Ben Breiner

bbreiner@muncie.gannett.com

MUNCIE — Throughout preseason camp, Ball State football coach Pete Lembo laid out a straightforward mantra when asked about the timing on naming his starting quarterback. He wanted to reach the point where there really wasn't much of a decision at all.

Turns out that came in the past few days, with a local thrower taking the position all to himself.

When the team released a fresh depth chart Monday morning, the absence next to Ozzie Mann's name told the tale. Ball State's QB1 was no longer Mann OR Jack Milas, but Mann alone, two weeks before the season gets under way.

Lembo confirmed as much, that the former Delta Eagle will be the Cardinals starter when the team takes the Scheumann Stadium turf Aug. 30 against Colgate. The competition opened as a four-man derby, but Mann slowly took command of the position, through the spring and preseason, before locking it down in recent practices.

"This preseason, the last week to 10 days, he's really been both steady and, again, slowly but surely made better and better decisions and more confident decisions and accurate throws," Lembo said.

The coach noted his signal caller took a noticeable step in late spring. Mann took the vast majority of reps with the first team through most of August, and in recent weeks, Milas' work with the top unit dwindled even further.

Mann was a three-year starter at Delta, which sits a mere nine miles from Scheumann Stadium. He won a contested quarterback battle to earn that job too, and then led the team to a 27-9 record across three years, including 10- and 12-win campaigns and a 2009 sectional title.

He redshirted his first year with the Cardinals in 2012, and then served as Keith Wenning's backup last season, throwing nine passes in relief work. Wenning graduated having set nearly every school record of note, and now Mann steps into the void he left.

"His teammates have a lot of respect for his work ethic," Lembo said. "They have seen his progress, and they know that he's earned what he's gotten so far."

Mann will be the team's first starting quarterback from East Central Indiana since the early 2000s when Delta alum Joey Lynch, now the team's offensive coordinator, ran the show.

Elsewhere on the depth chart, Kyle Kamman elevated himself into a co-backup position with Milas at quarterback. Lembo noted Kamman improved his arm strength, which was usually cited as one of the concerns with his game.

The coach said the light went on for guard Jeremiah Harvey in terms of decision making and processing, which earned him a starting nod. The starting field cornerback position was listed as split, with Darius Conaway showing consistency in camp and Tyree Holder battling a groin injury.

The punt and kick return spots are up in the air, with an array of starting names such as KeVonn Mabon, Eric Patterson, Jahwan Edwards and Jordan Williams in the mix. Lembo said it will be a blend that could shift based on the players' other responsibilities week to week.

Three true freshmen — receivers Corey Lacanaria and Jordan Hogue, defensive tackle Kevin Willis — also cracked the depth chart, a testament to their maturity according to Lembo.

But while some of those still need to settle, the Cardinals can be confident they at least have their man behind center. It took a while for the situation to cement itself, but now a local takes that key spot. And he fits the mold the Cardinals want.

"He's a very humble, very grounded, very team-oriented guy," Lembo said. "He's really a business-as-usual, it's-another-day-at-the-office kind of guy."

Contact sports writer Ben Breiner at 213-5848. Follow him on Twitter @BenBreinerTSP.