Until this year, Keldric Luster has spent his entire football career in Texas.
From McKinney High School to SMU to Texas State, the redshirt junior now finds himself in Indiana competing for the starting quarterback job at Ball State. The big move from the South to the Midwest was a bit of a culture shock for Luster at first — especially in December — but he's quickly made a new home in Muncie.
"It was a big culture change for me," Luster said. "From down South, I'm used to the hot sun every day, being 100 degrees. Coming down to Muncie, that was a big jump for me, definitely something when I got here in December that I had to adjust to pretty quick. Over the long run, once I got going with the offense, got more connected with the guys, that part was kind of erased from my mind, so it's been great for me."
Luster was drawn to Ball State by the vision that head coach Mike Uremovich and quarterbacks coach Craig Harmon laid out for his future with the Cardinals. During his recruitment process, he also spoke with some current members of the team and other transfer portal players, including wide receivers CJ Nelson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Corey Thompson Jr.—all of whom ultimately decided to join forces in Muncie.
"It was kind of cool to see us all pull the trigger and come to this school, and now we get to put it all on display once the season starts," Luster said.
Luster also had a connection on the Cardinals' staff from his high school days. Assistant secondary coach Mayomi Olootu was previously the defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator at McKinney High School while Luster played there. Olootu came from McKinney to Ball State as a graduate assistant under Mike Neu in 2024 and remained on staff in his current role under Uremovich.
"Mayo knew (Luster) coming out of high school, so we had a guy that had a personal relationship with him that knew what type of kid he is, and he is a great kid," Uremovich said. "Then obviously, his ability, he can really throw the ball, he can run, he's really smart, and he's a leader. He's fun to coach."
What makes Luster stick out is that he doesn't look like a quarterback until you see him zipping passes around the field. At 5-foot-10, 250 pounds, Luster is built more like a linebacker or a fullback than a quarterback. His frame is undoubtedly unique for the position, but being on the shorter side of the quarterback spectrum has never fazed him.
"I've been riding with a chip on my shoulder my whole life, so it's really nothing that phases me, honestly," Luster said. "I've seen quarterbacks of my height do it as well, come from where I'm from. One in the league, Kyler Murray, he's kind of on the shorter side of quarterbacks, he's from that Allen, McKinney area, and he's playing in the big leagues. I feel like the sky's the limit for me."
His unique build does serve to his advantage at times. As a quarterback, Luster believes his biggest physical strengths are navigating tight pockets and making off-platform throws. When he gets going as a runner, he's probably one of the last quarterbacks a defender wants to see coming at him at full speed.
More important than those physical attributes are his intangible strengths, the ones that can't be taught and the ones that consistently draw the most praise from his coaches.
"With my leadership, I really feel like I can get a group of guys going," Luster said. "Things get tough. I can really settle guys down in the huddle and really get us rolling as an offense and as a team. Always stay consistent, whether things are going good or bad. Everybody's looking at the quarterback for the emotion and to control the game, so I really feel like my poise is pretty calm and consistent throughout the game.
Luster's reps have been limited so far in his college career, with just 16 rushing attempts and 12 passing attempts over nine total appearances with the Mustangs and Bobcats. Uremovich has declined to name a starting quarterback, so an increase in snaps is not yet guaranteed.
Should he earn the job, though, Luster is confident that he will make the most of it.
"I feel like, seeing the measurables, I surprise a lot of people," Luster said. "But I'm confident in my game, and I know there's people out there that's confident in my game as well. At the end of the day, I'm just ready to display it on Saturdays and show this Muncie community and Ball State program what I can do this year."
Contact Cade Hampton via email at cbhampton@usatodayco.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Why Keldric Luster could be the next quarterback for Ball State football
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