Butler's passing game will get a lift from a solid group of wide receivers and tight ends this year. Ethan Loss is the top returner on the outside after being tabbed All-PFL honorable mention in 2024. The Bulldogs will also welcome back redshirt-senior Cameron Heald to highlight the tight end position group.
 
"The tight ends are a great group of young men that are also fun to coach," Assistant Coach Alex Mitchell said. "There is a lot of experience and upperclassmen providing leadership in the room, along with a great group of young players that have been eager to learn and buy into the program."
 
Heald was an All-PFL honorable mention selection as a freshman in 2022 after making five starts and scoring three touchdowns. He appeared in 22 games over the next two years to impact the team in multiple ways.
 
Ethan Malafa, Brady Preston and Barrett Schmidlkofer will also be in the mix to see more snaps in 2025. Malafa is a 6-6 target that got involved in 10 games last year and Preston made the move to tight end in 2024, playing in 11 games. Schmidlkofer is a Mercer transfer that will look to get more involved this year. Yet another transfer included in this group is Jonathan Kahn from Tulane. Kahn was part of the Cotton Bowl Championship team with the Green Wave back in 2023.
 
"We ask a lot of these guys on the field, and they have done a great job meeting each challenge and being the work horses for the offense," Mitchell added. "No matter what they are doing, they are going to play with an edge and have a lot of fun doing it." 
 
Depth at the position will be provided by Gage Goralski, Keith Long Jr., Drew Sullivan, and Cole Kreuzer.
 
On the outside, Ethan Loss will be a force for the Bulldogs after leading the team in receiving touchdowns during his sophomore season. He started in nine of 12 games and ranked second on the team with 33 receptions. Loss also ranked second on the team in receiving yards (570) on his way to hauling in a team-high six TD passes.
 
Archie Cox is the only other wide receiver on the roster that caught a pass last season. He had eight on the year, including a TD in the season opener against Upper Iowa. Two Ball State transfers will help bolster this position group. Luke Jones came over in 2024 and Nick Munson made the move over the offseason. Jones is from Muncie and attended Monroe Central High School. Munson played at Ball State from 2022 to 2024. He appeared in 11 games last year while also returning kicks.
 
Blake Matthews, Maddox Altamirano, Jack Weybright, DT Williams, Michael Nix, Austin Stutz, Chet Yardley, and Braydon Alford will be involved in the BU offense. The freshmen class of Jonny Manor, Max Supe, Emmett Romeus, and Conlon Kane round out this group.
 
Butler will open 2025 season next weekend at Northern Iowa. The home opener will follow with BU hosting Truman State on Sept. 6.