Redbirds Selected Fourth Nationally In Preseason AFCA FCS Coaches Poll

NORMAL, Ill. – After previously being selected as the No. 4 team in the Stats Perform FCS preseason Top 25, the Illinois State football team found themselves in that same exact spot in the preseason AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. The Redbirds are one of six Missouri Valley Football Conference teams in the initial Coaches Poll of the season, and one of four in the top 10.

Fresh off their second national title in program history, Montana State is the preseason No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. Right behind MSU at No. 2 is in-state rival Montana. South Dakota State received one first-place vote and will start the season at No. 3, looking to improve on their second-round playoff appearance from 2025. Illinois State, the runner-up in last year's national championship game, comes in at No. 4 and 2025 FCS quarterfinalists Tarleton State begins 2026 at No. 5.

The Redbirds return 42 letterwinners and nine starters from last year's playoff squad and were picked second in the MVFC Preseason poll. Consensus First-Team All-American and reigning MVFC Defensive Player of the Year Tye Niekamp heads into his final season on the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is given to the top defensive player in FCS football.

Also returning is preseason All-American tailback Victor Dawson, who recorded six 100-plus yard rushing games last year including four in a row to end the playoff run for the Redbirds, as he finished with 1,377 yards and five touchdowns on the year. Dawson has earned a spot on the watch list for the Walter Payton Award, given to the top offensive player in FCS football.

In addition, Dawson, Tye Niekamp, Landon Woodard, La'Shavion Brown, Luke Mailander and Dexter Niekamp were all named 2026 Preseason All-Americans by noted FCS pundits and will anchor a team looking to get back to Nashville.

Illinois State appeared in every AFCA FCS Coaches Poll last season, finishing as high as No. 2 in the final one of the year. The AFCA FCS Coaches Poll will be released each Monday during the regular season and the final poll of the year comes after the FCS championship game.

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