2024 Football Roster
Keionte Newson
- Position:
- Linebacker
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-2 / 213
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Covington, Tenn.
- Prev School:
- Blackman HS
- High School:
- Blackman HS/Brighton HS
Awards and Honors:
2024 Preseason All-MAC (second team by Athlon Sports and College Football Network; third team by Phil Steele College Football Preview)
2020 Bill Meitzler Scout Team Player of the Year (Defense)
Assumed his role as one of Ball State's defensive leaders early in 2023 following the opening-game injury to Clayton Coll ... emerged as the Cardinals' leading tackler and his 66-yard fumble return for TD against Indiana State was the team's longest scoring play of the season ... led a Ball State defense that allowed only 16.3 points over its last seven games ... he finished with a team-best 81 tackles last year, after totaling 19 over his first three seasons ... active in community events and a member of Ball State's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) ... Keionté is pronounced kee-ON-tay.
2023: Started in every game and paced the Cardinals with 81 tackles ... recorded 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks ... posted seven or more tackles in 8 of 12 games ... twice posted a season-high 10 tackles, against Central Michigan (Oct. 21) and Bowling Green (Nov. 1) ... biggest season highlight was a scoop-and-score touchdown on a 66-yard fumble return against Indiana State (Sept. 16) ... credited with a forced fumble, a pair of pass breakups and three QB hurries.
2022: Appeared in every game, making his lone start against Ohio (Nov. 15) ... finished the season with 16 tackles, eight solo and eight assists.
2021: Appeared in 11 games on defense and special teams ... had an unassisted tackle at Penn State (Sept. 11) ... made a tackle at Northern Illinois (Nov. 10) ... made a sack against Buffalo (Nov. 23), the first of his career ... made an appearance in the bowl game vs. Georgia State (Dec. 25).
2020: Saw action in five games, mostly on special teams.
HIGH SCHOOL: Played his final prep season under head coach Kit Hartsfield at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, south of Nashville, following his first three seasons at Brighton High School in his hometown of Covington … 2-star recruit via 247Sports … team captain in his final year at both Brighton and Blackman … second team all-state honoree … three-time first-team all-conference pick … piled up 312 tackles over his prep career … finished with 49 stops and seven sacks as a senior … set a school single-game record for all-purpose yards (337) during his junior season at Brighton … also competed on the basketball and track squads during his freshman and sophomore years at Brighton.
PERSONAL: Son of Sharmane Grant … has four siblings.
