MUNCIE, Ind.— Mike Neu ushered in his first recruiting class with little drama or surprise. Until a last-minute signature came in from three-star running backKevin Dominique.
He brings the Cardinals up to 11 three-star recruits, which is second in the MAC only to Toledo, according to 247 Sports. The Cardinals finished strong in the recruiting periodandonly got better on signing day.
Related:How Ball State leaned on Georgia for its best signing class class this decade
Scout, which apparently hasn't updated some players' individual rankings, has Ball State at seventh in the MAC.
In total, 27 players signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday,a surprising majority of whom are from Georgia — known for its plentiful high school football talent. Look for additional coverage tonight when Ball State coaches are made available for comment.
Related:3-star QB flips commitment from Ball State
Official signatures
Kevin Dominique, Plaqeuimine (Louisiana) running back
That's a wrap!
This was a last-minute get for Ball State. Dominique, a three-star back (Scout, 247 Sports), signed on Wednesday after initially committing to Army back in December, according to 247 Sports.
Though he only had offers from Army, Northwestern State and Ball State,he drew interest from Tennessee, Purdue, LSU, Arkansas, Arizona and others.
With the addition of another three-star running back, Neu's first class is in the books. And according to 247 Sports' composite rating, it has 11 three-star guys. That is second in the MAC only to Toledo.
Shahid Reece, Rummel (Louisiana) linebacker
Here is another New Orleans guy that committed late, on January 29th. He's rated three stars by 247 Sportsand two by Scout.
In an interview with Hustlebelt, Reece said he was sold on Ball State's coaching staff from the NOLA area.
“I felt comfortable with Coach (Johnny) Curtis, knowing he’s a New Orleans guy himself, and so is coach Neu so I know they will be able to relate with me a lot," he said. "I also know at Ball State it’s the best place for me to excel as a Student Athlete.”
Michael Robinson, Kennesaw (Georgia) linebacker
This two-star linebacker (247 Sports, Scout) was one of the later commits in Ball State's class. He held 16 offers before joining the Cardinals' class of 2017, including Kent State, Buffalo, Indiana and Georgia State.
SioneTu'uta, Kenner (Louisiana) offensive line
Tu'uta looks like a monster on paper, at 6-foot-4 and 308 pounds. He's a two-star guy, per Scout and 247 Sports.
Ball State coaches talked at length about recruiting the state of Louisiana when Neu arrived. Though they haven't pulled a ton of kids from the New Orleans area, Tu'uta is a start. He played for John Curtis Christian, where linebackers coach Johnny Curtis worked prior to joining the Cardinals as a linebackers coach.
Malcom Lee, Mobile (Alabama) linebacker
This 6-foot-2, 180-pound safety out of Mobile is another southern signee. He carries two-star ratings from Scout and 247 Sports.Ball State was his only offer.
Zach Haynes, Bowling Green (Kentucky) defensive end
This Kentucky product committed to Ball State very early last season, picking the Cardinals over seven other offers. He's rated two stars by 247 Sports and Scout. He also received an all-state nod from the Courier-Journal.
Jordan Williams, Champaign (Illinois) defensive end
No, not that Jordan Williams. This defensive end is rated three stars by Scout. At 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, he'll bring some size and athleticism to the trenches.
Markice Hurt Jr., Michigan City (Indiana) running back
The in-state running back carries a two-star rating from 247 Sports and Scout. His coach predicted a 1,000-yard season for him as a senior, but Hurt suffered an injury mid-way through the season, per the Michigan City News-Dispatch.
Ball State was Hurt's lone offer.
VerenzoHolmes, Grovetown (Georgia) defensive back
With a three-star rating from 247 Sports, Holmes looks poised to be another difference maker in the Cardinals secondary.
That said, he can make plays on the offensive side of the ball too.
Justin Hall, Douglasville (Georgia) wide receiver
Hall is another Georgia product who drew plenty of interest with 17 offers, including Colorado State, Georgia State and, from the MAC, Ohio.
He's rated three stars by 247 Sportsand two by Scout. Hall recently told The Star Press,"They don't want me to redshirt. They want me to come down in June ... come out and bust my butt, because I might steal some playing time."
Christian Albright, Kennesaw (Georgia) defensive end
This 6-foot-3, 235-pound defensive lineman looks like a perfect fit for Ball State's defense -- assuming it maintains a similar scheme under its next defensive coordinator.
He's rated two stars by 247and Scout, but just watch this tape. Albright looks like a legit athlete on the defensive line.
Brock Burns, Fishers (Indiana) linebacker
This in-state defender is rated three stars by 247 Sports and two by Scout. He was an early Ball State commit, and at 6-foot-4, 202 pounds, looks like a solid pickup. He was listed as a safety in high school, but the Cardinals have him at linebacker for now.
Jake McKenzie, McCordsville (Indiana) offensive line
This lineman out of Heritage Christian is rated two stars by247 SportsandScout. He'll be an early enrollee.
Antonio Phillips, St. Louis (Missouri) defensive back
Did we mention there were several secondary guys in this class? Phillips, rated two stars by247 SportsandScout,committed early in 2016.
Demetrius Murray, Lawrenceville (Georgia) defensive back
Murray, rated two stars by Scout and 247,is yet another Georgia signee. He also had offers from Georgia State, Fresno State and Oregon State.
Myles Hannah, Stephenson (Georgia) defensive back
This 6-foot, 180-pound defender is a two-star signee with plenty of confidence. When it was announced that Tim Daoust was headed for Western Michigan, he told The Star Press that, "Next year we're going to have to light him up, light up his defense when we play Western Michigan."
Hassan Littles, Stephenson (Georgia) wide receiver
He was a two-way player in high school, but Ball State is adding Littles as a wide receiver. He was high school teammates with Newton, the three-star receiver mentioned earlier, and Myles Hannah.
Littles is rated two stars by Scout and 247 Sports.
David Rueth, Alter (Ohio) linebacker
Ball State was Rueth's only reported offer.
Khalil Newton, Stephenson (Georgia) wide receiver
Speaking of big-time receivers out of Georgia, Newton is rated threestars by247 Sportsand two by Scout.He held offers from Kentucky, Wake Forest and NC State. In the MAC, he had been offered by Miami (OH) and Toledo.
Justin Gibbs, Grovetown (Georgia) wide receiver
Rated three stars by both 247 Sportsand Scout, Gibbs is a big-time get for Ball State. Per 247 Sports, he had more than 20 offers from schools including Indiana, Purdue, Iowa, Wake Forest, Cincinnati and Appalachian State.
Outside of defensive back, no position is more important to Ball State in this class. Which only makes Gibbs' value that much greater.
Curtis Blackwell, Norwell (Fort Wayne, Ind.) offensive lineman
At 6-foot-5 and 306 pounds, Blackwell is a solid three-star offensive guard. In a recent interview with the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, the in-state signee said he can't wait to get started with offensive line coach Kyle DeVan.
“It’s just awesome,” Blackwell said. “He knows what it’s like and what it takes to get to the NFL. I would love to have a chance someday to get an opportunity to play in the NFL and if anybody can get me there, he’s definitely the guy for the job.”
Bryce Cosby, Dupont Manual (Kentucky) defensive back
This 5-foot-11, 170-pound Louisville product is rated two stars by Scout and 247 Sports. He was named to the Louisville Courier Journal All-State team in 2016.
He racked up five interceptions as a senior, adding to the six he nabbed as a junior.
Nathan Snyder, Marysville (Ohio) punter
Snyder played some quarterback in high school, too, so keep an eye on his arm on fourth downs. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound kicker could be the next big thing out of Specialist U.
Ethan Merriweather, Carmel(Indiana) wide receiver
This 6-foot-2, 185-pound receiver is Ball State's first official in-state signee. He's rated two stars by 247 Sports and Scout.
He helped Carmel to the 2016 6A state title.
Brett Anderson, Grand Blanc (Michigan) defensive back
Anderson is one of many defensive backs in this class. The Cardinals look to be actively padding that part of their roster after struggling to stop MAC quarterbacks in recent years.
He is rated two stars by Scoutand 247 Sports.
Caleb Huntley, Locust Grove (Georgia) running back
The second guy announced is Huntley, a Georgia running back who picked up 1,487 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns as a senior.
Listed at 6-foot and 226 pounds, Huntley will add to the already explosive combination of James Gilbert and Darian Green in the Cardinals' backfield.
Jimmy Daw, Medina (Ohio)linebacker
By 7:50 this morning, Ball State was promoting its first official signees on Twitter. The first is Jimmy Daw out of Medina, Ohio. He's rated three stars by bothScoutand247 Sports.
He's listed as a linebacker on this Tweet from Ball State, though he also played running back for Medina. He was rated the 30th best recruit in Ohio, where the Cardinals picked up two commits this year.
Pre-signing hype
Find Ball State reporter Dakota Crawford on Twitter: @DakotaCrawford_.
