MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State football head coach
Mike Neu announced the addition of graduate transfer Anthony Ekpe to the Cardinals roster for the upcoming fall season Thursday afternoon. Ekpe spent the previous four years at Rice University.
The 6-1, 235-pound outside linebacker started the first five games of the 2019 season before suffering a mid-year injury. Ekpe returned to action late in the year and recorded a key early sack in the season-finale win at UTEP. He recorded a career-high nine tackles against Wake Forest in Rice's home opener.
Ekpe's best season with the Owls came in 2018 when he led the team in sacks (6.0) and tackles for loss (6.5) to earn All-Conference USA honorable mention accolades. In his three seasons of collegiate action, Ekpe has piled up 67 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He also qualified for the C-USA Honor Roll in 2017, 2018 and 2019 while majoring in sport management.
Hailing from Pflugerville, Texas, Ekpe was a first team all-state selection at Hendrickson High School. He came away with District 13-6A Defensive MVP honors as he helped the Hawks win the district title and finish 9-3 overall in his final season at Hendrickson.
Two other defensive graduate transfers signed with Ball State earlier this academic year – defensive lineman
Chris Agyemang (Sacred Heart University) and defensive back
J.T. Wahee (Norfolk State University).
Ball State concluded the 2019 season 5-7 overall and 4-4 in the MAC. The Cardinals won the Bronze Stalk Trophy from Northern Illinois for the first time since 2008 and capped the year by knocking off league champion Miami for the Red Bird Rivalry Trophy, 41-27.
Ball State opens the 2020 season on Thursday, Sept. 3 with a home game against Maine.
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@BSUCoachNeu.
