McLean County Times

ST. LOUIS – The Missouri Valley Football Conference announced on Monday that 13 Illinois State Redbirds have been named to the preseason All-Conference team. Additionally, Illinois State was selected sixth in the preseason poll, which was voted on by league coaches, media, and sports information directors.

Running back Mason King, wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz, offensive lineman Hunter Zambrano, and linebacker Amir Abdullah were each named First-Team selections. Defensive lineman Jake Anderson, linebacker Tye Niekamp, and safety Keondre Jackson were named to the Second Team. Wide receiver Eddie Kasper, fullback/tight end Scotty Presson Jr., defensive lineman Jake Siegal, linebackers Lavoise-Deontae McCoy and Jalan Gaines, and defensive back Mark Cannon Jr. were recognized as Honorable Mention team members.

Defending FCS national champion South Dakota State was the near-unanimous choice for the top spot in the annual preseason poll, receiving 42 of 44 first-place votes and a total of 482 points. North Dakota State was picked second with 437 points and received one first-place vote. South Dakota (371) and Southern Illinois (293) were selected in third and fourth places respectively. North Dakota (276) and Illinois State (264) rounded out the top half of the poll. Youngstown State came in seventh (255), followed by Northern Iowa (227), Missouri State (164), Indiana State (68), and Murray State (67).

The Redbirds are set to open the 2024 fall season on Saturday, Aug. 31 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City against Big Ten Conference foe Iowa, with kickoff scheduled for 11 a.m. CT. Redbird Football season tickets, single-game tickets, as well as mini-plans are available for purchase online at GoRedbirds.com/Tickets or by contacting the ISU Athletics Ticket Office at (309) 438-8000.

GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App provide sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia content, Redbird merchandise, photos, and more.