Cincear Lewis

Position:
Linebacker
Ht./Wt.:
6-2 / 227
Class:
Redshirt Senior
Hometown:
Kalamazoo, Mich.
Prev School:
Cincinnati
High School:
Kalamazoo Central HS

Honors and Awards
Academic All-Big XII (2025)

Ball State Sports Network (June 24, 2026): Cincear Lewis podcast with Mick Tidrow

Transfer from Cincinnati comes to Ball State with a single year of eligibility after four years with the Bearcats ... arrived in January 2026 with the Cardinals and could be an early starter at an inside linebacker position ... "He can run, he's athletic and he's smart," said Cardinals head coach Mike Uremovich ... first name is pronounced "sin-SEER," like the word sincere.

BEFORE BALL STATE: Played over four seasons (2022-25) at Cincinnati ... appeared in five games as a redshirt junior (2025) and produced 10 tackles for the Bearcats … had a season-high four tackles on Jan. 2 against Navy in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl … three tackles at TCU in the regular season finale on Nov. 29 ... preseason injury prior to the 2023 season kept him out as a redshirt freshman, and he did not appear in any games again in 2024 … appeared in one game as a true freshman (2022), playing DB with a tackle against Louisville in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl … two of his six career appearances have come in bowl games.

HIGH SCHOOL: Lewis was an early enrollee at Cincinnati in the Spring of 2022 … consensus three-star recruit out of Kalamazoo Central High School who was ranked among the state of Michigan’s top 50 players and the nation’s top 100 defensive back prospects ... chose UC over offers from Akron, Boston College, Indiana, Kentucky, Miami (OH), Syracuse, Toledo, Western Michigan and West Virginia ... starred at safety, wide receiver and as a kick returner under coach Mike Stanger … ... collected MLive Kalamazoo Dream Team, honorable mention all-state and first-team All-Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference accolades as a senior in 2021.

PERSONAL: Completed a spring internship with the Ball State athletics operations unit during his first semester on campus, with internship credits being his final units required for graduation at the University of Cincinnati in May 2026 ... during his internship, he attended his first live baseball game which turned out to be a Ball State no-hitter by Brendan Garza, March 27 vs. Ohio ... prepped at Kalamazoo Central HS which is the same school attended by baseball hall of famer Derek Jeter ... Lewis is one of 10 siblings (four boys, six girls).