Celebrating 25 Years!
From Prep to Pro, EST 2001

  2026 CFB/2027-2030 NFL Draft Scout

- Draft Scout Front Page - CFB Week 7 Schedule - 1997 Coach Bill Walsh Draft Insider (First/Early NFL Draft Scout) - Draft Scout Top 1250/3000+ - Quarterback - Runningback - Fullback/HBacks - Tight End - Wide Receiver - Center - Offensive Guard - Offensive Tackle - Kicker --- Defense --- - Defensive End/EDGE - Defensive Tackles/NT - Inside Linebackers - Outside Linebackers/EDGE - Cornerback - Free Safety - Strong Safety - Punter - Long Snapper - Draft Scout 25 - 2026-2030 FBS/FCS Team Lists/Rosters - Real-Time Rating Changes - College Football Transfers - 2026-2030 - End of 2025 Season Risers - End of 2025 Season Fallers - 2025-29 CFB Players of the Week - 2025-29 CFB Player Injuries - 2025-29 CFB Season Risers - 2025-29 CFB Season Fallers - CFB Player News & Notes - 2027-2030 CFB 5* Star Recruits - CFB's Best Player Names By Year/Position - Players by School/College List A-Z - Draft Scout Player Directory A-Z - Draft Scout Rokfin Football Channel - Draft Scout Weekly - Contact Draft Scout - Privacy Policy   Player Rankings by Conference: -ACC- | -American Athletic- | -Big 12- | -Big Ten- | -Conference USA- | -Independent- | -Mid-American- | -Mountain West- | -Pac-12- | -SEC- | -Sun Belt-

  2025 CFB/2025-2029 NFL Draft Scout

- Draft Scout Front Page >> 2026 NFL Draft Tracker/Results 2026 Pro Timing Days/Results 2026 Top 25 Pro Timing Results by Position/All Players 2016-2026 Top 25s by Position/All Players 2026 Pro Timing Day Risers by Position 2026 Pro Timing Day Fallers by Position 2026 NFL Combine Top 25 Combine Results by Position - 2026 NFL Draft Underclassmen - End of 2025 Season Risers - End of 2025 Season Fallers - 2026 Senior Bowl - 2026 East-West Shrine - 2026 AFCA NFL-FCS Showcase - 2026 American Bowl - 2026 Hula Bowl - 2026 HBCU Legacy Bowl - 2025-29 CFB Players of the Week - 2025-29 CFB Player Injuries - 2025-29 CFB Season Risers - 2025-29 CFB Season Fallers - CFB Player News & Notes - 2025-2029 FBS/FCS Team Lists/Rosters - College Football Transfers - 2026-2029 - Real-Time Rating Changes - CFB's Best Player Names By Year/Position - 2025-2029 CFB 5* Star Recruits - Players by School/College List A-Z - Draft Scout Player Directory A-Z   Player Rankings by Conference: -ACC- | -American Athletic- | -Big 12- | -Big Ten- | -Conference USA- | -Independent- | -Mid-American- | -Mountain West- | -Pac-12- | -SEC- | -Sun Belt-
- Draft Scout Rokfin Football Channel - Draft Scout Weekly - Contact Draft Scout - Privacy Policy

  2024 CFB/2024-2028 NFL Draft Scout

- 2025 NFL Draft Tracker/Results - 2025 NFL Combine - End of 2024 Season Risers - End of 2024 Season Fallers - 2025 NFL Draft Underclassmen - 2025 Senior Bowl - 2025 East-West Shrine - 2025 Hula Bowl - 2025 Tropical Bowl - 2025 HBCU Legacy Bowl - 2024-2028 CFB 5* Star Recruits - 2024-2028 FBS/FCS Team Lists/Rosters - CFB's Best Player Names By Year/Position - Draft Scout Player Directory A-Z - Players by School/College List A-Z - CFB Player News & Notes - Draft Scout Rokfin Football Channel - Draft Scout Weekly - Contact Draft Scout - Privacy Policy - Phil Steele/Draft Scout   Player Rankings by Conference: -ACC- | -American Athletic- | -Big 12- | -Big Ten- | -Conference USA- | -Independent- | -Mid-American- | -Mountain West- | -Pac-12- | -SEC- | -Sun Belt-








 Draft Scout College Football Player News: Illinois State
Previous 15 Notes |Back to Page One| Next 15 Notes

  09/24/26 - Dylan Lord, rSo/2029, Illinois State, 5-09, 185 (DS#999 WR) + More +

  09/21 WEEK 3 MISSOURI VALLEY SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: WR/PR Dylan Lord, Illinois State, 5-9, 190, Jr., (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton HS),...Wide receiver/punt returner Dylan Lord made quite an impression in Saturday's 49-13 win over Eastern Illinois in the 114th Mid-America Classic. The junior came up with one of the biggest special teams play in recent history for the Redbirds, as he returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter against the Panthers. It was the first punt return for touchdown for the Redbirds since 2013, and it highlighted a stellar overall performance on the day for Lord. He accounted for 169 all-purpose yards (92 punt return yards, 77 receiving yards) and two touchdowns on the day (1 return, 1 receiving) for the Redbirds. - Missouri Valley Football

(DS#999 WR) rSo/2029 WR Dylan Lord, Illinois State
News Source: Missouri Valley Football
Share/Comment: Here

  09/15/26 - Tye Niekamp, rSr/2027, Illinois State, 6-2, 240 (DS#24 ILB) + More +

  09/14 WEEK 2 MISSOURI VALLEY DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: LB Tye Niekamp, Illinois State, 6-3, 245, 5th Year, Normal, Ill. (Normal Community HS),...In a big game against an FBS foe, it was Illinois State's most decorated defensive player who stepped up to lead the Redbird defense in a 28-24 road win over Northern Illinois. Fifth-year middle linebacker and All-American Tye Niekamp came up huge for the Redbirds, posting 11 tackles, two sacks and 3.0 tackles-for-loss in a win over the Huskies. One of those tackles came late in the game, when the Redbirds buckled down for a fourth-down stop deep in their own territory that gave them the ball back on downs. Niekamp's two sacks set a single-game high and his 3.0 TFLs tied a career best for the Redbird captain. The ISU defense held the Huskies to just 112 yards on the ground, while recording three sacks, eight TFLs and two interceptions in the contest. - Missouri Valley Football

(DS#24 ILB) rSr/2027 ILB Tye Niekamp, Illinois State
News Source: Missouri Valley Football
Share/Comment: Here

  09/15/26 - Gage Roy, rSr/2027, Illinois State, 6-2, 200 (DS#999 QB) + More +

  09/14 WEEK 2 MISSOURI VALLEY NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK: QB Gage Roy, Illinois State, 6-2, 210, 5th Year, Dallas, Texas (Jesuit Dallas HS/USC),...Quarterback Gage Roy earned his first career start at ISU and proceeded to lead the Redbirds to their first win over an FBS foe since 2018 on Saturday, as he led the Redbirds to a 28-24 win over Northern Illinois on the road in DeKalb. The USC transfer was extremely efficient, completing 20-of-23 passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns in the victory over NIU. His biggest throw of the night was his last, as he faced 3rd and 1 deep in NIU territory down by three. However, Roy stepped up and found tight end Alex Herrera in the flat and Herrera found his way into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. Roy's completion percentage of .869 is the second highest single-game mark in school history and his two touchdowns now give his six in three games for the Redbirds. - Missouri Valley Football

(DS#999 QB) rSr/2027 QB Gage Roy, Illinois State
News Source: Missouri Valley Football
Share/Comment: Here

  09/15/26 - Tye Niekamp, rSr/2027, Illinois State, 6-2, 240 (DS#24 ILB) + More +

  09/14 WEEK 2 STATS FCS NATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Tye Niekamp, Illinois State, MLB, 5th Year, 6-3, 245,...Niekamp, already a two-time first-team postseason All-American, knows plenty about big performances in big games, and this time, he collected 11 tackles, two sacks and three tackles for loss in Illinois State's 28-24 victory at FBS foe Northern Illinois. The sacks marked a career high and the TFLs went for 15 yards in losses. He's up to 364 career tackles, highest among active Division I players. Honorable Mention: Caleb Easterling, CB, Furman; Deliyon Freeman, S, Northern Arizona; Tristan Lennon, LB, Charleston Southern; Kennon Loftin, LB, Nicholls; Moses Meus, LB, Rhode Island; Colter Petre, DB, Montana State; Trooper Price, LB, Colgate; Danny Simms, S, Merrimack; Joshua Truesdale, DB, North Carolina Central. - STATS Opta Analyst FCS Football

(DS#24 ILB) rSr/2027 ILB Tye Niekamp, Illinois State
News Source: STATS Opta Analyst FCS Football
Share/Comment: Here

  08/31/26 - Hayden Futch, rSr/2027, Illinois State, 6-1, 205 (DS#999 P) + More +

  AUG 31/WEEK 0 MISSOURI VALLEY SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: P Hayden Futch, Illinois State, 6-1, 205, Sr., Valdosta, Ga. (Berrien HS),...Futch was not needed much in the 76-0 season opening win over St. Francis, but when he did kick, he made it count. The senior only punted twice in the game, but he averaged 66 yards per punt against the Fighting Saints. His first punt of the night was a 62-yarder, which fell one yard short of a career-high. However, on his next attempt, he set a new career high with a 70-yard punt that was downed inside the opponent five-yard line. - Missouri Valley Football

(DS#999 P) rSr/2027 P Hayden Futch, Illinois State
News Source: Missouri Valley Football
Share/Comment: Here

  08/29/26 - Gage Roy, rSr/2027, Illinois State, 6-2, 200 (DS#999 QB) + More +

  Gage Roy threw three touchdown passes, and Tyler Lofton ran for 119 yards and two scores as Illinois State shut out St. Francis of Illinois 76-0 on Saturday in both teams' season opener. Illinois State, ranked No. 4 in the FCS Stats Perform Top 25, set a Hancock Stadium record for points in a game. Roy completed all 10 of his passes for 85 yards, while Beckham Pellant went 6 of 6 for 114 yards and two touchdowns. The Redbirds completed 21 of 24 passes for 236 yards and six touchdowns without an interception.

The Redbirds scored four touchdowns in the second quarter, including Lofton's 85-yard run and Pellant's 48-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Lord, for a 48-0 halftime advantage. Stevan Gavric's first career catch went for a 4-yard touchdown from Pellant. Travis Stamm later caught a 3-yard pass from Chase Kwiatkowski for his first career touchdown. Lofton scored again on a 9-yard run and needed just five carries for his 119 yards. Illinois State rushed for 353 yards and five touchdowns on 31 attempts. St. Francis, an NAIA team, was held to 14 rushing yards and 106 yards passing. - AP College Football

(DS#999 QB) rSr/2027 QB Gage Roy, Illinois State
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here


  Tommy Rittenhouse threw two touchdown passes to Daniel Sobkowicz and Victor Dawson rushed for 155 yards and a score to lead Illinois State to a 30-14 victory over Villanova in a FCS semifinal on Saturday night at Villanova Stadium. The Redbirds (12-4) put an emphatic end to the Wildcats' 11-game win streak and will play Montana State in the title game on Jan. 5 in Nashville, Tenn. The Bobcats beat Montana 48-23 to advance. Illinois State lost 37-7 to Southern Illinois to close out the regular season before pulling off road wins over Southeastern Louisiana, North Dakota State, UC Davis and the Wildcats (12-3) to reach the final. Rittenhouse and Sobkowicz teamed up for a 53-yard score late in the first quarter to give Illinois State a 7-0 lead.

Dawson scored on a 1-yard run at the end of a 13-play drive - aided by three Wildcat penalties - for a two-score lead in the second quarter. Rittenhouse threw a short pass on first down that Seth Glatz turned into a 68-yard gain and then hit Sobkowicz two plays later for an 8-yard touchdown and a 21-6 lead at halftime. Michael Cosentino did all the Redbirds' scoring in the second half with two third-quarter field goals and another in the fourth. Rittenhouse completed 18 of 38 passes for 251 yards with an interception. Sobkowicz had seven receptions for 97 yards and Dawson did his damage on 34 carries. Pat McQuaide had 199 yards on 13-for-30 passing for Villanova. That included a 16-yard touchdown throw to Antionio Johnson with 3:18 remaining. Jack Barnum kicked two field goals. Illinois State gets its second shot at a championship. The Redbirds were runners-up in 2014, losing 29-27 to North Dakota State. It was the fourth of five straight championships for the Bison. Villanova beat Montana 23-21 in 2009 in Chattanooga, Tenn., in its only appearance in the title game. - AP College Football

(DS#30 WR) rSr/2026 WR Daniel Sobkowicz, Illinois State
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here


  Tommy Rittenhouse threw two of his three touchdown passes to to Daniel Sobkowicz, Chris Taylor returned a kickoff 91 yards for a score, and unseeded Illinois State beat UC Davis 42-31 on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. Illinois State (11-4), which beat top-seeded and previously unbeaten North Dakota State 29-28 to advance to the quarterfinals, plays No. 12 seed Villanova next Saturday. The Redbirds advanced to the semifinals for the third time in program history, the first since 2014. Caden Pinnick hit Zach Jones for a 65-yard gain but Shadwel Nkuba II punched out the ball and recovered the fumble. The Redbirds followed with an 11-play, 80-yard drive that culminated with Rittenhouse throwing a 17-yard TD pass to Sobkowicz that made it 35-17 with 2:06 left in the third quarter.

Rittenhouse was 15-of-20 passing for 266 yards and threw an interception. Sobkowicz finished with 150 yards receiving, which included a 93-yard touchdown, on six catches. Seth Glatz, who went into the game with three rushing touchdowns this season, ran for TDs of 14 and 58 yards in the second half. Victor Dawson had 148 yards rushing on 29 carries. Illinois State finished with a season-high 273 yards rushing. Pinnick was 29-of-41 passing for 402 yards and three touchdowns for No. 8 seed UC Davis (9-4). Stacy Dobbins finished with 10 receptions for 121 yards and two TDs. Jordan Fisher had a 23-yard rushing touchdown and caught a 1-yard TD pass from Pinnick. The Aggies drove to the Redbirds 2 before CJ Richard Jr. intercepted a pass in the end zone with 9:34 remaining. Sobkowicz has 250 career receptions, tied with Tyrone Walker (2009-12) for most in program history. The Aggies won the only previous matchup between the programs 42-10 in the second round of the 2024 FCS playoffs. - AP College Football

(DS#30 WR) rSr/2026 WR Daniel Sobkowicz, Illinois State
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here


  Tommy Rittenhouse connected with Daniel Sobkowicz for two touchdown passes inside the final two minutes and overcame five interceptions to help No. 17 Illinois State upset top-ranked and previously unbeaten North Dakota State 29-28 on Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs. Rittenhouse's second 8-yard TD pass to Sobkowicz pulled Illinois State to 28-21 with 2:44 left. On the ensuing possession, Jake Anderson strip-sacked Cole Payton and the Redbirds had the ball back at the 23. On fourth-and-goal with 51 seconds left, Rittenhouse threw a 6-yard TD pass to Sobkowicz and the Redbirds converted a 2-point pass to Scotty Presson Jr. The Bison then drove near midfield, but Nathan Hayes threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-7 to seal it for the Redbirds, who will move on to face the UC Davis-Rhode Island winner in a quarterfinal. Payton threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Lance on North Dakota State's first play from scrimmage. About 10 minutes later, Jackson Williams scored on a 52-yard punt return for a 14-0 lead.

Nathaniel Staehling added a 73-yard pick-6 midway through the second quarter to give the Bison a 21-7 lead. Rittenhouse threw three interceptions in the first half before throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to Sobkowicz late in the second quarter to get the Redbirds within 21-14 at the break. Rittenhouse completed 35 of 52 passes for 249 yards. Victor Dawson scored on a 69-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and finished with 137 yards rushing for Illinois State. Payton and Hayes combined for 6-of-19 passing for 120 yards. Barika Kpeenu's 4-yard touchdown run gave the Bison the lead at 28-14 with 12:38 left in the fourth quarter. The Bison entered having won 14 straight in the series with a pair of playoff wins including a 29-27 victory in the 2014 national championship. - AP College Football

(DS#30 WR) rSr/2026 WR Daniel Sobkowicz, Illinois State
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

  12/01/25 - Tye Niekamp, rSr/2027, Illinois State, 6-2, 240 (DS#24 ILB) + More +

  2025 MISSOURI VALLEY DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: LB Tye Niekamp, Illinois State,...Niekamp becomes the first Redbird defender named the league's Defensive Player of the Year since 2022, when outside linebacker Zeke Vandenburgh won the honor on way to being named the Buck Buchanan Award recipient. It marks the ninth time in Valley Football history a Redbird has been named the Defensive Player of the Year: LB Brian Gant (1986), LB Boomer Grigsby (2002-04), DE Brent Hawkins (2005), LB Cameron Siskowic (2006) and LB Zeke Vandenburgh (2022). Niekamp is also a finalist for the 2025 Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented to the top defensive player in FCS football.

Now a two-time All-MVFC First Team selection, Niekamp adds this year's honor to his First-Team selection in 2024 and his 2023 MVFC Freshman of the Year and Second Team honors. The Normal, Illinois, native led the Redbirds and ranked third in the MVFC in tackles with 126 (63 solo) during the regular season. He also ranked second in the league in tackles-for-loss with 12.0 and added one sack on the year. A three-time MVFC Defensive Player of the Week during the year, Niekamp had seven double-digit tackling efforts, including five games with 13 or more, finished the regular season with back-to-back 16 tackle efforts against South Dakota State and Southern Illinois. Last week in the first-round playoff win at Southeastern Louisiana, Niekamp led the Redbirds with 13 tackles, a sack and an interception in the win over the Lions. - Missouri Valley Football

(DS#24 ILB) rSr/2027 ILB Tye Niekamp, Illinois State
News Source: Missouri Valley Football
Share/Comment: Here

  12/01/25 - Luke Mailander, rSo/2029, Illinois State, 5-10, 180 (DS#37 WR) + More +

  2025 MISSOURI VALLEY FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: WR Luke Mailander, Illinois State,...Mailander, a redshirt freshman wide receiver out of Elmhurst, Illinois, is the fifth Redbird freshman to be named the league's Freshman of the Year: QB Dusty Burk (1999), DB Tom Nelson (2005), QB Matt Brown (2009) and teammate Niekamp (2023). During the regular season, Mailander ranked second for Illinois State in yards (557) and third in receptions (34). With seven games of 50 or more receiving yards, he averaged 16.4 yards per catch and was second on the team with four receiving touchdowns. Mailander scored a touchdown in three-straight wins against Morehead State, Eastern Illinois and North Alabama, and he tallied a career-high 109 yards a touchdown in the win over the Panthers. - Missouri Valley Football

(DS#37 WR) rSo/2029 WR Luke Mailander, Illinois State
News Source: Missouri Valley Football
Share/Comment: Here


  Quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse caught and ran for touchdowns as Illinois State took down Southeastern Louisiana 21-3 in an FCS first-round playoff game on Saturday. The unseeded Redbirds (9-4) advance to the second round of the playoffs for the second straight season with the win, and will travel to face reigning FCS champion and No. 1 seed North Dakota State on Dec. 6.

Rittenhouse's 6-yard rush on a QB keeper put Illinois State up early in the first quarter. He added a 1-yard reception from wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz in the third to extend the lead. It was his fourth career receiving score. Seth Glatz added a 1-yard rush late in the fourth to put the game on ice and send the Redbirds to the second round. Illinois State's defense was dominant, grabbing four interceptions on the day. Mason Kaplan had two picks, and Tye Niekamp led with 13 total tackles, one sack, and one interception. Guillermo Garcia Rodriguez hit a 40-yard field goal for 16th-seeded Southeastern Louisiana's only scoring. The Lions conclude their season at 9-4. - AP College Football

(DS#999 QB) rSr/2026 QB Tommy Rittenhouse, Illinois State
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

  11/19/25 - Tye Niekamp, rSr/2027, Illinois State, 6-2, 240 (DS#24 ILB) + More +

  WEEK 12 MISSOURI VALLEY DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: LB Tye Niekamp, Illinois State, 6-3, 240, Jr., Normal, Ill. (Normal Community HS),...Niekamp recorded a new career-high with 16 tackles, which included nine solo stops against the Jackrabbits. Niekamp was also credited with a forced fumble and a pass breakup in the contest, as the Redbird defense forced three turnovers and tallied five sacks and 10 TFLs against SDSU. The 16 tackles tops his previous high of 14 set twice earlier this season, and Niekamp now has six double-digit tackling efforts on the year with four contests with 13 or more to give him 110 on the year. - Missouri Valley Football

(DS#24 ILB) rSr/2027 ILB Tye Niekamp, Illinois State
News Source: Missouri Valley Football
Share/Comment: Here


  WEEK 11 MISSOURI VALLEY CO-SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: PK Matt Maldonado, Illinois State, 6-2, 200, Sr., Montgomery, Ill.,...Maldonado was solid once again for the Redbirds in their 52-20 road win at Indiana State. The transfer from Murray State scored 10 total points for the Redbirds and booted a 49-yard field goal in the victory over the Sycamores. Maldonado was a perfect 7-for-7 on PAT attempts and scored the final points of the game with 1:01 left in the third quarter on a 49-yard field goal. - Missouri Valley Football

(DS#999 K) Sr/2026 K Matt Maldonado, Illinois State
News Source: Missouri Valley Football
Share/Comment: Here

  11/19/25 - Victor Dawson, rSr/2027, Illinois State, 5-11, 220 (DS#51 RB) + More +

  WEEK 11 MISSOURI VALLEY NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK: RB Victor Dawson, Illinois State, 5-11, 220, Sr., Akron, Ohio,...Dawson went over the 100-yard mark for the second-straight week to help the Redbirds run away with a 52-20 road win against Indiana State. The transfer from Cincinnati carried the ball a season-high 21 times for a season-best 116 yards and he added a touchdown in the victory over the Sycamores. Dawson averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored his third touchdown of the year on a 6-yard run early in the second quarter that gave the Redbirds a 14-7 lead at the time. With his 116 yards on the ground, Dawson took over the team lead with 616 rushing yards on the season. - Missouri Valley Football

(DS#51 RB) rSr/2027 RB Victor Dawson, Illinois State
News Source: Missouri Valley Football
Share/Comment: Here

Previous 15 Notes |Back to Page One| Next 15 Notes




Warning: Undefined array key "TeamID" in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\2020rightcolteam.php on line 56

Warning: Undefined array key "DSTeamID" in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\2020rightcolteam.php on line 57

 Illinois State Football Videos

 Buy Draft Scout Weekly


** Draft Scout Data **
(Everything Online PLUS)

 Support Draft Scout

The Database Engine for NFLDraftScout.com, Draft Scout is being repurposed...Support the Future Development of ScoutNation.com...

 




 Draft Scout Archives


** 2010-2022 Draft Scout Archives **
(Yearly Player Data Exports, Prospect Lists & More)

 

 Draft Scout Future

100% Dedicated and Never Done
80% Innovated
45% Hidden
35% Built

Synergization