Pro Football Hall of Fame Serves as Backdrop for MAC Football Kickoff

CANTON, Ohio -- From the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Mid-American Conference hosted football coaches and athletes from its 12 teams, Thursday and Friday, as conference media got the first opportunity to engage and learn about expectations for each team in 2024.

For Ball State, head coach Mike Neu was joined by star players Keionte Newson and Tanner Koziol, both of whom got their first glimpse of the hallowed Hall on Thursday. Newson, a Baltimore Ravens fan, and Koziol, an Illinois native and longtime fan of the Chicago Bears, toured the museum prior to conducting media interviews on Friday.

A key theme for the Ball State coach and players is that "we love that no one knows who is in our locker room," said Koziol. The 6-6 All-MAC tight end added about the offense, "our offense can be anything we want right now." Excited about the prospects and leadership of redshirt freshman quarterback Kadin Semonza, Koziol continued, "we know we have the weapons to score points and move the football."

While the Cardinals return eight starters on offense, Ball State returns only Newson and fellow linebacker Joey Stemler among regular starters from 2023. But perhaps the most significant characteristic on defense is that which reflects Koziol's comment about "no one knows who is in our locker room" – the Cardinals welcome a bevy of FCS and Division II All-Americans and all-conference stars who are hungry to achieve on the Division I level.

Transfers that will have impact on defense are linemen and linebackers Kyran Montgomery (Missouri), Scott Hudson (St. Francis), Hunter Sanderson (Alma), Riley Tolsma (Hillsdale), Justin Thomas (UIndy) and George Udo (Cincinnati). Newcomer Myles Norwood (New Mexico State) aids the defensive backfield where Thailand Baldwin, Jordan Coleman, Jahmad Harmon and DD Snyder all were regulars last season, though not starters.

"We have a lot of new guys on the D-line," said Newson. "They're hungry. They're a little nasty. They want to make an impact. They fill gaps on the line and they get off the edge, which makes my job easier."

On the other side of the ball, the offensive line returns 4 of 5 starters and, with 117 career starts between them, is among the most experienced units in the country. Protecting Semonza, the O-line should be a key in fueling an offense that features FCS All-America transfer Braedon Sloan who netted 1,636 all-purpose yards last year at Eastern Kentucky. Wide receiver transfer Justin Bowick (Eastern Illinois) is a 6-4 addition who joins returners Ty Robinson and Qian Magwood among top returning pass-catchers from last year. Robinson, himself, remains a newcomer to the MAC, after arriving last year from Colorado but sustaining a season-ending thumb injury in Week 2 at Georgia.

In a MAC Kickoff coaches poll, the Cardinals were ranked ninth, reflecting a 3-5 finish last year and the fact that so much of the 2024 Ball State team remains unknown and unproven. That leaves plenty of room to surprise the rest of the MAC. "I can't wait to shock the world this year," said Newson in a moment of excitement.

Optimism is high for Ball State, and Hall of Fame vibes stand as added motivation for the Cardinals stars.

Said Koziol after his first interview, "This just makes me more hungry to start the season." Following an impromptu encounter with NFL Hall of Famers Anthony Munoz and Andre Reed, he was left with two pieces of advice.

Koziol: "I asked them, 'what would you do if you were in my shoes heading into this season?' They said two things, 'lead by example,' and, 'your whole life has to be together in order for football to come together.'"

Newson echoed the sentiment after his brush with Munoz and Reed. "Really, they said a lot of the same things that Coach [Neu] always tells us. It has such an impact when they repeat his message. Basically, they said to 'take care of the little things, the details. Be consistent in order to minimize your mistakes."

The Cardinals, behind Koziol and Newson as leaders on offense and defense, are ready for training camp to begin on July 30.

Pro Football Hall of Fame Serves as Backdrop for MAC Football Kickoff

Players Mentioned

Thailand Baldwin

Justin Bowick

Jordan Coleman

Jahmad Harmon

Scott Hudson

Tanner Koziol

Qian Magwood

Kyran Montgomery

Keionte Newson

Myles Norwood

Ty Robinson

Hunter Sanderson

Kadin Semonza

Braedon Sloan

DD Snyder

Joey Stemler

Justin Thomas

Riley Tolsma

George Udo

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