TJ Horton holds the RB · Starter spot in Ball State Cardinals’s running back room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

TJ Horton logged a 12.4% overall usage rate in 2025.

TJ Horton is a running back from Lexington, Kentucky, who attended Frederick Douglass High School. A three-star recruit in the 2023 class, Horton redshirted his freshman year in 2023. In 2024, he appeared in eight games and carried 23 times for 107 yards as Ball State's fourth-leading rusher. During the 2025 season, Horton appeared in 10 of 12 games, rushing 60 times for 180 yards while adding 15 receptions for 71 yards. He emerged as the Cardinals' primary kick returner, logging 12 kickoff returns for 294 yards and scoring on a 90-yard return against Akron on October 18. Horton finished fifth in the MAC in kickoff return average. Coaches have cited his improvement and versatility heading into 2026.

Ball State2023 — present