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After a stunning run to the 2025 FCS National Championship game, Illinois State enters 2026 with championship aspirations once again as the Redbirds look to reload around a dominant linebacker corps, rising offensive stars, and a highly anticipated quarterback battle.
Written By
Gino Leone
Contributor
Written By
Gino Leone
Contributor
Heading into the 2025 campaign, Illinois State had high expectations. On offense, the Redbirds returned their All-Conference quarterback, leading wide receiver, two full-time starting offensive linemen, and top rusher.
The defense featured its leading tackler and the return of two All-MVFC players. Despite suffering a near upset loss in double overtime against North Alabama and getting dismantled by in-state rival Southern Illinois to close the regular season, Illinois State went on a historic playoff run.
In Round 2 of the FCS Playoffs, the Redbirds sent shockwaves across the college football landscape, eliminating No. 1 seed North Dakota State with two late touchdowns and a two-point conversion to advance to the Quarterfinal Round.
The 29-28 win over the Bison propelled Illinois State to Nashville, as the Redbirds were able to use that momentum to beat 8-seeded UC Davis and 12-seeded Villanova in the ensuing rounds. The magical journey came to a halt against Montana State, with the Bobcats prevailing 35-34 in an overtime thriller.
With the sting of the national championship loss still fresh in the minds of several key returners, Illinois State will attempt to get back to the big stage and win its first national title in program history.
Illinois State returns three of five starters along the offensive line, its top running back option, and No. 2 and 3 receivers.
Victor Dawson headlines the running back room after rushing for 1,377 yards and five touchdowns last season. Dawson showcased his powerful running style in the playoffs, rushing for 100+ yards in four straight games. With the departure of Wenkers Wright as the second RB option, Seth Glatz will be asked to embrace a larger role.
Up front, Landon Woodard (6-5, 330) returns with significant starting experience. Woodard received recognition as a Third Team FCS Football Central All-American and earned MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week after a win against Northern Iowa last fall. Brayden Jellison (6-4, 310), Ben Wallace (6-5, 325), and Logan Brasfield (6-3, 315) bring back notable starting experience.
Luke Mailander and Dylan Lord both return at wide receiver. Mailander hauled in 44 passes for 671 receiving yards and four touchdowns, resulting in him being honored as the MVFC Freshman of the Year.
Lord erupted in the national championship game against Montana State, recording 13 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the season as the No. 2 receiving option with 74 receptions and 734 yards.
The Redbirds return just three starters on defense but several rotational pieces are expected to breakout next season.
Anchoring the defense is First Team AP All-American nominee Tye Niekamp, a dominant middle linebacker who led ISU in tackles (160) and TFLs (16) last season. Niekamp is joined in the linebacking room by his brother, Dexter.
Dexter Niekamp registered 50 tackles, six TFLs, four sacks, and one interception and now enters his redshirt sophomore campaign. Starter Mason Kaplan rounds out a group of linebackers that figures to be one of the deepest positions on the team.
Kaplan ranked third on the team in tackles with 81 and also tallied 6.5 TFLs, two sacks, two interceptions, and six PBUs.
The defensive line has some retooling to do, as the entire starting front departs. DL Travis Jones (6-3, 285) earned rotational minutes for the Redbirds last fall and saw action in all 17 games. He racked up 21 tackles, two TFLs, two sacks, and five QB Hurries.
S La’Shavion Brown ranked second on the team in total tackles with 93. DB Doreon Dubose rotated in-and-out of the lineup for ISU, recording one interception and four PBUs.
Illinois State will have to replace its starting left tackle, top two tight end options, First Team All-MVFC wide receiver, and starting quarterback.
Finding replacement options for the trio of QB Tommy Rittenhouse/WR Daniel Sobkowicz/LT Jake Pope will be difficult to do. Rittenhouse broke the ISU single-season passing yards record last year, throwing for 3,568 yards and 40 touchdowns.
Sobkowicz was a big target for Rittenhouse to throw to at 6-3, 205, and his production last season landed him a UDFA Deal with the Houston Texans. Pope protected the blindside of Rittenhouse and switched from right to left tackle after Brandon Smith suffered a season-ending injury against Youngstown State.
Three starters depart on the defensive front and the defensive backfield will have to replace its interception and pass break-up leader.
All-MVFC selection Shadwel Nkuba II and Cam Wilson leave a massive void in the secondary. Nkuba led the team in interceptions (5) and made the AP ballot as a Second Team honoree. Wilson generated 14 PBUs which ranked first on the team.
Sack leader Garret Steffen graduated after a 59-tackle campaign.
QB Gage Roy (6-2, 200) transfers to Illinois State from USC. Roy competed in two games last season for the Trojans but for the most part, he has gotten little in-game experience. At Jesuit Dallas High School, Roy went 202-of-286 (70.6%) for 2,798 yards, 28 touchdowns, and four interceptions in 2022.
He is expected to compete with redshirt sophomore quarterback Beckham Pellant (6-0, 195) for the starting job.
Butler transfer wide out Ethan Loss bolsters a wide receiver room with immense potential. A versatile weapon, Loss totaled 670 receiving yards, 209 rushing yards, and 629 kickoff return yards last year with the Bulldogs.
TE Alex Herrera (6-2, 240) joins ISU from in-state rival Eastern Illinois. With Javon Charles and Scotty Presson Jr. leaving, getting a tight end with consistent production like Herrera was important.
In two seasons with EIU, Herrera had 33 receptions for 372 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 11.3 yards per catch.
On defense, DB Key Crowell brings experience from Eastern Carolina and Indianapolis (D2). Last year, Crowell appeared in 11 games for ECU, tallying four tackles, a half TFL, and one PBU. In 2024 with UIndy, he intercepted five passes which tied for first in the GLVC.
The quarterback competition between Beckham Pellant and Gage Roy has gained traction with no clear favorite to win the starting job following spring ball.
During the spring game, Pellant went 17-of-23 for 125 yards and holds a slight advantage over Roy in terms of familiarity with offensive coordinator Mickey Turner’s system.
Roy finished 15-of-22 for 131 yards and an interception and has spent a tremendous amount of time trying to get acclimated to a fresh offensive scheme.
The competition is expected to continue through the summer before a starter is named in fall camp.
