Ball State redshirt freshman Kadin Semonza’s college football experience started quickly.
Going from Huntington Beach, California, to Muncie, Indiana, in the dead of winter as a 19-year-old — and then starting against the No. 1 team in the country last season in his first collegiate start — Semonza had to adapt at a rapid pace.
“I felt a lot of pressure,” Semonza said. “I put a lot of hard work and preparation into the product you see on Saturdays.”
The Cardinals’ starting quarterback is said to be one of the biggest leaders on the team, one of the hardest-working players, as well as considered “the gut” by multiple people in the program. If you ask his parents Matt and Jaclyn Semonza, they’re not surprised.
“We always tried to surround him with a great atmosphere and great people,” Matt said. “That foundation of people around him showed him the right way and what he needs to do to be the best teammate.”
‘I always thought I'd be in this position’
Growing up, Kadin’s love of sports came naturally as the Semonza family enjoyed watching them. He played baseball, basketball and football growing up, but his time on the gridiron helped the future Cardinal realize football was more than a game. Soon after, his dream of playing college football began.
“I always had a dream of playing in the NFL, and this is one step along the way,” Kadin said. “… I always thought I'd be in this position.”
When he started playing football, he played every position but quarterback. Around the time he turned 12 years old, his youth team needed a quarterback and he stepped into his current position.
In high school, he received the opportunity to become the starting quarterback at Mission Viejo High School during his sophomore year. After that, he kept the job, leading the Diablos to a 33-6 record and throwing for 6,709 yards, 77 touchdown passes and only 13 interceptions in his tenure.
“Kadin’s one of those guys that you look at and say, ‘He's got it,’’’ former Cardinal football player Clayton Coll said. “The ball comes off his hand differently. The spiral, the release, it just comes off different, and you recognize that early on.”
While he worked immensely to get better, Kadin credited the environment in which he played. To him, California high school football is on a different level than any other state.
“[It’s the] best there ever is,” Kadin said. “A lot of people disagree with that. They say Florida or Texas or all that kind of stuff, but I truly do believe that California high school football is the best you'll find.”
He said he believes the detailed play calling and pace of the game are similar to college and even professional football. Yet, it’s not just about the way the game is played, but who has played in the Sunshine State and where they are now.
Kadin said guys like Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, the NFL's 2023 No. 1 pick; Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, the NFL's 2023 No. 2 pick; and Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown are all inspiration for him.
“It’s not surprising because I've been around a lot of those guys and then people who are closer to me who are also at the college level,” Kadin said.
‘Damn, this guy has it figured out’
While his stats and performance in high school seem impressive, the recruiting process wasn’t the smoothest for Kadin. As the oldest child, this was unfamiliar territory for him and his family.
“He had some opportunities where he had a university that was highly interested in him, was talking to him all the time, and then all of a sudden, stopped calling him,” Matt said. “For a young high school kid, they start to wonder, ‘Maybe I'm not good enough.”
But when Ball State assistant head coach Kevin Lynch’s brother Joey – who was the offensive coordinator and quarterback’s coach at Vanderbilt at the time – was scouting a teammate of Kadin, Kevin was informed about the Diablos’ starting quarterback. After getting an invite to a Ball State football prospect camp during his junior year of high school, Kadin took the opportunity and ran with it.
Cardinals’ head coach Mike Neu watched as the quarterback balled out over 2,000 miles away from home.
“He just lit it up,” Neu said. “We had around 20 quarterbacks here that day with four or five being in the position that we liked their tape but wanted to see them in person. He was just awesome — everything about that workout, from getting on the same page with wideouts and tight ends. There’s a lot of value I place in that and like, ‘Damn, this guy has it figured out.’”
After receiving an offer that same day from Ball State, the Semonza family flew back to California that night. The next day, Kadin decided to commit to the red and white.
Matt said getting to meet and spend time with Ball State’s coaching staff was a deciding factor in Semonza’s decision.
Kadin graduated early his senior year to get a jumpstart in Muncie. While he won’t admit it, Matt knew his son struggled with being so far from home.
“He got thrown into the fire. Getting that all under his belt, starting classes, going to a place that's 2,100 miles away, living in a dorm room, starting the football schedule,” Matt said. “All those things were thrown at him pretty darn quickly.”
When his name was called to start against No.1 Georgia last season, he was once again in new territory. Considering it was his first collegiate start and his first action since playing high school football the year before, he took it all in.
“You feel the atmosphere and all that kind of stuff,” Kadin said. “But once you get out there, I can't really describe the feeling. It was surreal, awesome and I loved every bit of it.”
With help from guys like junior tight end Tanner Koziol and former Cardinals’ tight end Brady Hunt, his teammates aided him in adjusting to the area and became leaders for the new collegiate quarterback. Another former Ball State player who helped Kadin was Coll.
“We had a bunch of conversations off the field about how I should go about things and how I can be better at all that kind of stuff,” Kadin said.
However, the Cardinals found themselves in a three-way battle for the starting quarterback job. When then-redshirt junior Kiael Kelley won the spot by week seven, Kadin was redshirted and watched the remainder of the year from the sidelines. Coll was there to help him through.
“I think that's the biggest mistake that young guys make,” Coll said. “But it's evident because when they get their chance, those young guys that have a great sophomore year or start as a junior, that's because of the work they did as a freshman.”
While somewhat frustrating at the time, Kadin now looks at the situation and appreciates what he learned from the moment.
“It's awesome to play against [Georgia and Kentucky],” Kadin said. “Then to sit back and redshirt, it made sure I got everything else figured out so that I'm able to go out there and lead the boys and succeed this year.”
‘They gave me a shot’
The morning before Ball State played the Bulldogs Saturday, Sept. 9, Kadin texted Matt and told him he was starting. It was a moment the family will never forget.
“He said, ‘They gave me a shot’ and I was like, ‘Let's go,” Matt said, chuckling. “I knew what he was up against, but it was everything he ever dreamed of.”
As of Ball State’s first four games this season, Kadin has 828 passing yards, eight touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown. Though the Cardinals are 1-3, the offense has clicked with the young quarterback so far.
“He’s working with our offensive line every day,” redshirt junior receiver Qian Magwood said. “He just gets everyone on the same page and we just go make the plays. He makes it easy for us.”
While his gameplay is respected by the Cardinals, there is something else he brings every day.
“His swag, everything about him from how he walks in the room, you just feel his energy,” Magwood said.
Magwood compared his energy to former Ball State running back Carson Steele, who now plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. In the loss against Central Michigan Sept. 21, the Cardinals were in a two-minute position. Kadin was his usual self.
“He walks [in the huddle] and says, ‘Boys, don’t act like we haven’t done this before,’” Magwood said. “Then we went down and scored.”
Though Kadin has seemed to adjust to Ball State football just fine, according to people around the program, there is one thing that reminds him of every game he’s played in since high school: a pregame text from his father.
“I send him a little note and a lot of it just centered around trusting and believing the process,” Matt said. “When you get an opportunity, do everything you can and trust yourself and your training.”
To Kadin, it reminds him that his family has been there every step of the way. Regardless of what happens or how he performs, he knows his family’s support is one thing that will never change.
“I couldn't ask for a better set of parents. They give me everything, and I owe them,” Kadin said. “I always find them [in the crowd] before the game.”
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu or on X via @ZachCarter85.
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