Illinois State ranks No. 24 in HERO Sports’ FCS Preseason Top 25.
The Redbirds finished 6-5 last year, missing the FCS playoffs.
Here’s a look at the 2024 Illinois State football squad.
Returning 2023 All-Conference Players (6)
First Team
RB Mason King
LB Amir Abdullah
Second Team
WR Daniel Sobkowicz
OL Hunter Zambrano
Honorable Mention
LB Tye Niekamp
S Keondre Jackson
D1 Transfer Portal Movement
Transfers Coming In From The FCS (2)
Seth Glatz (RB), Western Illinois
Garret Steffen (DL), Western Illinois
Transfers Coming In From The FBS (8)
Elijah Wroten (OL), Duke
Ryan Millmore (P), Iowa State
Jake Rubley (QB), Kansas State
Xavier Loyd (WR), Kansas State
JJ Guedet (OL), Minnesota
Mitch Bartol (TE), Western Michigan
Brandon Smith (OL), Western Michigan
Dylan Calabrese (LS), Western Michigan
Transfers Lost To The FCS (3)
Camo Nelson (WR) to Mississippi Valley State
Jeff Bowens (DB) to Gardner-Webb
Cole Mueller (RB) to Lindenwood
Transfers Lost To The FBS (1)
Claude Strnad (LS) to Purdue
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Offensive Outlook
Illinois State ranked No. 12 in FCS scoring offense last season, averaging 32.8 points per game. The Redbirds return their First Team All-MVFC running back, top three wide receivers, and three starting offensive linemen.
A new starting quarterback will need to emerge for an otherwise experienced offense. Two guys are battling it out.
Tommy Rittenhouse is a junior with solid experience, playing in five games with three starts in 2022 and appearing in eight contests with two starts last fall. In 2023, he finished 40/62 passing for 442 yards and three touchdowns, plus 127 rushing yards and a score. Jake Rubley is a junior and a transfer from Kansas State. He was a four-star high school recruit, according to 247Sports’ Composite Ranking.
Mason King sets the tone for the offense at running back. A 2023 transfer from Northern Illinois, King was named the MVFC Newcomer of the Year and earned All-Conference First Team honors after rushing for 980 yards and 14 TDs on 150 carries. Wenkers Wright also returns as a productive running back. He had 261 yards on 36 carries with three touchdowns last year. In 2022, Wright led the team with 625 rushing yards.
Scotty Presson Jr. is a key part of the rushing attack and is a preseason All-MVFC selection at fullback.
Seth Glatz is a portal addition for the running backs after rushing for 217 yards at Western Illinois.
ISU’s top three wide receivers all return, led by All-MVFC Second Team selection Daniel Sobkowicz. Sobkowicz tallied 68 catches for 933 yards and 10 touchdowns last fall. Eddie Kasper added 48 catches for 432 yards and one touchdown. And Jalen Carr had 18 receptions for 135 yards and one score.
The Redbirds added Kansas State receiver Xavier Loyd and Western Michigan tight end Mitch Bartol to the mix as well.
The offense line returns three starters. Hunter Zambrano (6’5″ 300 lbs) headlines the unit as an All-American-level talent and an NFL Draft prospect. Jake Pope (6’7″ 295 lbs) and Ryan Gudaitis (6’4″ 295 lbs) are two more starters coming back.
Three FBS transfers look to strengthen the o-line — Duke’s Elijah Wroten (6’3″ 315 lbs), Minnesota’s JJ Guedet (6’8″ 315 lbs), and Western Michigan’s Brandon Smith (6’4″ 290 lbs).
Defensive Outlook
The Redbirds return their top seven tacklers and 9 of their top 11 after allowing 20.5 points per game last fall, which ranked No. 22 in the FCS.
ISU’s linebackers will be especially strong.
Amir Abdullah is coming off a First Team All-MVFC season with All-American accolades. He racked up 64 tackles, 14 TFLs, 9.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries, and two forced fumbles. Tye Niekamp splashed onto the scene last fall as a Freshman All-American and the MVFC Freshman of the Year. Niekamp totaled 74 tackles, nine TFLs, seven QB hurries, and seven pass breakups. And then there is Lavoise-Deontae McCoy, who flew under the radar last year but was among ISU’s tackle leaders with 74 stops, including 5.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, and two pass breakups.
Safeties Keondre Jackson and Dillon Gearhart both enter their third seasons as starters. Jackson earned All-Conference Honorable Mention accolades last year. He led Illinois State with 76 tackles, including 6.5 TFLs, three sacks, one interception, and three pass breakups. Gearhart added 64 stops and 5.5 TFLs. Plus, CJ Hodgdon started three games at safety last season and totaled 23 tackles.
Mark Cannon Jr. is a 6-foot-3 cornerback who logged 10 starts in 2023 and recorded 46 tackles, three interceptions, and three pass breakups. Nigel White is also back after playing in 11 games and having the third-most snaps at cornerback. He tallied 14 tackles and three pass breakups.
On the defensive line, Jake Anderson (6’5″ 270 lbs) returns after starting 10 games at defensive tackle last year, totaling 34 tackles, five TFLs, and three quarterback hurries. Greg Galloway (6’2″ 275 lbs) added four starts and 22 tackles. Jake Siegal (6’3″ 280 lbs, seven tackles) and Nick Kessler (6’6″ 265 lbs, 13 tackles) both played around 200 snaps on the interior of the line.
Anderson and Siegal were preseason All-MVFC selections this summer.
Another preseason All-MVFC pick is Jalan Gaines (6’4″ 235 lbs). The edge player logged over 550 snaps and recorded 62 tackles, 10 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, and five QB hurries.
Garret Steffen (6’4″ 270 lbs) is a DL transfer addition via Western Illinois. He played in 11 games last fall and totaled 27 tackles and 4.5 TFLs.
2024 Preseason Preview Central
Illinois State Football Schedule
8/31 at Iowa
9/7 at North Alabama
9/14 vs Western Illinois
9/21 vs No. 25 Eastern Illinois
9/28 vs No. 2 North Dakota State
10/5 at No. 9 Southern Illinois
10/12 vs Missouri State
10/19 at Murray State
11/2 vs No. 23 Youngstown State
11/9 at Northern Iowa
11/16 at Indiana State
11/23 vs North Dakota
Bold indicates MVFC games
HERO Sports’ rankings
