McLean County Times

More All-America honors have been awarded to Illinois State defensive players Tye Niekamp and Keondre Jackson. Both athletes were named to the 2024 Stats Perform FCS All-America Team, as announced by the organization on Wednesday.

The team includes 113 players across three teams from all 13 FCS leagues and 67 schools. Niekamp earned a First-Team selection, while Jackson was selected for the Third-Team after impressive seasons that also saw them receive First-Team All-MVFC honors. They were previously recognized as All-Americans by the Associated Press on Tuesday.

In 2023, Niekamp received FCS Freshman All-America honors from Stats Perform. He finished third in the 2024 MVFC Defensive Player of the Year voting and earned All-MVFC honors for a second consecutive year. The Normal, Illinois native led his team with 112 tackles and shared first place in this category within the MVFC. Additionally, he led with four interceptions and ranked among the top six in tackles-for-loss with 11. Niekamp also contributed three sacks, eight pass breakups, and forced one fumble during the season. His standout performance came when he was named MVFC Defensive Player of the Week and Stats Perform National Defensive Player of the Week following a win at Southern Illinois.

Jackson, a two-time All-MVFC selection from Freeport, Illinois, ranked third on his team with 99 total tackles and eighth in MVFC tackles during the regular season. He recorded 1.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and three interceptions throughout the year. Notably, Jackson achieved three double-digit tackling games, including a season-high of 11 stops against Iowa. In an away game victory at North Alabama, he made a season-best 1.5 tackles-for-loss alongside nine stops. During the FCS First Round playoff win against Southeast Missouri State, Jackson delivered six tackles and two interceptions—one resulting in a 30-yard touchdown.

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