In a span from Dec. 4, 2023 to Feb. 20, 2024, Ball State junior tight end Tanner Koziol left Ball State, transferred to Lousiville and then decided to come back to Muncie.
When Koziol decided to head back to Muncie, offensive coordinator and tight end coach Jared Elliot said the staff could not be more fired up.
After coming back, Elliot said it was like Koziol never left, putting in extremely hard work.
“Tanner is a great football player, and a better young man,” Elliot said. “He is great for our locker room, he is a Ball State Cardinal and he wanted to come back here. He wanted to be here.”
As much as losing Koziol hurt in that time period between Dec. and Feb., that is the era of college sports world we live in, head coach Mike Neu said.
“Make no mistake about it though, we were extremely excited and welcomed him back with open arms,” Neu said. “His teammates welcomed him back, obviously, he [Koziol] wanted to make sure all those guys knew how much he loved them and cared about them.”
Koziol’s choice to come back started with his family on the field.
“These coaches to me are true family,” Koziol said. “I look up to a lot of these coaches as father figures, who they are to their families, the type of coaches they are and the lessons they instill in everyone.
“It wasn’t somewhere where I wanted to leave, but it was just the best feeling coming back and being back here knowing I made the right decision.”
Sophomore tight end Tanner Koziol runs with the football after making a catch against Central Michigan Oct. 22 at Scheumann Stadium. Koziol had two receptions for 30 yards in the 24-17 win. Dalton Clark, DN
Neu said the biggest thing he has seen out of Koziol this year is his leadership abilities. He said Koziol has been showing teammates what it means to be a college athlete on and off the field.
“He has taken the young players, not just the tight ends, under his wing,” Neu said.
That leadership out of Koziol is seen as essentially another tight end coach with his experience in the Ball State offense, Elliot said.
When Neu looks at the tight end room, he sees the versatility within it. Each player is different, but each is a big part of the Ball State offense.
One of the newer players in the room is sophomore Christian Abney.
Abney came to Ball State last year as a quarterback and jumped to tight end. The true freshman ended up playing in seven games, starting in three at his new position.
Neu said Abney fully bought into his new position last year. He lifted more, put on the necessary weight and learned the position.
“I’m sure he had no idea he would play that many snaps last year, but he earned them,” Neu said.
Koziol has seen every step of Abney becoming a tight end.
“I remember when he was in camp as quarterback, we brought him into the indoor [practice facility] to work him out at tight end,” Koziol said. “I gave him my gloves because he had no gloves and he had no clue what he was doing.
“He didn’t know his foot from his behind. He has grown so much and calmed down out there playing.”
Abney said Koziol and Elliot have not only helped in learn the position last year but are still helping him progress to be a better player.
“Just getting thrown in last year, making a lot of mistakes with some good, I learned a lot,” Abney said. “Tanner has helped me out with a lot of things. Whether it is route running, blocking and all the little things I can pick his brains about, he has been a great mentor.”
Last year it was Abney dipping his toe in the water, now he has jumped all in, Elliot said.
“To see how comfortable he is now, where everything was new for him a year ago, he is very confident,” Elliot said. “It is all coming a lot easier to him.”
The Ball State offense uses the tight ends in a multitude of ways. They block, protect and also are utilized with their pass-catching abilities.
Regardless of what assignment they are given, Elliot said they embrace it all.
“They embrace the dirty jobs,” Elliot said. “They have the mentality that, “Whatever is asked of me to help our football team have success." They really feed off each other that way.”
“They love their teammates, they are blue collar and they are tough,” Elliot said.
With high production from tight ends in recent seasons, Koziol said it is Elliot who makes the group tougher.
“He is the best tight end coach in the country, I could say that every day,” Koziol said. “He knows ball, he knows how to instill the love for the game in players and he does such a good job.”
Contact Elijah Poe via email at elijah.poe@bsu.edu or on X @ElijahPoe4.
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