Illinois State has been this offseason’s preseason darling, receiving high praise from national media and frequently being discussed due to a strong returning nucleus. The Redbirds have done something rare in the modern state of college football – retain the majority of their star players and keep the coaching staff tied together.
2024 Season Recap
Illinois State exceeded expectations in 2024, finishing with an overall record of 10-4 and advancing to the second round of the FCS playoffs. Although the Redbirds’ numbers weren’t eye-popping, they found ways to win games, and took care of business against lesser opponents. On offense, Illinois State ranked 54th in scoring, averaging 26.64 points (163.9 rushing yards, 238.07 passing yards). Defensively, they allowed 24.93 points per game, which placed them at 57th in the country. The secondary was a cause for concern, as the Redbirds gave up an average of 266.29 yards through the air.
Key Departures and Returnees
Illinois State was able to avoid significant roster turnover, holding onto 17 key contributors and supplementing them with 18 transfer players. They return three starting offensive linemen, veteran QB Tommy Rittenhouse, and five crucial pieces on the front seven defensively.
Key Departures (13)
Offense
- OL JJ Guedet
- LT Hunter Zambrano
- C Ryan Gudaitis
- TE Mitch Bartol
- WR Xavier Loyd
Defense
- JACK Jalan Gaines
- SLB Amir Abdullah
- WLB LaVoise-Deontae McCoy
- SS Keondre Jackson
- FS Dillon Gearhart
- CB Teon Parks
- CB Nigel White
Special Teams
- K Ian Wagner
Key Returnees (17)
Offense
- LG Micah Barnhart
- RG Landon Woodard
- RT Jake Pope
- TE Javon Charles
- WR Daniel Sobkowicz
- WR Eddie Kasper
- QB Tommy Rittenhouse
- RB Wenkers Wright
- RB Mason King
Defense
- DT Jake Anderson
- DT Donovan McBride
- DE Nick Kessler
- JACK Reese Edwards
- MLB Tye Niekamp
- DB Mark Cannon Jr.
Special Teams
- P Hayden Futch
- LS Dylan Calabrese
Portal Additions (18)
Offense
- TE Caleb Schmitz (Cincinnati)
- RB Victor Dawson (Cincinnati)
- OL Logan Brasfield (Coastal Carolina)
- OL Jack McGarry (Missouri)
- TE Nick True (Illinois)
- QB JD Sherrod (Kent State)
- OL Hunter Ducharme (Iowa Central Community College)
- OL Chris Hill Jr. (Millikin)
- WR Kaevion Mack (Western Michigan)
Defense
- DT Christian Lorenzo (Georgia State)
- DB Shadwel Nkuba II (Louisiana)
- DE Logan Jellison (Purdue)
- LB Christian LeBrun (UMass)
- DB Trevell Mullen (James Madison)
- DB Jordan Coleman (Ball State)
- SAM Manuel Espinoza (Limestone)
- DB La'Shavion Brown (Hutchinson Community College)
Special Teams
- K Matt Maldonado (Murray State)
Previewing the Illinois State Offense
Illinois State did a phenomenal job of keeping the offensive line intact, as three starters and several rotational players return.
Right Tackle Jake Pope (6-7, 310) has started 25 games over the last two seasons and will bring valuable experience as a graduate student in 2025. Just to the left of Pope is Landon Woodard (6-5, 330), an extremely talented right guard who broke through in 2024, booking starts in all 14 contests. Micah Barnhart (6-4, 305) stepped in admirably following the injury of Hunter Zambrano, which shuffled the line and created an opening at left guard.
Brayden Jellison (6-4, 325) and Ben Wallace (6-5, 310) are positioned to earn more reps, as they each played in six contests last fall and boast large frames that could encourage the coaching staff to test their versatility via sliding them around up front. Coastal Carolina transfer Logan Brasfield (6-4, 310) is another name to monitor due to his raw talent and tremendous upside as a prospect.
Quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse returns for his senior campaign, and is being widely recognized by national media for his dual-threat capabilities. In 2024, Rittenhouse went 286 of 428 for 3,187 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He also accumulated 608 yards on the ground and punched it into the end zone 10 more times. The Redbirds have themselves a distinguished general who can take over a game at any moment.
In the running back room, Illinois State holds a lethal 1-2-3 combo. Starter Wenkers Wright returns along with Mason King – who suffered a knee injury last season – and Matt Lawson. Wright broke the 1,000 yard mark in 2024, and was able to cross the pylon on 12 occasions. He also received an Honorable Mention All-MVFC nomination. King was named the MVFC Newcomer of the Year in 2023, and was second in the Valley with 14 rushing touchdowns and an average of 98.3 yards on the ground per game. Lawson rounds out the backfield, he put forth solid numbers last year with 360 rushing yards and 1 touchdown.
The receiving corps brings back two starters in Eddie Kasper and Daniel Sobkowicz, losing only Xavier Loyd to the transfer portal. Sobkowicz stands out as one of the FCS’s top wideouts, combining elite physical attributes with consistent production and strong intangibles. Thus far into his Redbird career, Sobkowicz has hauled in 182 passes for 2,405 yards and 23 touchdowns, averaging 13.2 yards per reception. Kasper has made a name for himself the last two seasons, totaling 511 receiving yards in 2024 and 356 in 2023. He is embarking on his redshirt junior year.
Redshirt freshman Dylan Lord and WMU transfer Kaevion Mack are vying to become the team’s WR3. Lord made appearances in three games as a freshman and is known for his prosperous high school career. As a senior at Hamilton HS, Lord ranked number one in the region in receiving yards and earned second-team all-premier region honors. Mack is a seasoned player that has competed in 22 contests over five years with the Broncos. In 2024 alone, he saw action in 13 games, plunging into the end zone two times.
At tight end, Javon Charles returns after participating in all 14 games and garnering 105 receiving yards last season. Transfers Caleb Schmitz and Nick True could potentially contend for a starting spot, as both bring FBS experience and developmental upside.
Previewing the Illinois State Defense
The ceiling of Illinois State’s defensive line is sky-high, as the Redbirds return two starters and numerous rotational assets.
Defensive End Nick Kessler had a monster season in 2024, combining for 29 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, and 3 sacks. With a massive makeup at 6-6, 265, Kessler is able to not only impose his will on adversaries, but also flex out and utilize speed rushes. Solidifying the center of the defensive line are tackles Donovan McBride (6-2, 300) and Jake Anderson (6-5, 290). McBride wasn’t a starter last year, but found himself being inserted in and out of the lineup, playing in nine contests. He totaled four tackles and served an underrated role in run defense. Anderson is lengthy and forceful – the reason why he is a matchup nightmare for interior offensive linemen. Over the past two seasons, Anderson has amassed 94 tackles, 10 TFLs, and 4.5 sacks.
Greg Galloway (6-2, 285) is back from an injury and is looking to match his production from 2023: 18 total tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 pass deflection. Garret Steffen (6-4, 275) also returns from a setback that held him out for the entirety of 2024. Previously a Western Illinois player, Steffen made 27 tackles and 4.5 TFLs for the Leathernecks in 2023. Transfer Christian Lorenzo produced respectable numbers last year at Georgia State, recording 17 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 fumble recovery.
In the middle of the defense, linebacker Tye Niekamp returns following a First Team All-MVFC season and a statline that included 119 tackles, 11 TFLs, and 3 sacks. He is entering his junior year and could potentially capture the Buck Buchanan award with an uptick in production. The support surrounding Niekamp could certainly come into question, especially when considering the departure of Amir Abdullah and LaVoise-Deontae McCoy, but Illinois State returns two concrete athletes in Reese Edwards and Patrick Bauer. Last season, Edwards booked 33 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, and 2.5 sacks. He constantly rotated in at linebacker, and has a plethora of collegiate experience in comparison to many others on the roster. Bauer had notable numbers as well, totaling 20 tackles, 2 TFLs, and 1 sack, while also playing in 11 games.
Although an initial outlook of the Redbirds’ secondary could be worrisome – particularly when analyzing key losses – Illinois State just wasn’t good in the backend in 2024.
Three starters depart, with most of the damage being done at safety, as Dillon Gearhart and Keondre Jackson are both gone after combining for 184 total tackles and 7.5 TFLs. Starting cornerback Teon Parks also departs after playing in 14 contests and tallying 43 tackles and 13 pass deflections.
Defensive Back Mark Cannon Jr. returns to the secondary and is coming off the tail end of his best collegiate showing. In 2024, he totaled 83 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 13 pass deflections. Senior Cam Wilson is expected to embrace a larger role after playing in every single contest last season and making 6 tackles. Jack Dwyer is another seasoned player aiming for a boom in numbers, having seen action in 28 games over the course of three seasons.
Jordan Coleman has experience at the FBS level, starting 12 games for Ball State in 2024 and recording 41 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, and 2 fumble recoveries. Shadwel Nkuba II is yet another name to monitor, as he made appearances in 13 games at Louisiana in 2023.
Previewing the Illinois State Special Teams Unit
The Redbirds are in an outstanding position on special teams, with their starting long snapper and punter both reloading for the 2025 campaign.
LS Dylan Calabrese returns after playing in nine games last season. A Kaneland High School product, Calabrese spent four years at Western Michigan before transferring to Illinois State in 2024. P Hayden Futch punted the ball 66 times for 2719 yards, which is an average of 41.2 yards per punt. He is only a redshirt sophomore, which means he has plenty of time to grow and develop his craft.
Transfer kicker Matt Maldonado comes in from Murray State. He sustained a leg injury that held him out last fall. During 2023, Maldonado was a perfect 20/20 on extra points and went 7/8 on field goals.
Wide receiver Seth Glatz can expect increased responsibility as the team’s primary kick returner – Jalen Carr graduated leaving behind a sizable hole.
Coaching Changes
- New Co-Special Teams Coordinator/WR Coach Mickey Turner: He spent the last eight years as a member of the Wisconsin coaching staff. He served as the tight ends coach and also ran the recruiting department in his last two seasons with the Badgers.
- New Running Backs Coach Mike Grant: He has been coaching at the collegiate level for over 30 years. He most recently spent time at Wyoming where he was the associate head coach.
- New Defensive Backs Coach Dru Richardson: He spent the last two seasons at Elmhurst University where he was the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. He played at Robert Morris as a defensive back from 2012-2016.
2025 Schedule
Bold indicates home game
- 8/30 - Oklahoma
- 9/6 - Morehead State
- 9/13 - Eastern Illinois
- 9/20 - North Alabama
- 10/4 - North Dakota State
- 10/11 - Murray State
- 10/18 - Youngstown State
- 10/25 - South Dakota
- 11/1 - Northern Iowa
- 11/8 - Indiana State
- 11/15 - South Dakota State
- 11/22 - Southern Illinois
Potential Trap Games
Eastern Illinois
Throw the records out the window, when two teams meet in a rivalry game, anything is possible. Eastern Illinois took down Illinois State just two seasons ago, could the Panthers dent the Redbirds playoff resume once again?
Southern Illinois
This game could carry great meaning, with both squads potentially fighting for a playoff berth. A hungry Saluki could be a fierce opponent, as you don’t want to confront a hostile road dog.
Wrap Up
Time is running out for head coach Brock Spack and his national championship aspirations. The clock hasn’t quite struck midnight, and his team has emerged from the offseason nearly unscathed. Can the Redbirds capitalize on this momentum?
