Countdown to 2019 IUFB Kickoff: 42 Days (Marcelino Ball)

Written by Amanda Pavelka (@amandapavelka3)

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: #9 MARCELINO BALL

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 223 pounds

Hometown: Roswell, Georgia (Roswell)

Year: Redshirt junior

Position: Husky

Only five more Indiana football-less Saturdays remain until the season kicks off against the Ball State Cardinals at Lucas Oil Stadium. The August 31st noon matchup is 42 days away, and with Big Ten Media Days underway in Chicago this past Thursday and Friday, college football preseason is in full swing.

Traditionally, Hoosier Huddle dedicates a countdown day to the player with the matching jersey number to how many days remain until kickoff. Marcelino Ball wore No. 42 for his first three years at Indiana, but will don the No. 9 jersey as a redshirt junior. Ball being one of the key players for Indiana’s success this season, we cannot wait to talk about him.

Hailing from Roswell, Georgia, Marcelino Ball came to Bloomington in the fall of 2016 hungry. The size numbers on the roster were no dictation for the potential Ball carried for Indiana’s defensive line. He made his dominant presence known early on as the third-most disruptive man, recording 75 tackles his freshman year. With two interceptions, eight pass deflections, and 4.5 tackles for loss to add, Ball ended his freshman year with some hardware as IU’s Defensive Newcomer of the Year. All-Big Ten and 247Sports True Freshman All-American honors would be the first of many for the star at the husky position.

After starting the first three games in 2017, Ball suffered an injury that ended his sophomore season. For the three games he played, he recorded 20 tackles, 13 solo, a half for loss, and one quarterback hurry. He was granted a medical redshirt and his presence on the field was both easily noticed and missed.

In 2018, Indiana made the decision to strip names from the backs of jerseys. But even after sitting out a year, Marcelino Ball’s presence was familiar at Memorial Stadium. Those who had forgotten were quickly reminded of his ability to slash through opponents harder than he looks. Ball proved himself once again to be a key piece to the Hoosiers’ defensive puzzle as the man with the third-most tackles with 59, 40 solo, 7.5 for loss, 2.5 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, three pass breakups, and one quarterback hurry.

With the outstanding accomplishments made in his bounce back sophomore year, it is exciting to think about what kind of damage he can cause in his third year. And on Big Ten Media Day both Tom Allen and present senior teammates were in agreement that Ball is in for a monster 2019 season.

Ball’s NFL-potential talent has been recently recognized on the national level with his name being mentioned in the Top 10 players on Bruce Feldman of the Athletic’s Freak List. Phil Steele honored Ball on his All-Big Ten Fourth team this summer as well.