Sterling Smith holds the FS · Starter spot in Ball State Cardinals’s safety room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Sterling Smith is a free safety who transferred to Ball State as a redshirt junior in 2026 after spending time at Holy Cross and Purdue. The Indianapolis native appeared in all 12 games for the Boilermakers last season, recording one tackle at Washington, and earned a redshirt in 2024. At Holy Cross in 2023, Smith started nine games at strong safety as a true freshman, tallying 36 tackles, three quarterback hurries, and two pass breakups across all contests. He recorded a season-high seven tackles and a pass breakup in his college debut versus Merrimack. Smith attended Cathedral High School, where he compiled 116 tackles, three interceptions, and four forced fumbles during his prep career.