Waiting his turn: BSU transfer Posley bides time

MUNCIE – At times, one can hear the patience and maturity when Josh Posley talks about going through this football season. Then one can also hear the longing to play.

Most players who miss time are almost bouncing off the walls, aching to get back on the field. Posley won't play this season, part of his process transferring to Ball State from Cincinnati, but he seems to have an understanding of his situation and a buy-in to this different kind of year.

Not that it's always easy.

"I work hard all throughout the week," said Posley, who said he'd never sat out a year of football. "Then I know I just have to sit on the sideline. I'm on the sideline while the other defensive ends are in, just wishing I could be out there and have an impact."

The junior could well be one of the team's top defenders when he finally becomes eligible.

He has had to bide his time as a scout-teamer this fall, but the staff loves his potential at defensive end. At 6-foot-1, 250 pounds, he will likely fill the team's bigger end spot, but he also has the speed and spacial awareness to take the hybrid rush position if needed.

The staff has raved about the way the reserved Posley does the little things, such as listen, pick up details and understand scheme. He seems to take redshirting in stride, talking about the chance to hone his craft for a year.

"He's got a great motor," Cardinals coach Pete Lembo said. "He's got a great attitude. He's really smart. He practices hard. The Warren Central kids all seem to have that kind of good motor to them. I like him a lot as a person."

It wasn't so long ago that likeable personality was part of a solid Cincinnati program. Hailing from Indianapolis, Posley was recruited by the Butch Jones regime in Cincinnati and played in six games as a freshman.

After that season, things changed with Jones moving on to Tennessee. Tommy Tuberville came in with a scheme that called for bigger ends, and by midseason, Posley was moved to middle linebacker. Then at year's end, linebacker coach/defensive coordinator Art Kaufman was let go.

With that much turnover, Posley wanted a fresh start. He said Tennessee and Louisville were after him to play linebacker, but he had a connection to the Cardinals through secondary coach Shannon Morrison (a member of Jones' staff) and Ball State offered as soon as he got his release to transfer.

He said although big programs came calling, there was some allure in the Mid-American Conference.

"With the last couple years, guys in the MAC getting drafted in the top 5, that really motivated me," Posley said.

He came in and the staff was already wishing it could get him on the field ASAP. Defensive coordinator Kevin Kelly had one word for his potential: huge.

"He's got a huge upside," Kelly said. "We saw him on tape, did a great job for (Cincinnati). He's doing a terrific job on the scout team. He's giving our offense fits every week."

With all that ability (he was a top-15 player in the state out of high school), he's indeed working scout-team duty, just helping give the offense a look for the next opponent. It's probably not the most relaxing thing for the tackles, going up against a former American Athletic Conference player, but that can only help.

Every week he's either been nominated for or won defensive scout player of the week. Some players could big-time the assignment, but Kelly said he's gone at it hard. It's a role he's settled into.

"They needed a solid guy ... to give them a good look every week," Posley said. "So I just go at whatever position."

Coming to a new school is more than just the football, and while he went all out daily despite no chance to play, it took some time to adapt.

One of the crucial factors in a transfer is moving from one tight-knit group to another, completely re-orienting socially. He admitted he was quiet early, but as he played things started to come together as he showed the impact he could have down the road.

"It felt like I was kind of a freshman all over again," Posley said. "I'd been with one football team for 2½ years, so when I came in, I wasn't really talking to many people, I was just practicing and leaving. As I started doing well on the field, guys started taking me in, introducing themselves, letting me know I was part of the family now."

Contact sports writer Ben Breiner at 213-5848. Follow him on Twitter @BenBreinerTSP.

BSU vs. Akron

• When: 2 p.m. Saturday

• Where: Scheumann Stadium (22,500)

• Online: WatchESPN

• Radio: WLBC-104.1 FM