Ball State University Athletics
Cardinals Add 15 Scholarship Newcomers on National Signing Day
December 03, 2025 | Football
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State University and head football coach Mike Uremovich have announced the signing of 15 scholarship freshmen on the opening day of college football's early signing period. The talented group completes the first full recruiting cycle for Uremovich and his new staff, including seven Indiana stars who look to make an impact on the field for the Cardinals.
"We really valued toughness and building the trenches," said Uremovich who was hired at Ball State exactly one year ago – Dec. 5, 2024. "We recruited our state and surrounding areas with a high importance on players who want to be Cardinals, and help elevate our program."
The 2025 class represents five different states and includes eight players on offense and seven on defense. Nearly half of the 15 signees play along the offensive and defensive lines. Transfer signees will be announced with mid-year enrollees in January.
Ball State's 2025 Early Signing Class – Incoming Freshmen:
Mason Atkins – QB, 6-0, 210, Fr., North Aurora, Ill./West Aurora HS
Zach Becker – TE, 6-3, 210, Fr., Vernon Hills, Ill./Stevenson HS
Char'rese Breveard – RB, 5-8, 175, Fr., Elkhart, Ind./Concord HS
Nolan Cicero – OL, 6-5, 295, Fr., Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point HS
Joshua Coleman – DL, 6-2, 300, Fr., Americus, Ga./Sumter County HS
Evan Downer – OL, 6-4, 285, Fr., Palatine, Ill./Palatine HS
Zion Haney – OL, 6-4, 280, Fr., Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard HS
Mark Hanniford – WR, 6-2, 188, Fr., Boynton Beach, Fla./Atlantic Community HS
Zyon Hill – DB, 6-4, 200, Fr., Fishers, Ind./Cathedral HS
Dominic Infelise – DL, 6-4, 285, Fr., New Lenox, Ill./Providence Catholic HS
Gannon Knowles – LB, 6-0, 210, Fr., Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral HS
Stone Perkins – DB, 6-0, 170, Fr., Louisville, Ky./Christian Academy HS
CJ Sanchez – DL, 6-5, 250, Fr., North Judson, Ind./North Judson-San Pierre HS
Brady Weber – OL, 6-5, 275, Fr., Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS
Gavin Yates-Lyons – DB, 6-2, 180, Fr., Greenville, Fla./Lowndes HS
More on each freshman signee can be found below:
Mason Atkins – QB, 6-0, 210, Fr., North Aurora, Ill./West Aurora HS
Saw three years of varsity action at West Aurora High School under head coach Nate Eimer … helped the Blackhawks to a 22-9 record over those three years, including a 10-1 campaign his junior year … ended his prep career as the program's all-time leader in passing yards (4,467) and touchdowns (62) … tallied an overall completion percentage of 63%, throwing a career-long 88-yard completion in a win against Yorkville his sophomore year … totaled 893 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 159 carries … earned honorable mention all-state at the end of his senior year … also played varsity baseball, competing as a centerfielder and shortstop.
Zach Becker -- TE, 6-3, 210, Fr., Vernon Hills, Ill./Stevenson HS
Four-year varsity tight end at Stevenson High School under head coach and father Brent Becker … earned all-state and first team all-conference honors his senior year … held offers from Army, Fordham, Illinois State and Kent State before signing with Ball State.
Char'rese Breveard – RB, 5-8, 175, Fr., Elkhart, Ind./Concord HS
Played four years on the varsity squad at Concord High School under head coach Craig Koehler … named his area's player of the year as a senior by The Elkhart Truth … helped the Minutemen to a 21-3 record his junior and senior years, making a IHSAA Class 5A semi-state appearance as a senior … ran a career-long 91-yard touchdown in a victory over Warsaw during the sectional semifinal as a senior … amassed 1,837 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns on 249 attempts, averaging 50 yards per game … also recorded 1,532 receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches during his four years … helped Concord earn a $3,000 equipment grant from the NFL Foundation as part of the NFL Way to Play program, that was announced on NFL Network … is a point guard on the basketball team at Concord … also goes by Reese.
Nolan Cicero – OL, 6-5, 295, Fr., Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point HS
Three-year varsity offensive lineman at Crown Point High School under head coach Craig Buzea … assisted the Bulldogs to a 35-3 record over three years, including a IHSAA 6A state championship finals appearance as a sophomore and a semi-state championship appearance as a junior … earned all-conference his senior year … chose Ball State over offers from Mid-American Conference foes Miami, Toledo and Bowling Green.
Joshua Coleman – DL, 6-2, 300, Fr., Americus, Ga./Sumter County HS
Four-year varsity defensive tackle at Sumter High School under head coach William Rogers … assisted the Panthers to a 22-3 record his junior and senior years, reaching the final four of the GHSA 2A state championship as a senior … tallied 30 total tackles as a senior, including 19 solo and seven tackles for loss ... three-time all-region and two-time all-conference honoree.
Evan Downer – OL, 6-4, 285, Fr., Palatine, Ill./Palatine HS
Lettered four years at Palatine High School under head coach Corey Olsen … led the Pirates to a 30-13 record over four years, including a 10-2 campaign his freshman season that ended with a trip to the quarterfinals of the IHSA 8A state championship … also played varsity basketball at Palatine, seeing minutes at center … chose Ball State over offers from other Mid-American Conference schools including Akron, Miami and Toledo.
Zion Haney – OL, 6-4, 280, Fr., Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard HS
Played three years at Bishop Chatard under head coach Rob Doyle … helped the Trojans to a 33-6 record over three seasons, including an undefeated (15-0) campaign his sophomore year which culminated in a IHSAA 4A state championship … earned all-conference and all-city his senior year … comes to Muncie after receiving offers from Army, Eastern Kentucky, Illinois State, Western Illinois and Western Kentucky.
Mark Hanniford – WR, 6-2, 188, Fr., Boynton Beach, Fla./Atlantic Community HS
Played his senior year at Atlantic Community High School under head coach Jamelle Murray where he led the Eagles to a 10-2 record, ranking second on the squad in receiving yards (563) and total touchdowns (10) … spent his freshman, sophomore and junior years at West Boca Raton High School under head coach Dylan Potts … led the Bulls to an undefeated (15-0) campaign and its first state championship in program history as a junior … totaled 77 receptions for 1,173 yards and 15 passing touchdowns over three years … grabbed a career-best 93-yard touchdown pass during the state championship game against Osceola, which currently stands as a FHSSA record … received offers from fellow Mid-American Conference teams Western Michigan and Toledo … initially committed to Western Kentucky in the spring of 2025 before deciding on Ball State the following summer.
Zyon Hill – DB, 6-4, 200, Fr., Fishers, Ind./Cathedral HS
Varsity corner at Cathedral High School alongside teammate Gannon Knowles, under head coach Bill Peebles … totaled 16 tackles, including 13 solo and an interception his senior year … named all-city as a senior.
Dominic Infelise – DL, 6-4, 285, Fr., New Lenox, Ill./Providence Catholic HS
Played four years on the varsity squad at Providence Catholic High School under head coach Tyler Plantz … helped the Celtics to a 31-19 record in four seasons, including appearances in the IHSA 4A state championship final his freshman year, 5A state championship semifinal his sophomore year and a 5A state final appearance as a senior … starred at the same high school where Ball State coaches Mike Uremovich and Jeff Knowles were teammates.
Gannon Knowles – LB, 6-0, 210, Fr., Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral HS
Lettered three seasons at Cathedral High School under head coach Bill Peebles … assisted the Fighting Irish to a 21-12 record over three seasons … made an appearance in the IHSAA 6A regional championship his sophomore year … totaled 121 tackles, including 72 solo along with 30.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks across his sophomore, junior and senior years … son of Ball State defensive coordinator Jeff Knowles.
Stone Perkins – DB, 6-0, 170, Fr., Louisville, Ky./Christian Academy HS
Four-year varsity corner at Christian Academy under head coach Hunter Cantwell … helped the Centurions to a 55-4 record over four years, earning undefeated (15-0) seasons as a freshman and senior and winning four consecutive KHSAA 3A state championships … named first team all-defense as a junior.
CJ Sanchez – DL, 6-5, 250, Fr., North Judson, Ind./North Judson-San Pierre HS
Four-year varsity defensive tackle at North Judson-San Pierre High School under head coach Brett Lambert … helped the Bluejays to a 43-11 record over four years, including an appearance in the IHSAA 1A state championship as a junior and semifinal appearances as a freshman and sophomore … earned all-conference his junior year.
Brady Weber – OL, 6-5, 275, Fr., Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS
Competed three years on varsity at Center Grove High School under head coach Eric Moore … assisted the Trojans to a 29-9 record over three seasons, including appearances in the IHSAA 6A semi-state championship his sophomore and junior years, falling to the eventual state champions both years (Ben Davis and Brownsburg) … saw offers from Mid-American Conference foes Eastern Michigan, Kent State and Western Michigan before choosing Ball State.
Gavin Yates-Lyons – DB, 6-2, 180, Fr., Greenville, Fla./Lowndes HS
Varsity defensive back at Lowndes County High School in Valdosta, Ga., under head coach Adam Carter … helped the Vikings to a 10-2 record during his senior campaign … tallied 15 tackles, including seven solo along with two interceptions his senior year … accumulated 243 kickoff return yards on 10 total returns as a senior, recording a career-best 40-yard return in a win over Manatee … earned honorable mention all-region his senior year.
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"We really valued toughness and building the trenches," said Uremovich who was hired at Ball State exactly one year ago – Dec. 5, 2024. "We recruited our state and surrounding areas with a high importance on players who want to be Cardinals, and help elevate our program."
The 2025 class represents five different states and includes eight players on offense and seven on defense. Nearly half of the 15 signees play along the offensive and defensive lines. Transfer signees will be announced with mid-year enrollees in January.
Ball State's 2025 Early Signing Class – Incoming Freshmen:
Mason Atkins – QB, 6-0, 210, Fr., North Aurora, Ill./West Aurora HS
Zach Becker – TE, 6-3, 210, Fr., Vernon Hills, Ill./Stevenson HS
Char'rese Breveard – RB, 5-8, 175, Fr., Elkhart, Ind./Concord HS
Nolan Cicero – OL, 6-5, 295, Fr., Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point HS
Joshua Coleman – DL, 6-2, 300, Fr., Americus, Ga./Sumter County HS
Evan Downer – OL, 6-4, 285, Fr., Palatine, Ill./Palatine HS
Zion Haney – OL, 6-4, 280, Fr., Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard HS
Mark Hanniford – WR, 6-2, 188, Fr., Boynton Beach, Fla./Atlantic Community HS
Zyon Hill – DB, 6-4, 200, Fr., Fishers, Ind./Cathedral HS
Dominic Infelise – DL, 6-4, 285, Fr., New Lenox, Ill./Providence Catholic HS
Gannon Knowles – LB, 6-0, 210, Fr., Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral HS
Stone Perkins – DB, 6-0, 170, Fr., Louisville, Ky./Christian Academy HS
CJ Sanchez – DL, 6-5, 250, Fr., North Judson, Ind./North Judson-San Pierre HS
Brady Weber – OL, 6-5, 275, Fr., Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS
Gavin Yates-Lyons – DB, 6-2, 180, Fr., Greenville, Fla./Lowndes HS
More on each freshman signee can be found below:
Welcome to the Cardinals @MasonAtkins20! pic.twitter.com/NXHfXESAbS
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) December 3, 2025
Mason Atkins – QB, 6-0, 210, Fr., North Aurora, Ill./West Aurora HS
Saw three years of varsity action at West Aurora High School under head coach Nate Eimer … helped the Blackhawks to a 22-9 record over those three years, including a 10-1 campaign his junior year … ended his prep career as the program's all-time leader in passing yards (4,467) and touchdowns (62) … tallied an overall completion percentage of 63%, throwing a career-long 88-yard completion in a win against Yorkville his sophomore year … totaled 893 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 159 carries … earned honorable mention all-state at the end of his senior year … also played varsity baseball, competing as a centerfielder and shortstop.
Welcome to the Cardinals @Zachbecker2026! pic.twitter.com/BPsdL4ZZYO
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) December 3, 2025
Zach Becker -- TE, 6-3, 210, Fr., Vernon Hills, Ill./Stevenson HS
Four-year varsity tight end at Stevenson High School under head coach and father Brent Becker … earned all-state and first team all-conference honors his senior year … held offers from Army, Fordham, Illinois State and Kent State before signing with Ball State.
Welcome to the Cardinals @Charrese9! pic.twitter.com/hhdaZQNqKT
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) December 3, 2025
Char'rese Breveard – RB, 5-8, 175, Fr., Elkhart, Ind./Concord HS
Played four years on the varsity squad at Concord High School under head coach Craig Koehler … named his area's player of the year as a senior by The Elkhart Truth … helped the Minutemen to a 21-3 record his junior and senior years, making a IHSAA Class 5A semi-state appearance as a senior … ran a career-long 91-yard touchdown in a victory over Warsaw during the sectional semifinal as a senior … amassed 1,837 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns on 249 attempts, averaging 50 yards per game … also recorded 1,532 receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches during his four years … helped Concord earn a $3,000 equipment grant from the NFL Foundation as part of the NFL Way to Play program, that was announced on NFL Network … is a point guard on the basketball team at Concord … also goes by Reese.
Welcome to the Cardinals @nolan_cicero77! pic.twitter.com/RP00B4qvZN
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) December 3, 2025
Nolan Cicero – OL, 6-5, 295, Fr., Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point HS
Three-year varsity offensive lineman at Crown Point High School under head coach Craig Buzea … assisted the Bulldogs to a 35-3 record over three years, including a IHSAA 6A state championship finals appearance as a sophomore and a semi-state championship appearance as a junior … earned all-conference his senior year … chose Ball State over offers from Mid-American Conference foes Miami, Toledo and Bowling Green.
Welcome to the Cardinals @JoshuaCole56! pic.twitter.com/WS7myA1295
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) December 3, 2025
Joshua Coleman – DL, 6-2, 300, Fr., Americus, Ga./Sumter County HS
Four-year varsity defensive tackle at Sumter High School under head coach William Rogers … assisted the Panthers to a 22-3 record his junior and senior years, reaching the final four of the GHSA 2A state championship as a senior … tallied 30 total tackles as a senior, including 19 solo and seven tackles for loss ... three-time all-region and two-time all-conference honoree.
Welcome to the Cardinals @evan_downer! pic.twitter.com/C3r90owZnh
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) December 3, 2025
Evan Downer – OL, 6-4, 285, Fr., Palatine, Ill./Palatine HS
Lettered four years at Palatine High School under head coach Corey Olsen … led the Pirates to a 30-13 record over four years, including a 10-2 campaign his freshman season that ended with a trip to the quarterfinals of the IHSA 8A state championship … also played varsity basketball at Palatine, seeing minutes at center … chose Ball State over offers from other Mid-American Conference schools including Akron, Miami and Toledo.
Welcome to the Cardinals @zebo_55! pic.twitter.com/dQz0q4lYXj
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) December 3, 2025
Zion Haney – OL, 6-4, 280, Fr., Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard HS
Played three years at Bishop Chatard under head coach Rob Doyle … helped the Trojans to a 33-6 record over three seasons, including an undefeated (15-0) campaign his sophomore year which culminated in a IHSAA 4A state championship … earned all-conference and all-city his senior year … comes to Muncie after receiving offers from Army, Eastern Kentucky, Illinois State, Western Illinois and Western Kentucky.
Welcome to the Cardinals @Mark7Jr! pic.twitter.com/9BCuDjOECi
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) December 3, 2025
Mark Hanniford – WR, 6-2, 188, Fr., Boynton Beach, Fla./Atlantic Community HS
Played his senior year at Atlantic Community High School under head coach Jamelle Murray where he led the Eagles to a 10-2 record, ranking second on the squad in receiving yards (563) and total touchdowns (10) … spent his freshman, sophomore and junior years at West Boca Raton High School under head coach Dylan Potts … led the Bulls to an undefeated (15-0) campaign and its first state championship in program history as a junior … totaled 77 receptions for 1,173 yards and 15 passing touchdowns over three years … grabbed a career-best 93-yard touchdown pass during the state championship game against Osceola, which currently stands as a FHSSA record … received offers from fellow Mid-American Conference teams Western Michigan and Toledo … initially committed to Western Kentucky in the spring of 2025 before deciding on Ball State the following summer.
Welcome to the Cardinals @zyonhill15! pic.twitter.com/TTuYz1Q0LY
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) December 3, 2025
Zyon Hill – DB, 6-4, 200, Fr., Fishers, Ind./Cathedral HS
Varsity corner at Cathedral High School alongside teammate Gannon Knowles, under head coach Bill Peebles … totaled 16 tackles, including 13 solo and an interception his senior year … named all-city as a senior.
Welcome to the Cardinals @DomInfelise! pic.twitter.com/K4D9PCnI9l
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) December 3, 2025
Dominic Infelise – DL, 6-4, 285, Fr., New Lenox, Ill./Providence Catholic HS
Played four years on the varsity squad at Providence Catholic High School under head coach Tyler Plantz … helped the Celtics to a 31-19 record in four seasons, including appearances in the IHSA 4A state championship final his freshman year, 5A state championship semifinal his sophomore year and a 5A state final appearance as a senior … starred at the same high school where Ball State coaches Mike Uremovich and Jeff Knowles were teammates.
Welcome to the Cardinals @GannonKnowles! pic.twitter.com/ko4ArsPGVM
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) December 3, 2025
Gannon Knowles – LB, 6-0, 210, Fr., Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral HS
Lettered three seasons at Cathedral High School under head coach Bill Peebles … assisted the Fighting Irish to a 21-12 record over three seasons … made an appearance in the IHSAA 6A regional championship his sophomore year … totaled 121 tackles, including 72 solo along with 30.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks across his sophomore, junior and senior years … son of Ball State defensive coordinator Jeff Knowles.
Welcome to the Cardinals @StonePerkins4! pic.twitter.com/511CQAsFUn
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) December 3, 2025
Stone Perkins – DB, 6-0, 170, Fr., Louisville, Ky./Christian Academy HS
Four-year varsity corner at Christian Academy under head coach Hunter Cantwell … helped the Centurions to a 55-4 record over four years, earning undefeated (15-0) seasons as a freshman and senior and winning four consecutive KHSAA 3A state championships … named first team all-defense as a junior.
Welcome to the Cardinals @cj_sanchez14! pic.twitter.com/7GnkeGGgLF
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) December 3, 2025
CJ Sanchez – DL, 6-5, 250, Fr., North Judson, Ind./North Judson-San Pierre HS
Four-year varsity defensive tackle at North Judson-San Pierre High School under head coach Brett Lambert … helped the Bluejays to a 43-11 record over four years, including an appearance in the IHSAA 1A state championship as a junior and semifinal appearances as a freshman and sophomore … earned all-conference his junior year.
Welcome to the Cardinals @BradyWeber_! pic.twitter.com/zlLzF5Tc0y
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) December 3, 2025
Brady Weber – OL, 6-5, 275, Fr., Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove HS
Competed three years on varsity at Center Grove High School under head coach Eric Moore … assisted the Trojans to a 29-9 record over three seasons, including appearances in the IHSAA 6A semi-state championship his sophomore and junior years, falling to the eventual state champions both years (Ben Davis and Brownsburg) … saw offers from Mid-American Conference foes Eastern Michigan, Kent State and Western Michigan before choosing Ball State.
Welcome to the Cardinals @GavinYatesLyons! pic.twitter.com/5V5T7SwoQa
— Ball State Football (@BallStateFB) December 3, 2025
Gavin Yates-Lyons – DB, 6-2, 180, Fr., Greenville, Fla./Lowndes HS
Varsity defensive back at Lowndes County High School in Valdosta, Ga., under head coach Adam Carter … helped the Vikings to a 10-2 record during his senior campaign … tallied 15 tackles, including seven solo along with two interceptions his senior year … accumulated 243 kickoff return yards on 10 total returns as a senior, recording a career-best 40-yard return in a win over Manatee … earned honorable mention all-region his senior year.
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