Over The Pylon

Yes, we know National Signing Day was a couple weeks ago. As has been the case on this blog sometimes, real life, real careers, and work that actually pays us does sometimes intercede and make blogging take a backseat. Strange how DirecTV, my landlord, and Ford don’t take Ball State love and passion as a means of payment for services rendered. That would be awesome. Here’s the BSU release on the National Signing Day goings on for the Cardinals…

Ian Anderson 6-3 277 DL Greensboro, N.C. (Reagan) Greg King
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football . . . earned two letters at Mount Tabor High School before playing his senior season at Reagan High School for head coach Greg King . . . helped Mount Tabor to conference championships as a sophomore and junior . . . helped the Mount Tabor to an undefeated conference season as a sophomore and a second round appearance in the state playoffs as a junior . . . All-Northwest North Carolina and all-county as a senior . . . all-conference as a junior . . . tallied 78 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and one blocked extra point as a senior . . . managed 200 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and two blocked extra points in career . . . set the school record for tackles by a defensive lineman with 78 as a senior . . . set school weightlifting records for bench (405 lbs.), squat (600 lbs.), clean (320 lbs.) and front squat (455 lbs.) . . . PERSONAL: Son of Ray and Lisa Anderson . . . one brother and one sister . . . father played football at Wake Forest and brother, Ryan, played football at Concord . . . born Nov. 13, 1992, in Greensboro, N.C. . . . full name is Arthur Ian Anderson.

Avery Bailey 6-1 190 DB/LB Cleveland, Ohio (St. Edward) Rick Finotti
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football for head coach Rick Finotti . . . helped team to a 15-0 record and the Ohio Division I State Championship as a senior . . . helped the team to a 24-12 record in his varsity career . . . managed 95 tackles and six interceptions as a senior . . . both were single-season school records . . . PERSONAL: Son of Al and Barbara Bailey . . . two sisters . . . named to the school’s Merit Roll as a junior . . . born March 13, 1993, in Cleveland, Ohio . . . full name is Avery Lee Bailey.

Horactio Banks 5-10 185 RB Chicago, Ill. (Simeon) Dante Culbreath
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned four letters in football for head coach Dante Culbreath . . . helped team to a 13-1 overall record, including an 8-0 mark in the Prairie City Public School League, as a senior . . . helped the Wolverines to a 44-6 mark in career . . . all-state as a senior . . . all-city as a junior . . . rushed for over 2,100 yards and 30 touchdowns as a senior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Joyce Dorsey . . . one brother . . . born June, 1, 1992, in Chicago, Ill. . . . full name is Horactio Banks.
Julian Boyd 6-2 194 DL Roswell, Ga. (Roswell) Leo Barker
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football for head coach Leo Barker . . . helped team to a 7-5 mark as a senior, including a 5-1 record in the conference . . . helped the Hornets to a 22-12 mark in his career . . . all-region second team as a senior . . . tallied 30 tackles with five sacks as a senior . . . managed 56 tackles with 10 sacks in career . . . PERSONAL: Son of Steven and Kim Boyd . . . two brothers . . . brother, Chris, played football at Vanderbilt, and brother, Steven, played football at Hampton . . . owns a 3.0 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . born March 16, 1993, in Atlanta, Ga. . . . full name is Julian Michael Boyd.

Christopher Calloway 5-11 187 DB Bradenton, Fla. (Palmetto) Dave Marino
HIGH SCHOOL: Played for head coach Dave Marino . . . helped team to a 6-5 record as a senior . . . all-area as a senior . . . named Palmetto’s Most Valuable Defensive Back as a senior . . . registered 45 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions as a senior . . . also competed in track and field . . . had a career best time of :49.81 in the 400-meter run . . . PERSONAL: Son of Chris and Latoya Calloway . . . three sisters and two brothers . . . born Sept. 19, 1992, in Bradenton, Fla. . . . full name is Christopher Lacae Calloway.

Jahwan Edwards 5-10 232 RB Matthews, N.C. (Butler) Mike Newsome
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned four letters in football for head coach Mike Newsome . . . helped team to a 16-0 record, including a 7-0 conference mark, as a senior . . . helped the Bulldogs to a 56-3 career mark . . . helped the team to back-to-back state championships as a junior and senior . . . competed for Butler’s nationally ranked football team as a senior . . . the Bulldogs were ranked as high as eighth by ESPN, ninth by Rivals.com, 13th by PrepNation.com and 16th in the USA Today Poll . . . all-state as a senior . . . named Most Valuable Player of the state championship game as a junior and senior . . . three-time all-conference . . . rushed 256 times for 1,652 yards plus tallied 21 receptions for 296 yards as a senior . . . totalled 33 TDs as a senior . . . rushed 475 times for 2,979 yards and managed 30 receptions for 463 yards in career . . . totalled 62 TDs in career . . . PERSONAL: Son of Consulla Edwards . . . born July 27, 1992 . . . full name is Jahwan M. Edwards.

Bryan Ford 6-3 273 OT Southfield, Mich. (Southfield Christian) Harold Macks
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned four letters for head coach Harold Macks . . . also competed in basketball and track and field . . . won the conference championship in the shot put and placed second in the discus as a junior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Willie Joe Ford and Charmain Jefferson Ford . . . two sisters . . . born March 6, 1993, in Southfield, Mich. . . . full name is Bryan Joseph Ford.

Matt Fox 6-4 230 DE West Chester, Ohio (Lakota West) Larry Cox
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned two letters for head coach Larry Cox . . . helped team to 10-4 record in the Greater Miami Conference in his two seasons . . . helped the Firebirds to the school’s first-ever conference championship as a junior . . . all-conference as a senior . . . academic all-league as a junior and senior . . . received honorable mention on the All-Southwest Ohio team as a senior . . . received the Anthony Munoz Award as the Defensive Lineman of the Year as a senior at Lakota West . . . selected for the Ohio North-South All-Star Game after his senior season . . . managed 35 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery as a senior . . . tallied 66 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, three sacks, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in his two varsity seasons . . . also competed in basketball . . . PERSONAL: Son of Michael and Christina Fox . . . two brothers and one sister . . . mother competed in basketball at the College of Mount St. Joseph’s . . . owns a 3.86 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . received high honors at Lakota West . . . born May 21, 1993, in Cincinnati, Ohio . . . full name is Matthew Thomas Fox.

Trey Gardner 6-4 210 WR Petersburg, Va. (Dinwiddie) Billy Mills
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned four letters in football for head coach Billy Mills . . . helped Dinwiddie High School to a 12-1 record as a senior and a 30-7 mark in his career . . . helped the team to a 10-0 record in the Central District as a senior . . . helped team to two district championships and two regional titles in his career . . . all-district, all-region and all-metro as a senior . . . tallied 28 receptions for 507 yards for an 18.1 yards-per-catch average with six touchdowns as a senior . . . managed 70 catches for 1,229 yards with 12 touchdowns in his career . . . set a school record with four career blocked punts . . . invited to the 2009 National Underclassmen Showcase and the 2008 National Underclassmen Combine . . . also competed in basketball and earned four letters . . . averaging 10 points and 10 rebounds per game in midst of his senior season . . . named team’s Most Improved Player as a junior . . . PERSONAL: Son of James Gardner and Thersea Gardner . . . two brothers and one sister . . . born May 20, 1993, in Petersburg, Va. . . . full name is Trey Jamel Gardner.

Ben Ingle 6-1 214 OLB/SS West Harrison, Ind. (LaSalle) Tom Grippa
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters for head coach Tom Grippa . . . helped team to a 9-1 record as a senior and a 36-8 mark in career . . . helped the team to its first ever 9-1 record . . . all-conference and All-Southwest Ohio as a senior . . . team captain as a senior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Steve and Terri Ingle . . . three brothers and one sister . . . uncle, Rick Ingle, played basketball at Denison . . . received academic honors at LaSalle . . . born Feb. 15, 1993, in Cincinnati, Ohio . . . full name is Benjamin P. Ingle.

Anthony Kukwa 6-3 217 TE/DE Perry, Ohio (Perry) Matt Rosati
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters for head coach Matt Rosati . . . helped team to a 6-5 record as a senior and a 32-13 career mark . . . helped squad to the state playoffs in 2007, 2008 and 2010, and an appearance in the regional finals in 2008 . . . three-time All-Chagrin Valley Conference . . . All-Ohio in football, baseball and basketball . . . tallied 35 catches for 659 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior . . . averaged 18.8 yards per catch as a senior . . . managed 82 catches for 1,647 yards with 23 TDs and a 20.1 yards-per-catch average in career . . . Basketball: Earned three letters . . . all-conference as a junior . . . scored over 1,000 points in career and averaged over 14.0 rebounds per game . . . set the school record for most rebounds in a season as a junior . . . helped team to the conference championship as a junior . . . Baseball: Earned four letters . . . all-conference as a junior . . . batted .500 with 17 homeruns plus struck out 100 as a pitcher . . . helped team to conference title as a junior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Tony Kukwa and Mary Turner . . . one sister . . . born Oct. 30, 1992, in Euclid, Ohio . . . full name is Anthony Joseph Kukwa IV.

Nick Miles 6-2 255 DE Burlington, N.C. (Eastern Alamance) John Kirby
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned four letters in football for head coach John Kirby . . . helped Eastern Alamance to a 13-3 record as a senior and a 49-7 career mark . . . helped the team to a 5-2 mark in the Mid-State 3A Conference as a senior . . . helped squad to two conference championships, two regional titles and two Class 3A runner-up finishes in state playoffs . . . North Carolina Preps All-State as a senior . . . all-region as a senior . . . conference and regional Defensive Player of the Year as a senior . . . all-conference as a junior and senior . . . participated in the Shrine Bowl All-Star Game after his senior season . . . managed 98 tackles, 17 sacks and three forced fumbles as a senior . . . tallied 250 tackles, 27 sacks and seven forced fumble in his career . . . set the school record for sacks in a season with 17 as a senior . . . set the school standard for sacks in a game with three as a junior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Vernon and Hope Miles . . . two sisters . . . owns a 3.6 grade-point average on his high school’s 4.0 scale . . . received the school’s Minority Academic Achievement Award . . . born Sept. 28, 1993, in Raleigh, N.C. . . . full name is Nicholas Chase Miles.

Keenan Noel 6-1 255 FB Columbus, Ind. (North) Tim Bless
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned four letters in football for head coach Tim Bless . . . helped the Bulldogs to a 7-4 overall record as a senior and a 29-16 career mark . . . all-region as a senior . . . received the National Underclassmen Leadership Award . . . tallied 37 rushes for 262 yards with three touchdowns as a senior . . . added 11 catches for 132 yards and completed 5-of-11 passes for 63 yards as a senior . . . rushed 52 times for 347 yards and four TDs in career . . . added 27 receptions for 282 yards and one TD plus completed 7-of-13 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns in career . . . also competed in track and field in the shot put . . . PERSONAL: Son of Ray Gipson and MeShelle Noel . . . one sister . . . owns a 3.12 grade-point average on the Columbus North 4.0 scale . . . uncle, Andre Barnett, competed in football at Ball State and lettered for the Cardinals from 1986-89 . . . grandfather, Hayward Gipson II, played football at Princeton . . . cousin, Duwyce Wilson, plays football at Indiana . . . born Feb. 26, 1993, in Columbus, Ind. . . . full name is Keenan Michael Noel.

Jacolby Owens 6-3 205 WR South Holland, Ill. (Thornridge) Michael Morrisey
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football for head coach Michael Morrisey . . . all-conference as a senior . . . managed seven catches with one touchdown as a senior . . . totalled 20 TDs in career . . . also competed in track and field as a sprinter . . . owns career best times in the 200 with a :21.9, in the 100 with a :10.5 and in the long jump with a mark of 22.5 feet . . . PERSONAL: Son of Warren and Joy Owens . . . one brother and one sister . . . born June 4, 1993 . . . full name is Jacolby Dominique Owens.

Tyler Rayburn 6-3 274 OL Columbus, Ind. (East) Bob Gaddis
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football for head coach Bob Gaddis . . . helped team to a 9-2 record as a senior and a 31-5 mark in career . . . helped team to Hoosier Hills Conference Championships as a sophomore, junior and senior . . . helped the squad to a semistate appearance as a sophomore and an appearance in regionals as a junior . . . all-conference as a junior and senior after receiving honorable mention as a sophomore . . . all-state second team as a senior . . . Indiana Football Coaches Association Top 50 after senior season . . . Columbus East Offensive Lineman of the Year as a junior and senior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Steve and Darla Rayburn . . . . . . one brother . . . owns a 3.0 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . born Feb. 5, 1993, in Columbus, Ind. . . . full name is Tyler Alan Rayburn.

Jalen Schlachter 6-5 301 OL Corunna, Mich. (Corunna) Chris Curtiss
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters for head coach Chris Curtiss . . . two-time All-Capital Area Activities Conference . . . two-time recipient of Corunna High School’s Pat Boyer Award for most outstanding offensive lineman . . . Detroit Free Press All-State . . . ranked No. 32 on the Detroit Free Press Michigan Top 50 list . . . ranked No. 22 on the Lansing State Journal “Catch 22” Michigan Top Football Prospect List . . . also competed in basketball and track and field . . . averaging 10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in basketball . . . all-state and regional champion in the shot put . . . career best throw of 51-feet, 8-inches.

Chris Shillings 6-1 200 WR Columbus, Ind. (North) Tim Bless
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned four letters in football for head coach Tim Bless . . . helped the Bulldogs to a 7-4 overall record as a senior and a 29-16 career mark . . . All-Conference Indiana as a junior . . . also competed in track as a long jumper . . . PERSONAL: Son of Kristy Moore . . . one sister . . . born Jan. 20, 1993, in Indianapolis, Ind. . . . full name is Christopher James Shillings.

Willie Snead 5-11 182 WR Norton Shores, Mich. (Muskegon) Willie Snead
Graduated from high school in December of 2010 and joined Ball State for the second semester of the 2010-11 academic year . . . HIGH SCHOOL: Earned four letters for head coach and his father, Willie Snead . . . helped the Tigers to a 6-5 record as a senior and a 30-8 career mark . . . helped team to four district championships, three regional titles and one state championship . . . all-state as a junior and senior . . . selected the Michigan Player of the Year as a senior . . . all-conference as a junior and senior . . . passed for 2,500 yards with 10 touchdowns plus rushed for 1,320 yards and 13 TDs as a senior . . . passed for 4,000 yards with 40 touchdowns and rushed for 2,500 yards and 29 TDs in his career . . . set the school record for total yards in a single game with 489 . . . set the school standard for total passing yards with 3,100 as a junior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Willie and Sofia Snead . . . one brother and one sister . . . owns a 3.5 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . born Oct. 17, 1992, in Winter Park, Fla. . . . full name is Willie Lee Snead IV.

Trent Toothman 6-0 235 QB/LB Salem, Ohio (Salem) Mike Kopachy
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football for head coach Mike Kopachy . . . helped the Quakers to an 8-3 record as a senior . . . member of first Salem High School team to advance to the playoffs and helped the school to its first-ever playoff win in 2009 . . . also helped team to state playoffs as a senior in 2010 . . . All-Northeast Ohio as a junior and senior . . . All-Ohio Second Team as a senior . . . all-county as a junior and senior . . . Salem’s Offensive Most Valuable Player as a junior and senior . . . managed 87 tackles, rushed for 1,407 yards and 20 touchdowns and passed for 1,588 yards and 12 TDs as a senior . . . compiled 4,540 passing yards and 2,500 rushing yards in career . . . set the school record with 4,540 passing yards in a career . . . first player in Salem history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season . . . set the school record for touchdown passes in a career with 42 . . . also competed in track and basketball . . . Track: Earned three letters . . . two-time state qualifier as a member of the 400-meter relay team . . . placed third in the state in the 400-meter relay as a junior . . . member of the school record-setting 400 relay team (42.49) as a junior . . . Basketball: Earned two letters . . . all-conference as a junior . . . . . . PERSONAL: Son of Brian Toothman and Kristin Toothman . . . one brother and one sister . . . owns a 3.5 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . Academic All-Ohio in football and track . . . born July 22, 1992, in Salem, Ohio . . . full name is Trent Daniel Toothman.

We’ll be digging into this recruiting class in depth now that the hustle and bustle of actual life has calmed down a bit. Look forward to that. No, really, look forward to that like nothing you’ve ever looked forward to in your life.

Filed under: Ball State, Recruiting |