Ball State's new starting quarterback, Keldric Luster, became the center of an online dispute this week after Polymarket posted a photoshopped image of him on X and later deleted it.
The image drew immediate backlash, including a sharp response from Ball State assistant athletic director of communications Kevin Messenger. In a post directed at Polymarket, Messenger called the photoshop a “degrading, false” representation of college football and added, “Meet the real Keldric Luster.”
Why the post drew attention
Luster has already attracted national attention because of his size. Listed at 5-10 and 250 pounds, he has helped fuel the “Bowling Ball State” nickname around the program, and the online image only pushed the conversation further.
Tom Fornelli also weighed in on the subject, joking that Ohio State might not be ready for “that man rolling down the field” and adding that Luster is listed at 5-10, 250, which means he is probably closer to 5-9, 265. Fornelli called him a “bowling ball quarterback.”
What comes next
The timing matters because Ball State named Luster its starting quarterback last week, and the Cardinals open the season Saturday against No. 1 Ohio State. That gives Luster an immediate national stage, with the program and its new starter already under a brighter spotlight than usual.
Ball State declined to comment on the photo, according to the article. But the sequence of events has already turned a preseason quarterback announcement into a broader conversation about attention, image and how quickly a college football story can spread online.
