The Illinois State football team began its 2025 fall training camp Thursday morning at Hancock Stadium, marking the end of an offseason spent on workouts and weightlifting. The first practice took place in cooler than expected weather and lasted just under two hours, with players wearing helmets as they adjusted to the new season.
During the session, the Redbirds participated in a series of drills and scrimmages. Practice started with installation periods for both offense and defense, followed by a full team stretch and special teams circuit. Quarterbacks Tommy Rittenhouse and Beckham Pellant led 7-on-7 sessions on one side of the field while freshmen Chase Kwiatkowski and Cooper Kmet ran their huddles separately. Rittenhouse completed five of six passes, including a 35-yard touchdown to Luke Mailander, while Pellant went six-for-six with two completions to Rylan Crawford.
In the blitz period, Rittenhouse connected with Daniel Sobkowicz twice before Wenkers Wright picked up a first down on a run. The defense responded with a pass breakup by CJ Richard Jr. Special teams drills featured Hayden Futch, Matt Maldonado, and Ari Daniels punting to Eddie Kasper and Chris Taylor.
A second 7-on-7 session saw both Rittenhouse and Pellant finish five-for-six again. Rittenhouse hit Sobkowicz twice more along with a 20-yard throw to Luke Olson; Pellant connected with Brett Kasper and newcomer tight end Nick True. Defensive plays included breakups from Cam Wilson and Shadwel Nkuba II.
Team drills concluded the practice, featuring steady gains from the offense alongside notable defensive stops such as Travis Jones’s deflection at the line of scrimmage and another breakup by Taylor in the secondary.
The Redbirds will return Friday morning for their next practice as part of their preparation leading up to the annual Red-White Scrimmage scheduled for August 16. Their season opener is set for August 30 against Oklahoma.
Fans can follow updates, photos, and videos from fall camp through official social media channels or visit GoRedbirds.com for more information about tickets, merchandise, or additional coverage.
