"It's a long time coming to finally get to this day, but it's exciting because we add so many pieces to the puzzle that are great young men," Neu said. "They come from great programs. A lot of guys are captains of their high school programs. It's great when you can add young men like that into the mix."
The 2020 early signing day class includes five offensive linemen, two defensive linemen, two linebackers, two running backs, two wide receivers, one safety and one athlete. The class features players from eight states – Indiana (six), Ohio (two), Missouri (two), Michigan (one), Illinois (one), Pennsylvania (one), Tennessee (one) and Wisconsin (one).
"This is the biggest group of offensive linemen that we've had during my time here – not only in numbers but size," Neu said. "As we know, it starts in the trenches. The big guys never get enough love. We feel strongly that they can play a number of different positions. They can play center, they can play guard, they can play tackle. They have all of the qualities you look for in offensive linemen coming into your program. It's really exciting to look at this group and think about the upside that they have."
The five incoming offensive linemen average 6-foot-5 in height and nearly 300 pounds.
2020 Ball State Football Additions
Name Position Height Weight Year Hometown (Previous School)
Markavun Brownlee RB 5-11 225 Fr. Elkhart, Ind. (Elkhart Central HS)
Ethan Crowe OL 6-5 605 Fr. Bargersville, Ind. (Center Grove HS)
Dalton Elrod ILB 6-3 230 Fr. Hartland, Wis. (Arrowhead HS)
Brayden Evans SAF 6-1 200 Fr. Camby, Ind. (Mooresville, Ind.)
Latrell Fordham WR 6-2 180 Fr. Burton, Mich. (Davison HS)
Austin Hill WR 6-2 185 Fr. Muncie, Ind. (Yorktown HS)
Ryan Lezon ATH 6-1 220 Fr. Indianapolis, Ind. (Southport HS)
Tommy Lorincz OL 6-6 300 Fr. Avon, Ohio (Avon HS)
Donny Marcus * RB 5-11 190 Fr. Brownsburg, Ind. (Brownsburg HS)
Julian McBride DL 6-2 270 Fr. Cape Girardeau, Mo. (Chaminade College Prep)
Kevin Meeder OL 6-5 290 Fr. Portersville, Pa. (Seneca Valley HS)
Nate Pedraza OLB 6-3 240 Fr. Rolling Meadows, Ill. (Rolling Meadows HS)
Aaron Porter OL 6-5 315 Fr. Independence, Mo. (Truman HS)
Nathan Reichert DL 6-3 260 Fr. Lewistown, Ohio (Indian Lake HS)
Corey Stewart OL 6-6 300 Fr. Nashville, Tenn. (East Nashville HS)
* - joining team in 2020 spring semester