Willizhuan Yates holds the LCB · Starter spot in Ball State Cardinals’s cornerback room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Willizhuan Yates is a 6'0", 175-pound left cornerback for Ball State out of Springboro, Ohio. A two-year starter under defensive coordinator Jeff Knowles, Yates holds 12 career starts—the most among returning defenders—and has recorded 51 career tackles along with two career interceptions. In 2024 as a freshman, he appeared in 10 games with five starts and recorded 17 tackles, one interception, and two tackles for loss. During his sophomore season in 2025, Yates registered 34 total tackles across 10 games with seven starts and led the secondary with seven pass deflections. He entered the transfer portal following the season but returned to the Cardinals for his junior year.

Ball State2024 — present