McLean County Times

Illinois State University's Keondre Jackson and Tye Niekamp have been named to the 2024 Associated Press All-America Teams. The announcement was made by the AP on Tuesday, recognizing them among 20 student-athletes from Missouri Valley Football Conference schools.

Both Jackson and Niekamp received All-America Honorable Mention selections after impressive seasons that also earned them First-Team All-MVFC honors.

Jackson, a two-time All-MVFC selection from Freeport, Illinois, finished third on his team with 99 total tackles and eighth in MVFC tackles during the regular season. His contributions included 1.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and three interceptions. Notable performances include a season-high of 11 tackles against Iowa and a standout playoff game against Southeast Missouri State with six tackles and two interceptions.

Niekamp continued his strong performance following his FCS Freshman All-America honors in 2023. In 2024, he placed third in the MVFC Defensive Player of the Year voting while leading Illinois State with 112 tackles. He tied for first in the MVFC for total tackles and led with four interceptions. Additionally, he ranked among the top six in tackles-for-loss with 11 and contributed three sacks along with eight pass breakups.

Niekamp's notable performance at Southern Illinois earned him both MVFC Defensive Player of the Week and Stats Perform National Defensive Player of the Week honors.

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