2026 Illinois State Football Preview: Are The Redbirds Ready For Another Run To Nashville?

Our 2026 FCS football preview series continues with the Illinois State Redbirds, who are looking to make another run to Nashville for the FCS national championship.

Last season, the Redbirds made an unprecedented run to Nashville, which included four consecutive road wins, including a historic upset over No. 1 seed North Dakota State. Illinois State came up 1 point short in Nashville after Montana State blocked an extra point in overtime before scoring on the ensuing possession to win the game.

The Redbirds have won 10 or more games in back-to-back seasons, but the challenge will be doing it in a third consecutive season, which hasn't been done under head coach Brock Spack.

There are some questions at the quarterback spot, but there is no shortage of talent across this roster, making Illinois State a dangerous contender once again if the new starter at quarterback can live up to the hype.

Let's take a deep dive into Illinois State as the Redbirds have their sights set on making another run to the national championship game.

Roster Outlook

2025 Record: 12-5 (5-3 MVFC)
Head Coach: Brock Spack (18th season, 123-79)

Returning All-Conference Players: Tye Niekamp (LB), La'Shavion Brown (S), Landon Woodard (OL)

Notable Incoming Transfers: Key Crowell (East Carolina, CB), Ethan Loss (Butler, WR), Alex Herrera (Eastern Illinois, TE), Jaden Wedderburn (Princeton, OL), Gage Roy (USC, QB), Aden Cannon (Indiana, DE), Duncan MacDonald (Vanderbilt, OL)

Returning Significant Contributors (OFF): 8
Returning Significant Contributors (DEF): 9

Quarterback

This is clearly the biggest question mark for the Redbirds entering the 2026 season. He finished his career with over 7,000 passing yards and 60 passing TDs, both ranking Top 5 in program history. He's also started every game over the past two seasons, which means we don't have any good film on the returning players in this room.

Redshirt sophomore Beckham Pellant is the most experienced returner with only 90 career passing yards in nine appearances. He was an accomplished high school player in Arizona, setting five single-season records as a senior at Hamilton HS. Pellant completed 17 of his 23 attempts for 125 passing yards in this year's spring showcase.

His biggest competition will be USC transfer Gage Roy, who also lacks starting experience. Roy was another highly-touted quarterback out of Texas, earning All-District honors at Jesuit Dallas Prep. The only concern is that he's spent multiple seasons at USC with very little playing time, so is he ready to be a full-time starter? He went 15-for-22 with 131 passing yards in the spring showcase.

Whoever earns the starting job will have plenty of surrounding talent to lean on, but this decision could be the difference in the Redbirds being a national title contender once again or missing the FCS playoffs altogether.

Running Back

As I mentioned earlier, the skill positions are loaded with talent for the Redbirds. Victor Dawson returns after a stellar season, in which he led the Redbirds with 1,377 rushing yards. He didn't enter the season as the starter, but thrived in a workhorse role late in the season, especially the postseason, where he put up 120 or more rushing yards in four consecutive games.

Behind Dawson, senior Seth Glatz is a dangerous weapon for this Redbird offense. He finished with 401 rushing yards and five rushing TDs last year, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. He also offers upside as a receiving threat, posting 152 yards on 11 receptions and two receiving scores.

Keep an eye on Tyler Lofton, who redshirted last season, but could be an intriguing rotational player in this backfield rotation. He had an impressive performance in this year's spring game, leading the team with 119 yards and 3 TDs on 22 carries. JUCO transfer Anthony Hall could also see some playing time, bringing some size (6-1, 220 lbs.) in short-yardage situations.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

The Redbirds are going to have to find a replacement for All-American Daniel Sobkowicz, which is no easy task. Luckily, Illinois State has two of the best young wide receivers in the country coming back, while also adding a productive transfer from the Pioneer League.

Dylan Lord flashed his potential in the FCS national championship game, finishing with 13 receptions for 161 receiving yards and 2 TDs. He ended the year with 74 catches for 734 yards and 5 TDs, all ranking 2nd on the team behind Sobkowicz. Lord has the ability to be a superstar next season if he finds a way to put everything together.

The Redbirds also have Luke Mailander returning, who posted 44 catches for 671 receiving yards and 4 TDs as a redshirt freshman last season. He was named the MVFC Freshman of the Year, while also being named to the MVFC All-Newcomer Team.

Mailander and Lord have the ability to carry this unit, but Butler transfer Ethan Loss will bring some experience to the room, playing 36 games over the past four years with the Bulldogs. Loss had 130 catches for 1,755 receiving yards and 9 TDs for the Bulldogs, earning All-PFL honors in back-to-back seasons.

The Redbirds showed they aren't afraid to let young talent shine in big moments last year. Keep a close eye on redshirt freshmen Ian Willis and Mar'Quan Gary, who flashed during spring camp. Willis led all wide receivers with 8 catches for 71 receiving yards in the spring game. Gary served as a kick returner last season, averaging 19.3 yards per return in limited action.

At tight end, I would look for Eastern Illinois transfer Alex Herrera to see plenty of playing time. In 16 games, he recorded 33 receptions for 372 receiving yards and 2 receiving TDs. Nick True and Max Ziebarth also return after seeing limited action last season.

Offensive Line

The offensive line should be excellent once again, with four players returning who played over 395 snaps last season. It'll be anchored by FCS All-American Landon Woodard, who only allowed 1 sack and 11 QB pressures in 2025. Logan Brasfield started 13 games last year, playing just over 950 snaps.

Brayden Jellison made starts at guard and center, playing in every game with 8 starts for the Redbirds. He played over 700 snaps and could play multiple positions across the line next season, while Ben Wallace also returns after starting 5 games at offensive tackle.

Illinois State has found a ton of success with FBS transfers along the offensive line, which means that Duncan MacDonald could push for some early playing time for the Redbirds. Redshirt sophomore Mark Helm served as the backup for Brasfield last year, but could be a young player who could assume a bigger role at one of the two tackle spots.

Defensive Line/Linebacker

There is a good bit of production to replace across the defensive line, especially since all three starters will not be back for the 2026 season. Garrett Steffan and Jake Anderson were a dominant duo on the interior, which makes finding a replacement that much harder.

I would expect redshirt junior Travis Jones to see a much bigger role in 2026. He finished with 21 tackles, 2 TFLs, and 2 sacks last season in just over 400 snaps. Ben Harman showed some flashes before suffering a season-ending injury, but should find himself a role in the defensive line rotation.

An intriguing player to watch is Valentino Garcia, who possesses elite size at 6-3, 335 pounds. He played roughly 100 snaps last season, grading out well in limited action as a sophomore. Wyatt Boals is another young player who saw some playing time as a rotational player last year. The Redbirds are going to need some of these young players to play some meaningful snaps early in the season as they try to find the best rotation.

There's zero question about who the leader in the linebacker room will be. All-American Tye Niekamp returns as one of the most accomplished players in the entire country. He was named the MVFC Defensive Player of the Year last season, finishing with 160 tackles, 16 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 1 INT, and 9 PBUs. He's a three-time All-MVFC selection and has the chance to finish his career as one of the most productive linebackers we've ever seen at the FCS level.

Niekamp will be joined by Mason Kaplan, who had a solid season with 81 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 2 sacks, and 2 INTs. The Redbirds also have two solid rotational players returning in Anthony Corona and Solomon Oduma. I really like the upside of Oduma at outside linebacker, especially with his versatility in coverage and as a pass-rusher in certain packages.

Dexter Niekamp, the younger brother of Tye, is the projected starter at the JACK position. He was an FCS Freshman All-American and MVFC All-Newcomer selection in 2025. He finished the year with 50 tackles, 6 TFLs, 4 sacks, and 10 QBHs. The younger Niekamp is just scratching the surface of his potential. He could be a real breakout star for this defense in 2026.

The dark horse in this room could be redshirt freshman Jamaricus Thomas, who redshirted last season. Thomas had a dominant performance in the spring showcase, leading the Redbirds with 4 TFLs and 3 sacks, along with 7 total tackles.

Defensive Backs

At safety, the Redbirds will be led by La'Shavion Brown, who had an outstanding first season in Normal. Brown ranked 2nd on the team with 93 tackles, 1 INT, and 4 PBUs. He was a second-team All-MVFC selection and was named to the MVFC All-Newcomer Team.

There are some questions at the other safety spot, but I think Jordan Coleman could be the guy to take over the starting role. He played nearly 200 snaps in the first four games before he was sidelined with a season-ending injury. Coleman also played nearly 1,000 snaps at Ball State before transferring to Illinois State, bringing significant FBS experience to the secondary.

The biggest defensive question mark will be at cornerback, where the Redbirds only have one returning player who played over 200 snaps last season. Doreon Dubose had a productive season with 53 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 INT, and 4 PBUs as a redshirt freshman. He really found his rhythm throughout last season, allowing only 1 TD in roughly 600 snaps played.

Outside of Dubose, Trevell Mullen only played around 50 snaps last season as a backup, which means there will be plenty of new faces at corner in 2026. Junior Chris Taylor is another returner who could be due for a bigger role next season.

I think there's a good chance that East Carolina transfer Key Crowell earns a starting role. He played nearly 200 snaps for the Pirates last season, but was a first-team All-GLVC selection at UIndy in 2024. Crowell recorded 51 tackles, 5 INTs, and 4 PBUs in 12 games as a true freshman that season.

Season Outlook

Even with the obvious question at quarterback, the Redbirds have the talent at every other position to make another postseason run. The run game should be able to carry this offense as the new quarterback grows, while the front seven's consistency will be important as the secondary finds its chemistry.

The Redbirds only have 11 games scheduled for now, leaving an opening for them to add another game if the opportunity presents itself. Western Illinois and Eastern Illinois should be winnable games, while Northern Illinois is a very winnable FBS game. The Huskies lost to Southern Illinois in 2023, while also struggling with Holy Cross last season. Keep an eye on the Redbirds for a potential FBS upset in Week 3.

In conference play, Illinois State gets South Dakota and South Dakota State at home, but has some brutal road trips to navigate. The Redbirds travel to Youngstown State, North Dakota, and Southern Illinois next season, along with a sneaky trip to UNI, which is a tough environment to win at times.

The final three weeks of the season will be important with North Dakota, Youngstown State, and South Dakota. The Redbirds cannot afford to go 0-3 in that stretch, and 2-1 should be the goal if Illinois State is going to have any momentum going into the postseason.

Regardless of the schedule, the Redbirds should have quarterfinal expectations, if not further, but it'll come down to quarterback play and how quickly the secondary finds its footing with all the new pieces.

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