ST. LOUIS – Illinois State standouts Tye Niekamp and Keondre Jackson headlined a list of 11 Redbirds selected as 2024 All-Missouri Valley Conference selections on Monday in the annual vote conducted by the league's head coaches, media members and sports information directors.
Niekamp and Jackson each picked up All-MVFC First-Team honors on the defensive side of the ball. Wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz, cornerback Mark Cannon Jr. and defensive tackle Jake Anderson earned All-MVFC Second-Team honors, while quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse, linebacker Amir Abdullah, offensive linemen JJ Guedet and Ryan Gudaitis, running back Wenkers Wright and wide receiver Xavier Loyd were also honored as All-MVFC Honorable Mention selections to round out the list of Redbird honorees.
Finishing third in the MVFC Defensive Player of the Year voting, Niekamp picked up his first All-MVFC First Team honors after being named a Second Team selection and the 2023 MVFC Freshman of the Year last season. The Normal, Illinois, native led the Redbirds and ranked second in the MVFC in tackles with 99 (42 solo) during the regular season. He also ranked fourth in the league in tackles-for-loss with 10.5, added 2.5 sacks and tied for the team and league-lead in interceptions with three on the year. He earned MVFC Defensive Player of the Week and Stats Perform National Defensive Player of the Week honors following a stellar performance in a win at Southern Illinois. He currently leads the team with 106 tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss and four interceptions in 13 games played.
Jackson garners First-Team honors for the first time in his career, after picking up All-MVFC Honorable Mention honors in 2023. The Freeport, Illinois, native ranked third on the team and eighth in the MVFC with 85 tackles (49 solo) during the regular season, and was also credited with 1.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one interception on the year. He recorded three double-digit tackling efforts, including a season-best 11 stops at Iowa, had a season-best 1.5 tackles-for-loss and nine stops in a road win at North Alabama. With his standout performance in the First Round win at Southeast Missouri State, Jackson now has 91 tackles on the year and is tied for second with his three interceptions, two of which came in the victory against the Redhawks.
For the second-straight year, Sobkowicz picked up All-MVFC Second Team honors. The Arlington Heights, Illinois, native led the team and ranked fourth in the MVFC with 861 receiving yards on 63 receptions (13.7 yards per catch) during the regular season. He tied for third in the league with eight touchdown receptions and posted five 80-plus yard receiving performances, with back-to-back 100-plus yard receiving efforts in wins at UNI and Indiana State, where he finished with 156 yards and two scores in the victory over the Sycamores. With his 136-yard performance in the first-round playoff game at Southeast Missouri State, he currently sits at 997 receiving yards with nine touchdowns and is averaging 14.2 yards per catch.
Anderson earns his first All-MVFC honor as a Second Team selection, after he ranked sixth on the team in tackles with 56 (19 solo) and was credited with 2.5 sacks, 6.0 tackles-for-loss, one pass breakup and one forced fumble during the regular season. The Davis, Illinois, native recorded a half tackle for loss or more in seven games, with a season-best 1.5 against Missouri State, and tied a career high with eight tackles against Iowa and Southern Illinois.
Cannon also picked up his first All-MVFC honor as a Second Team selection, after he tied for the league lead in interceptions with three in the regular season. The Skokie, Illinois, native ranked fourth on the team with 66 tackles (43 solo) and was credited with 2.5 tackles-for-loss, four pass breakups, and one forced fumble. Cannon had back-to-back double-digit tackle efforts in wins at North Alabama and against Western Illinois, tallying a career-high 12 stops against the Leathernecks. He currently sits at 75 tackles on the year, with three interceptions and seven pass breakups.
The Missouri Valley Football Conference will continue to announce its end-of-year honors on Tuesday, when the league's All-Newcomer Team will be announced.
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