FALL CAMP REPORT 3: Things Are Ramping Up

NORMAL, Ill. – The intensity at Illinois State football practice ramped up a couple notches on Tuesday morning, as the Redbirds put on full pads and had their first full-contact sessions of the fall at Hancock Stadium. Practice last nearly two hours and focused on several key situations throughout.

Practice Highlights:
•    The regular installation period for both the offense and defense kicked things, before the full team stretch period and a brief special teams circuit commenced that focused on the kick return team.
•    From there, the first team session took place, and the offense was efficient completing its first four passes as Tommy Rittenhouse picked up another first down with his legs. The defense did come up with a stop as Jamaricus Thomas broke through the line for a TFL near the end of the session.
•    The passing under pressure and blitz drills followed, as the first real pressure of fall camp was thrown at the Redbird quarterbacks. The pressure didn't seem to phase Rittenhouse, who completed his first four passes with two connections to Dylan Lord. 
•    The defense was able to finally get some pressure, as a pass breakup at the line by Christian Lorenzo and a breakup in the secondary by Tommy Donovan flipped the momentum. Two plays later, Dexter Niekamp picked up a would-be sack and two plays after that, his older brother Tye got into the mix with a sack of his own. Lorenzo would then add a TFL, before Beckham Pellant found David Connors Jr. for a 35-yard touchdown pass. A sack by Mason Kaplan would put an end to a spirited session.
•    The perimeter drill was next, as the offense tested the edges of the defense, before the 7-on-7 session and the pass rush drill with the offensive line holding their own against defensive pass rushers.
•    Action switched to the team session, things started in the red zone at the opponent 25 yard line and the first team offense wasted little time picking up a score, as big connection from Rittenhouse to Eddie Kasper put the offense inside the 10 yard line and two strong runs by Wenkers Wright put the ball inside the 5 yard line. Rittenhouse then called his own number to run it in from 2 yards out for the score.
•    The second team unit was not as successful, as their drive came to stop when Doreon Dubose recorded an interception on the sideline stepping in front of the receiver to end the drill.
•    The third team group was held to a field goal attempt after Jashawn Echols came up with a big stop in run defense and Michael Cosentino then connected on a 40-yard field goal.
•    Each unit then got a chance to move the ball with their backs to the goal line at their own 2, before driving the field once. Highlights from the final two sessions included a pass breakup and TFL by Nate Kraus, pass breakups from Kaden Lehew, Kayode Amusan and Valentino Garcia, and another sack by Dexter Niekamp. The drill was capped off by a big 40-plus yard breakout run by Tyler Lofton before the kickers wrapped things up with field goal/PAT work.

Up Next: 
The Redbirds will return to the field Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. for their annual Media/Photo Day, before returning to practice on Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. for another fully padded workout. For updates, photos, and video from 2025 Redbird Football Fall Camp, follow the team's official X (@RedbirdFB), Instagram (isuredbirdfb) and TikTok (@redbirdfb) accounts and visit GoRedbirds.com.

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