Lashaun Lester rushed for 139 yards and three touchdowns against Western Illinois. His carries are certain to increase next season. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com)
By Barry Bottino
With three playoff appearances in the last four seasons, Southern Illinois has become a name to discuss at playoff time.
The Salukis have built a consistent winner with names like quarterback Nic Baker, running backs Ro Elliott and Justin Strong, linebacker Branson Combs and safety P.J. Jules.
Nearly all of those names will be gone when SIU kicks off its season in August at BYU. The record-setting Baker and the steady Strong depart the program after six years of contributions, while the reliable Combs transferred to play his final season at Wake Forest and the do-it-all Jules prepares for a potential NFL future.
But what they’ve left behind is a program that expects to be a playoff contender every year.
Head coach Nick Hill’s team has been built with one eye on strategic transfer portal additions and another on developing young players into key contributors.
The Salukis are still stinging from a 20-17 overtime loss at Idaho in the second round of the FCS playoffs.
Names will certainly change on the depth chart, but setting the bar higher will not.
Prairie State Pigskin examines five key questions facing the Salukis this off-season.
Who is the next Baker-to-Cox connection?
During his time in Carbondale, Baker completed nearly 800 passes. His most prolific combination was with his Rochester High School teammate Avante Cox, who caught more than 200 passes from Baker.
This season, D’Ante Cox, another former Rochester standout and Avante’s brother, caught 34 passes for SIU.
In 2024, a blossoming connection could be the next Baker-to-Cox bond.
Sophomore quarterback Hunter Simmons, a native of nearby Marion, and shifty freshman wide receiver Allen Middleton of Mascoutah showed off their bond against Western Illinois, connecting twice during a second-half drive, including for a 17-yard touchdown.
The duo is certain to have an impact on SIU’s offense in 2024.
What’s the key to taking the next step as a program?
Hill alluded to this during the season when he said elevating to a team that wins double-digit games starts up front on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
The Missouri Valley Football Conference teams from the Dakotas boast plenty of skill and depth up front, allowing their powerhouse ground attacks to control games. All four schools ranked in the top six in rushing output in the MVFC during 2023.
Though the Salukis had 23 rushing TDs this fall, they ranked eighth in the MVFC with 118.1 yards a game rushing. The top five rushing attacks in the conference all averaged more than 150 yards.
On the defensive side, the Salukis’ run defense has been exemplary. SIU is one of only eight teams in all of FCS to allow fewer than 100 yards a game. Southern will have to replace two key pieces up front in sixth-year linemen Kam Bowdry and Dante Cleveland.
How do the Salukis bounce back from the playoff loss at Idaho?
Hill said the loss will stick with SIU for a while. But treating it as a lesson, rather than a complete failure, could pay dividends.
SIU controlled much of that game in a hostile environment, proving they belonged on a big stage. They held a dangerous Idaho offense to 20 points and were able to move the ball on offense.
Breakdowns came at inopportune times, such as the punt return touchdown SIU allowed and the Baker interception in overtime. However, the Salukis got to the second round of the playoffs by overcoming mistakes and playing through them all season.
The Salukis’ 2023 roster included 31 players who were either fifth- or sixth-year athletes. That could mean a good amount of roster turnover.
There is still talent in the pipeline, and more to come via SIU’s aggressive portal strategy and development of young players. Don’t expect making the playoffs to become a wish rather than an expectation.
What position group could see the biggest turnover?
The wide receiver group loses Cox, who is out of eligibility, along with transfer portal entries Izaiah Hartrup and Zach Gibson.
Part of those losses will be eased by Vinson Davis III, a gem that SIU mined from the portal last off-season out of Charleston Southern. His 54 receptions led the team, and his three touchdowns were second-most.
Along with Middleton’s development, the Salukis could put a greater reliance on tight ends Aidan Quinn and Ryan Schwendeman. On Monday, SIU got a transfer portal commitment from Tennessee Tech wide receiver Bradley Clark, who caught a career-high 42 passes last season in his fourth year for TTU.
Another portal addition could also spread out the options in the passing game.
Which players will move into bigger roles in 2024?
Along with Simmons and Middleton, the offensive line will get a rested and motivated Noah Fenske to join the group up front.
The NCAA did not approve Fenske’s eligibility for 2023 as a two-time transfer. His career began at Iowa and continued at Colorado until he departed amid a coaching change.
The 6-foot-6, 292-pound Fenske is likely to have an immediate impact for the Salukis.
On defense, tackle Peyton Reeves – all 317 pounds of him – could help clog up running lanes.
Linebacker Ben Bogle had 32 tackles and two sacks as a true freshman, and redshirt freshman safety Desman Hearns showed off his playmaking skills with a forced fumble against Southeast Missouri and an interception at Northern Illinois. David Miller, a cornerback who started in 2022, returns after missing 2023 with an injury.
Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.
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