McLean County Times

Illinois State University’s football team, ranked No. 6 in both major FCS preseason polls, will open its 2025 season on August 30 against the University of Oklahoma in Norman. The matchup marks the first meeting between the two programs and only the second time Illinois State has faced a current SEC team, with their last such game occurring in 2007 against Missouri.

The Redbirds enter the new season following an FCS playoff appearance in 2024 and return several key players. Head coach Brock Spack, now in his 17th year at Illinois State, has led the program to six playoff appearances and is its all-time wins leader since surpassing that mark in 2021. Under Spack’s leadership, Illinois State has achieved three of its six all-time victories over FBS opponents: Eastern Michigan (2012), Northwestern (2016), and Colorado State (2018).

Oklahoma comes into the contest ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press preseason poll, marking its 26th consecutive appearance in those rankings—a streak second only to Ohio State nationally. The Sooners are projected to finish tenth in their conference according to SEC Preseason Media Polls.

Illinois State was picked fourth in this year’s Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason poll—its highest position since 2019—and placed fourteen players on the league’s preseason watch list for top student-athletes heading into fall camp. Among them are quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse, running back Wenkers Wright, tight end/fullback Scotty Presson Jr., tight end Javon Charles, offensive linemen Jake Pope and Landon Woodard, wide receivers Eddie Kasper and Daniel Sobkowicz, defensive linemen Jake Anderson and Nick Kessler, linebacker Tye Niekamp, defensive back Shadwel Nkuba II, longsnapper Dylan Calabrese and punter Hayden Futch.

Six Redbird players were named preseason All-Americans by Stats Perform: junior linebacker Tye Niekamp and senior longsnapper Dylan Calabrese (First-Team); senior wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz and senior running back Wenkers Wright (Second-Team); senior quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse and junior defensive lineman Jake Anderson (Third-Team). Only UIW matched Illinois State's total of six selections nationwide.

Four ISU athletes have also been named to national player of the year watch lists for Division I FCS college football: Daniel Sobkowicz and Wenkers Wright for the Walter Payton Award; Tye Niekamp and Jake Anderson for the Buck Buchanan Award.

Returning experience is expected to be a strength for Illinois State this season as they bring back forty-three letterwinners—including twelve starters—from last year's squad that reached the second round of playoffs. Team captains for this campaign are Tommy Rittenhouse (quarterback), Tye Niekamp (linebacker), and Dylan Calabrese (longsnapper).

Coach Spack said he is proud of his team's consistency on defense: "Thanks to a 30-yard pick six by Keondre Jackson and a 55-yard INT return for touchdown by Jake Anderson against Southeast Missouri State in the first round of the FCS playoffs, the Redbirds extended their streak to 16 straight seasons with at least one defensive TD."

In postseason play under Spack's guidance, Illinois State made its ninth overall appearance last year as a No.12 seed—marking their sixth trip during his tenure—with an all-time playoff record of eleven wins against nine losses.

Running back Wenkers Wright surpassed both career milestones last season with over two thousand rushing yards after posting three consecutive games above one hundred yards late in conference play. Wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz also climbed school record books with more than twenty-four hundred receiving yards so far—placing him sixth all-time at ISU—as well as ranking fourth for career receptions and touchdown catches.

Former standout Colton Underwood will be inducted into Illinois State’s Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame during Homecoming festivities this October. Underwood was twice named an FCS All-American defensive end at ISU.

The Redbirds’ opening game will take place at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium which seats over eighty thousand fans.