Kansas University Football Recruiting

Former Ball State defensive back Roman Pearson has committed to Kansas, he announced on Thursday morning.

Pearson is a 6-foot-2, 198-pound outside corner who played in 12 games and started eight at the position for the Cardinals during the 2025 season. He finished with a Pro Football Focus grade of 62.6 and played 504 defensive snaps on the year.

He is the first cornerback KU has acquired this offseason after it lost three reserves at the position earlier in the offseason (Jameel Croft Jr., Jacoby Davis and Aundre Gibson). Pearson will add experience to a room that also features returning contributors Jalen Todd, Austin Alexander, Syeed Gibbs and Jahlil Hurley and endured some growing pains last season.

Pearson, who is originally from Pickerington, Ohio, and is the son of former Ohio State and NFL running back Pepe Pearson, spent the first three years of his career playing at the FCS level for Bucknell.

He redshirted in 2022, appearing in three games, then swung into action in 2023 with seven starts in 10 appearances, 21 tackles, two interceptions, eight passes defensed and a forced fumble. Those numbers got better in even greater action the next year: 40 tackles including 1.5 for loss, two more picks and 11 pass breakups.

He then transferred up to the MAC for his redshirt junior season and recorded 27 tackles and an interception in his lone year with the Cardinals.

He will be one of a pair of former Ball State players on KU’s roster along with wide receiver Cam Pickett, though the two did not overlap in Muncie, Indiana.