett Gabbert, Miami
Offensive Lineman – Jack Klenk, Buffalo
Offensive Lineman – Brian Dooley, Eastern Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Nathan Monnin, Kent State
Offensive Lineman – Logan Zschernitz, Northern Illinois
Offensive Lineman – Vitaliy Gurman, Toledo
Tight End – Thomas Odukoya, Eastern Michigan
Wide Receiver – Quian Williams, Buffalo
Wide Receiver – Dallas Dixon, Central Michigan
Wide Receiver – JaCorey Sullivan, Central Michigan
Wide Receiver – Mac Hippenhammer, Miami
Running Back – Dylan McDuffie, Buffalo
Running Back – Clint Ratkovich, Northern Illinois
Placekicker – Andrew Glass, Kent State
2021 All-MAC Third Team Defense
Down Lineman – Karl Brooks, Bowling Green
Down Lineman – Jose Ramirez, Eastern Michigan
Down Lineman – Dominique Robinson, Miami
Down Lineman – James Ester, Northern Illinois
Linebacker – Lance Deveaux, Northern Illinois
Linebacker – Bryce Houston, Ohio
Linebacker – Dyontae Johnson, Toledo
Linebacker – Corvin Moment, Western Michigan
Defensive Back – Devin Taylor, Bowling Green
Defensive Back – Jordan Gandy, Northern Illinois
Defensive Back – Tariq Drake, Ohio
Defensive Back – Maxen Hook, Toledo
Punter – Matt Naranjo, Bowling Green
2021 All-MAC Third Team Specialists
Kickoff Return Specialist – Ron Cook, Buffalo
Kickoff Return Specialist – Marion Lukes, Central Michigan
The Cardinals had three representatives on the first team in Bryce Cosby (defensive back), Justin Hall (kickoff return specialist) and Nathan Snyder (punter). In addition, Ball State had three honorees on the second team in Curtis Blackwell (offensive lineman), Jaylin Thomas (linebacker) and Hall (wide receiver).
All five Cardinals have earned All-MAC laurels multiple times, led by Hall, who has been named an all-league player for the fifth consecutive season.
Blackwell served as a catalyst for the offensive line this season. Behind Blackwell, Ball State ran for 1,611 yards and 16 touchdowns during the regular season. The offense as a whole averaged nearly 336 yards per game and had a turnover margin of 0.83, good for ninth-best in the country.
The Uniondale, Ind. native was key in securing positive yardage for the Cardinals as he guided the line to allow only 3.8 tackles-for-loss per game, which was the 13th-best mark in the nation. Blackwell and Co. surrendered just 1.8 sacks per contest, which was among the lowest in the MAC.
Cosby was one of only six defensive backs in the country to amass 100 tackles during the regular season. His 103 stops ranked seventh in the conference overall and second among defensive backs.
The Louisville, Ky. native has 385 career tackles, which stands as seventh among all active players nationally and 10th in the Ball State record books. He is the only player in the country to log multiple games of at least 10 tackles, 1.0 sack and one forced fumble on the year, and he did it in back-to-back games at Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan.
Hall, who is a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, has seven All-MAC honors to his name – five as a receiver and two as a kick returner. He broke the program record for career all-purpose yards (5,359) and career receiving yards (3,385) and tied the NCAA record with for the most consecutive games catching a pass with 54.
The Douglasville, Ga. native was one of seven players in the country to score a touchdown via rush, reception and kickoff return during the regular season. Hall is responsible for 72 points this season through 12 touchdowns, which is tied for the eighth-most by a wide receiver in the country. His touchdown total is tied for sixth among all offensive players in the MAC. Hall has scored six touchdowns on the ground, five through reception and one by way of a kickoff return.
Snyder led the conference with 28 fair catches forced and 21 punts that were downed inside the 20-yard line. He totaled 2,218 yards on 52 punts, good for an average of 42.7 yards per boot. That mark was fourth-best in the league.
The Marysville, Ohio native boasts a 41.1 career punting average, which stands third in Cardinals history. He also has served as the team's holder for field goals and extra points and did not have a botched handle during the regular season.
Thomas had 107 tackles during the 12-game regular season, which was the fifth-most in the MAC. His 396 career tackles rank sixth among active players nationally and ninth on Ball State's all-time tackles list. He had four double-digit tackles games, including each of his last three games during which he totaled 40 stops.
The Lima, Ohio native tied for the most interceptions by a linebacker in the nation with four. That mark is tied for 11th overall among all defensive players.
2021 MAC Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year – Thomas Hammock, Northern Illinois
Offensive Player of the Year – Lew Nichols III, RB, Central Michigan
Defensive Player of the Year – Ali Fayad, DL, Western Michigan
Special Teams Player of the Year – Kalil Pimpleton, PR, Central Michigan
Freshman of the Year – Jay Ducker, RB, Northern Illinois
Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner – Dustin Crum, QB, Kent State
2021 All-MAC First Team Offense
Quarterback – Dustin Crum, Kent State
Offensive Lineman – Sidy Sow, Eastern Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Bernhard Raimann, Central Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Luke Goedeke, Central Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Bryce Harris, Toledo
Offensive Lineman – Mike Caliendo, Western Michigan
Tight End – Christian Sims, Bowling Green
Wide Receiver – Kalil Pimpleton, Central Michigan
Wide Receiver – Dante Cephas, Kent State
Wide Receiver – Jack Sorenson, Miami
Wide Receiver – Skyy Moore, Western Michigan
Running Back – Lew Nichols III, Central Michigan
Running Back – Bryant Koback, Toledo
Placekicker – Nate Needham, Bowling Green
2021 All-MAC First Team Defense
Down Lineman – Troy Hairston, Central Michigan
Down Lineman – Kameron Butler, Miami
Down Lineman – Jamal Hines, Toledo
Down Lineman – Ali Fayad, Western Michigan
Linebacker – Darren Anders, Bowling Green
Linebacker – James Patterson, Buffalo
Linebacker – Troy Brown, Central Michigan
Linebacker – Ivan Pace Jr. Miami
Defensive Back – Bryce Cosby, Ball State
Defensive Back – Elvis Hines, Kent State
Defensive Back – C.J. Brown, Northern Illinois
Defensive Back – Sam Womack, Toledo
Defensive Back – Tycen Anderson, Toledo
Punter – Nathan Snyder, Ball State
2021 All-MAC First Team Specialists
Kickoff Return Specialist – Justin Hall, Ball State
Kickoff Return Specialist – Kalil Pimpleton, Central Michigan
2021 All-MAC Second Team Offense
Quarterback – Kaleb Eleby, Western Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Curtis Blackwell, Ball State
Offensive Lineman – Jake Fuzak, Buffalo
Offensive Lineman – Bill Kuduk, Kent State
Offensive Lineman – Nolan Potter, Northern Illinois
Offensive Lineman – Brayden Patton, Northern Illinois
Tight End – Tristian Brank, Akron
Wide Receiver – Konata Mumpfield, Akron
Wide Receiver – Justin Hall, Ball State
Wide Receiver – Hassan Beydoun, Eastern Michigan
Wide Receiver – Trayvon Rudolph, Northern Illinois
Running Back – Marquez Cooper, Kent State
Running Back – Sean Tyler, Western Michigan
Placekicker – Chad Ryland, Eastern Michigan
2021 All-MAC Second Team Defense
Down Lineman – Daymond Williams, Buffalo
Down Lineman – Lonnie Phelps, Miami
Down Lineman – Desjuan Johnson, Toledo
Down Lineman – Ralph Holley, Western Michigan
Linebacker – Jaylin Thomas, Ball State
Linebacker – Matthew Salopek, Miami
Linebacker – Jonathan Jones, Toledo
Linebacker – Zaire Barnes, Western Michigan
Defensive Back – Jordan Anderson, Bowling Green
Defensive Back – Devonni Reed, Central Michigan
Defensive Back – Sterling Weatherford, Miami
Defensive Back – Dorian Jackson, Western Michigan
Punter – Jake Julien, Eastern Michigan
2021 All-MAC Second Team Specialists
Kickoff Return Specialist – Trayvon Rudolph, Northern Illinois
Kickoff Return Specialist – Devin Maddox, Toledo
2021 All-MAC Third Team Offense
Quarterback – Brett Gabbert, Miami
Offensive Lineman – Jack Klenk, Buffalo
Offensive Lineman – Brian Dooley, Eastern Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Nathan Monnin, Kent State
Offensive Lineman – Logan Zschernitz, Northern Illinois
Offensive Lineman – Vitaliy Gurman, Toledo
Tight End – Thomas Odukoya, Eastern Michigan
Wide Receiver – Quian Williams, Buffalo
Wide Receiver – Dallas Dixon, Central Michigan
Wide Receiver – JaCorey Sullivan, Central Michigan
Wide Receiver – Mac Hippenhammer, Miami
Running Back – Dylan McDuffie, Buffalo
Running Back – Clint Ratkovich, Northern Illinois
Placekicker – Andrew Glass, Kent State
2021 All-MAC Third Team Defense
Down Lineman – Karl Brooks, Bowling Green
Down Lineman – Jose Ramirez, Eastern Michigan
Down Lineman – Dominique Robinson, Miami
Down Lineman – James Ester, Northern Illinois
Linebacker – Lance Deveaux, Northern Illinois
Linebacker – Bryce Houston, Ohio
Linebacker – Dyontae Johnson, Toledo
Linebacker – Corvin Moment, Western Michigan
Defensive Back – Devin Taylor, Bowling Green
Defensive Back – Jordan Gandy, Northern Illinois
Defensive Back – Tariq Drake, Ohio
Defensive Back – Maxen Hook, Toledo
Punter – Matt Naranjo, Bowling Green
2021 All-MAC Third Team Specialists
Kickoff Return Specialist – Ron Cook, Buffalo
Kickoff Return Specialist – Marion Lukes, Central Michigan
Players Mentioned
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