With Ball State football season around the corner, we're breaking down the roster position by position. Here's a look at the Cardinals' special teams.
Much like the rest of the team, Ball State football's special teams unit will look quite different in 2025.
Ball State will kick off its season on Saturday, Aug. 30, with an in-state road game at Purdue. Ball State is coming off a 3-9 season and hasn't qualified for a bowl game since 2021, but new head coach Mike Uremovich will look to lead a quick turnaround.
In the past two weeks, we've been breaking down the Cardinals' roster position by position. Last but not least, here's our look at the Ball State football special teams unit.
New faces at kicker and punter for Ball State football
Ball State will be replacing both of its legs from the 2024 season. Senior punter Brian Cooey Jr. has graduated, while junior kicker Jackson Courville transferred to the reigning national champion Ohio State. Ball State returned one player at each position and added one more of each in the portal — plus another player who can do a little bit of both.
At punter, the Cardinals brought in redshirt senior Adam Saul, who will spend his final season of eligibility in Muncie. Hailing from Gurnee, Ill., Saul returns to the Midwest after spending the last three seasons out west between El Camino College in 2022 and Washington from 2023-24. He was Ball State's first commitment out of the spring portal window and has quickly bought into the team's energy.
"The number one thing that I love, we've got great energy," Saul said. "It doesn't matter if you're an O-lineman, D-lineman, kicker, punter, starting QB, backup anything, staff member. I think everyone comes every day with good energy. Everyone's excited to see each other, we're excited to get to work, and it just feels good coming out every day with the gang."
At kicker, Ball State brought in a transfer from the FCS ranks in D.C. Pippin, who also joined during the spring transfer window. The redshirt senior joins the Cardinals after five seasons at Southeast Missouri State, where he was named a first-team FCS All-American by the Associated Press and the FCS Athletic Directors Association Kicker of the Year. Last season at SEMO, he made a single-season school record 26 field goals on 34 attempts (76.5%) with a long of 53 yards. He also went 39-for-41 on extra points.
Ball State also added a unique hybrid player back in the winter portal window. A redshirt freshman who joined the team after a year at Missouri, Brody Boehm is listed as both a kicker and punter on the team's roster. Boehm returns to Indiana after a standout career at Westfield, and while it's unknown exactly how or if he'll be used this season at Ball State, the versatility is nonetheless intriguing.
Returning legs competing for work
Although Ball State added plenty of legs in the portal, two returners at both positions have been competing throughout camp. Redshirt junior Carson Holmer was a perfect 2-for-2 on field goals and 5-for-5 on extra points last year and filled in on kickoffs as Courville battled a lingering hamstring injury throughout the year. Meanwhile, Cole Stumbaugh returns at punter after earning his redshirt last season.
"They've competed with each other every day," special teams coordinator Nick Fiacable said. "The best specialists rooms you can be a part of are the rooms where the guys push and compete with each other and get each other better, because at the end of the day, only one guy can play at each spot.
"When you have everyone in the same room, in the same group, pushing each other and being supportive of each other every day, that's when a good room becomes great."
It starts with the snappers
Every special teams kick requires a smooth operation, and that always starts with the long snapper. Just like at kicker and punter, Ball State will have a new starter here after two-year starter Tucker Dunn graduated. Redshirt junior Caden Britton is expected to step into the role after dressing for every game over the last two seasons but sitting behind Dunn.
Ball State also added a highly-rated long snapper as part of its incoming freshman class. Coby Tripp joins the Cardinals out of Parma Western High School in Michigan and was one of 27 players in his class nationwide who was rated as a five-star long snapping prospect by Rubio Long Snapping.
"Coby's a beast, dude," Britton said. "He can throw it back there for sure, a lot of potential. He'll have a great career here, but one day at a time, you know. He's been great competition for me, really kept me on my toes."
Contact Cade Hampton via email at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Ball State football position preview: Meet the Cardinals special teams
Category: General Sports