Ball State University Athletics
Loren Strickland and Clayton Coll are the Latest Cardinals to Report to NFL Teams
April 30, 2024 | Football
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Former Ball State stars Clayton Coll and Loren Strickland have landed NFL opportunities this week, following the NFL Draft. Strickland, a cornerback from Carpentersville, Illinois, signed as an undrafted free agent with the Detroit Lions. Coll, from Franklin, Indiana, just south of Indianapolis, has since been invited by the San Francisco 49ers to attend their rookie mini camp.
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Strickland played in every game last season and had five starts for the Cardinals. Among his 31 tackles were a pair of tackles for a loss, and an 11-yard strip sack against Indiana State that led to a 66-yard fumble return for touchdown by Keionte Newson. After transferring from the University of Indianapolis, he played 24 games over two seasons, and recorded a career-high eight tackles in his first game as a Cardinal, at Tennessee in the 2022 opener.
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Coll was a Ball State headliner leading into the 2023 campaign, but a season-ending injury in the first half of the Cardinals' opening game at Kentucky derailed his senior campaign. Coll finished his Ball State career with 24 career starting assignments that stretched over three seasons. He was Ball State's defensive leader and was a three-time nominee for the prestigious Wuerffel Trophy, awarded annually to the college football player who best combined exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement. He was a second-team All-MAC selection in 2022 and a preseason All-MAC pick by a variety of publications prior to last season. As a junior, he led the Cardinals with 110 tackles and finished with seven TFLs and a pair of sacks. He forced two fumbles, had four pass break-ups from his linebacker position, and his 9.2 tackles per game ranked seventh in the MAC and 27th nationally.
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Strickland played in every game last season and had five starts for the Cardinals. Among his 31 tackles were a pair of tackles for a loss, and an 11-yard strip sack against Indiana State that led to a 66-yard fumble return for touchdown by Keionte Newson. After transferring from the University of Indianapolis, he played 24 games over two seasons, and recorded a career-high eight tackles in his first game as a Cardinal, at Tennessee in the 2022 opener.
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Coll was a Ball State headliner leading into the 2023 campaign, but a season-ending injury in the first half of the Cardinals' opening game at Kentucky derailed his senior campaign. Coll finished his Ball State career with 24 career starting assignments that stretched over three seasons. He was Ball State's defensive leader and was a three-time nominee for the prestigious Wuerffel Trophy, awarded annually to the college football player who best combined exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement. He was a second-team All-MAC selection in 2022 and a preseason All-MAC pick by a variety of publications prior to last season. As a junior, he led the Cardinals with 110 tackles and finished with seven TFLs and a pair of sacks. He forced two fumbles, had four pass break-ups from his linebacker position, and his 9.2 tackles per game ranked seventh in the MAC and 27th nationally.
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