After a solid freshman season where James Gilbert ran for 608 yards and 8 touchdowns, he exploded for 1332 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2016. His best game of the year was against Buffalo, where he ran for 264 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had a career long 80 yard scamper in that game.
His breakout sophomore season resulted in a First Team All-MAC selection. He was also given the John Magnabosco award, given to the Ball State Cardinals MVP. His performance also placed him on a couple of prestigious watch lists for the Doak Walker and Maxwell awards.