NORMAL, Ill. – Another day means more postseason honors for some Illinois State football stars, as four Redbirds were named to the 2025 Stats Perform FCS All-America Team on Wednesday.
Illinois State middle linebacker Tye Niekamp was named First-Team selection, longsnapper Dylan Calabrese was a Second-Team pick, and wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz and defensive back Shadwel Nkuba II were Third-Team selections. Niekamp, Sobkowicz and Nkuba were all previously named All-Americans by FCS Football Central on SI and by The Associated Press earlier this week.
Niekamp was one of just three FCS players who was selected as a back-to-back First-Team selection by Stats Perform, along with Rhode Island's A.J. Pena and Elon's Jeff Yurk. The 2025 Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year and All-MVFC First-Team selection, Niekamp would also finish in the Top-10 of the Buck Buchanan Award voting. The now two-time All-American led the Redbirds and ranked third in the MVFC in tackles with 126 (63 solo) during the regular season and ranked second in the league in tackles-for-loss with 12.0. A three-time MVFC Defensive Player of the Week selection in 2025, Niekamp was also credited with one sack, six pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, four quarterback hurries and a safety prior to the playoff run. He had seven double-digit tackling efforts, including five games with 13 or more, and finished the year with back-to-back 16 tackle efforts against South Dakota State and Southern Illinois.
Calabrese was an All-MVFC Second-Team pick while serving as Illinois State's primary long and short snapper. Calabrese not credited with a bad snap all year and was a key reason the Redbirds did not have a punt blocked all season. He was also credited with three tackles on special teams coverage on the year and a forced fumble on punt coverage in a win at South Dakota State.
An All-MVFC First-Team selection at wide receiver, Sobkowicz led ISU in receptions (49), yards (686) and receiving touchdowns (11) during the regular season, with his 11 touchdowns tied for first in the MVFC and No. 4 in the FCS. He averaged 14.0 yards per reception and had a pair of 100-plus yard receiving performances, including a season-best 162 yards in a win at Murray State, and caught multiple touchdowns in three contests, with a career-best three in a win at South Dakota State. During ISU's playoff run, Sobkowicz has recorded over 200 yards receiving and has caught five touchdown pass in the past two game.
Nkuba made an immediate impact for the Redbirds in his first season, earning All-MVFC First-Team honors and MVFC All-Newcomer Team plaudits. The transfer from Louisiana started in all 12 games at cornerback for the Redbirds and led the Valley and the team in interceptions with four during the regular season. He ranked third on the team with 67 tackles, including 40 solo stops, and was also credited with a sack, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and five pass breakups. Nkuba recorded an interception in four-straight games to start the year and picked up his fifth of the year in the first-round playoff win at Southeastern Louisiana.
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