#21

Joey Stemler

Senior linebacker for Ball State. 2025: 44 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss.

LB · Ball State · Sr. · #21

6′1″ · 236 lb · Cleves, OH

CFB Index 27 · #480 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Ball State for 2026

How he plays

Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.

Solo tackles: 76th percentile.

The full scouting read

The numbers

tackles · 2025

1.5 TFL · 1 PBU

Best game: 6 tackles, 1 TFL, at Miami (OH)

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 linebacker for Ball State. 2025: 44 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Ball State in 2021.

His career, year by year

Joey Stemler

LB · Ball State · Sr · #21

Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles. Joey Stemler has played for two head coaches in four seasons at Ball State. The receipt on tape: 7 tackles against Western Michigan, Week 7, 2025.

Low coverage — composed from the verified record.

positional archetype classification
head-coach lineage
game log

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2022Ball State5-7HC: Mike Neu · Balanced

2023Ball State4-8HC: Mike Neu · Run-heavy

2024Ball State3-9HC: Mike Neu · Balanced

2025Ball State4-8HC: Mike Uremovich · Run-heavy, slow tempo

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

27Below cohort / limited sample #480 of 583?

High confidenceFading7 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: sacks (24th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Solo tackles#696 / 2975 · 76th pct

Tackles#756 / 2975 · 74th pct

QB hurries#634 / 2975 · 72nd pct

Passes defended#1191 / 2975 · 48th pct

Forced fumbles#36 / 687 · 47th pct

Tackles for loss#1711 / 2975 · 39th pct

1.5

Sacks#1575 / 2975 · 24th pct

0.0

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home4g	4.0	0.1	0.0	0.2
Road6g	4.7	0.2	0.0	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-76g	4.2	0.1	0.0	0.2
Weeks 8+4g	4.8	0.2	0.0	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Mike Uremovich

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2025

Rotational

Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

27 · #480 of 583 LBs

Three-star recruit. Now #480 at the position.

2026 outlook

Outside shot for All-MAC

Based on 2025: #42 of 55 Mid-American LBs

How the All-MAC estimate is computed

15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.

Career stats

Season	Team
2025	Ball State	44	26	1.5	0.0	1	--	--
2024	Ball State	56	30	6.0	1.5	--	2	1
2023	Ball State	18	6	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
2022	Ball State	9	3	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
Career		127	65	7.5	1.5	1	2	1

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2025

W 34–29

vs New Hampshire

3 TOT · 1 SOLO · 1 QB HUR

Edged out New Hampshire at home in a shootout.

With Q. Ashley — 154 rush yds (12 car) · 2 TD · K. Kelly — 105 yds · 2 TD · 1 INT · QBR 77.4 · 101 rush yds (13 car) · 1 TD

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2025 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	L 0-31@ Purdue	5	5	0.0	—	0
Wk 2	L 3-42@ Auburn	4	4	0.0	—	0
Wk 3	W 34-29vs New Hampshire	3	1	0.0	—	0
Wk 4	L 25-31@ UConn	2	2	0.0	—	0
Wk 6	W 20-14vs Ohio	4	1	0.5	—	1
Wk 7	L 0-42@ Western Michigan	7	5	0.0	—	0	Season-high 7 tackles
Wk 8	W 42-28vs Akron	5	0	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	L 9-24vs Eastern Michigan	4	0	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	L 9-38@ Toledo	4	4	0.0	—	0
Wk 14	L 24-45@ Miami (OH)	6	4	1.0	—	0
Total		44	26	1.5	—	1