Photo by: BSU Photo Services
Koziol Named Mackey Award Semifinalist Honoring Nation's Top Tight End
November 05, 2024 | Football
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State junior tight end Tanner Koziol has been named one of eight national semifinalists for the 2024 John Mackey Award that honors the most outstanding tight end in college football.
Established in 2000 by the Nassau County Sports Commission, the award is given annually to the tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics and community values of Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey. Other semifinalists include: Mitchell Evans (Notre Dame), Harold Fannin Jr (Bowling Green), Gunnar Helm (Texas), Colston Loveland (Michigan), Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt), Mason Taylor (LSU) and Tyler Warren (Penn State).
The Mackey Award winner is chosen by a selection committee comprising sportswriters and former players, including Lee Corso, Phil Steele, Charles Arbuckle, and former John Mackey Award winners Tim Stratton, Dallas Clark, and D. J. Williams, among others. The award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association, which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards.
A Freshman All-American in 2022, Koziol enters Tuesday night's game against Miami just four catches shy of breaking Ball State's program record for receptions by a tight end (Mike Leuck, 67 in 1983) which has stood for 40 seasons. He ranks fifth nationally with 8.0 receptions per game, second among tight ends. His 64 catches and 580 yards are on pace for single-season and career records for the Cardinals. Only three tight ends in Ball State history have ever amassed milestones of 50 catches and 500 yards in a single season – Koziol eclipsed those numbers after just seven games.
Koziol has been a model of consistency for the Ball State offense, recording a career-high nine catches in five of the Cardinals' past six games: 9, 9, 9, 8, 9 and 9 in successive weeks. Exactly half of his catches this season, 32, have produced first downs for Ball State, solidifying his role as the Cardinals' "go-to" receiver when the team needs yardage.
Ball State hopes for continued momentum following last week's homecoming and rivalry game victory over Northern Illinois, while hosting Miami tonight on ESPN at 8 p.m. Tonight's game opens midweek #MAC-tion play in the Mid-American Conference
Single-game tickets for all Ball State home games are available at BallStateSports.com or by calling 1-888-BSU-TICKET. Premium seating options also are available for remaining home games. The Cardinals return to Scheumann Stadium for home games against Miami (Nov. 5) and Bowling Green (Nov. 23). Ball State's 100th Season All-Century Team will be revealed when the Cardinals host the Falcons.
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Established in 2000 by the Nassau County Sports Commission, the award is given annually to the tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics and community values of Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey. Other semifinalists include: Mitchell Evans (Notre Dame), Harold Fannin Jr (Bowling Green), Gunnar Helm (Texas), Colston Loveland (Michigan), Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt), Mason Taylor (LSU) and Tyler Warren (Penn State).
The Mackey Award winner is chosen by a selection committee comprising sportswriters and former players, including Lee Corso, Phil Steele, Charles Arbuckle, and former John Mackey Award winners Tim Stratton, Dallas Clark, and D. J. Williams, among others. The award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association, which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards.
A Freshman All-American in 2022, Koziol enters Tuesday night's game against Miami just four catches shy of breaking Ball State's program record for receptions by a tight end (Mike Leuck, 67 in 1983) which has stood for 40 seasons. He ranks fifth nationally with 8.0 receptions per game, second among tight ends. His 64 catches and 580 yards are on pace for single-season and career records for the Cardinals. Only three tight ends in Ball State history have ever amassed milestones of 50 catches and 500 yards in a single season – Koziol eclipsed those numbers after just seven games.
Koziol has been a model of consistency for the Ball State offense, recording a career-high nine catches in five of the Cardinals' past six games: 9, 9, 9, 8, 9 and 9 in successive weeks. Exactly half of his catches this season, 32, have produced first downs for Ball State, solidifying his role as the Cardinals' "go-to" receiver when the team needs yardage.
Ball State hopes for continued momentum following last week's homecoming and rivalry game victory over Northern Illinois, while hosting Miami tonight on ESPN at 8 p.m. Tonight's game opens midweek #MAC-tion play in the Mid-American Conference
Single-game tickets for all Ball State home games are available at BallStateSports.com or by calling 1-888-BSU-TICKET. Premium seating options also are available for remaining home games. The Cardinals return to Scheumann Stadium for home games against Miami (Nov. 5) and Bowling Green (Nov. 23). Ball State's 100th Season All-Century Team will be revealed when the Cardinals host the Falcons.
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