Southern Illinois brought in five mid-year transfers last month but did not sign any new players Wednesday. The mid-year group includes former Wisconsin receiver Keontez Lewis, who hails from East St. Louis. (Photo by David Stluka)
By Barry Bottino
The NCAA calendar announced Wednesday as the February National Signing Day for football teams around the country.
In Carbondale, though, head coach Nick Hill and his staff had performed the bulk of their recruiting work months before.
“Today felt like a normal day,” Hill told Prairie State Pigskin Wednesday night. “When I first got the job, (Feb. signing day) was the day. It’s all transitioned to being earlier and earlier.”
Though SIU – which advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs last season – didn’t sign any new players Wednesday, the Salukis are hard at work in off-season conditioning.
That includes five mid-year transfers who have been on campus for more than a month as SIU tries to replace several key faces on offense. In December, SIU added 23 players to the program.
Two new mid-year additions likely to earn an opportunity – wide receiver Keontez Lewis and running back Willtrell Hartson – came from Big Ten Conference schools and had a connection to the Salukis in high school.
Lewis, who began his career at UCLA, is a 6-foot-2 junior who ranked third on the team at Wisconsin last season with 20 catches for 313 yards and three touchdowns.
“He had been to camp (at SIU) when he was an underclassman,” Hill said. “Having Terry Hawthorne on staff here (as cornerbacks coach), who is from East St. Louis, helped. We’re obviously excited to get Keontez and give him the opportunity that he’s looking for. He’s a really good player.”
Southern’s defensive coordinator/assistant head coach Antonio James attended the same high school as Hartson, Washington High in Massillon, Ohio.
As a prep senior, Hartsell rushed for a school-record 2,073 yards and scored 34 touchdowns.
“We offered him out of high school, and we thought we had a shot at him,” Hill said. Instead, Hartsell chose OSU, where he redshirted as a preferred walk-on.
“Having that previous relationship helped us get both of those guys,” Hill said.
Positions of need
Along with departure of record-setting quarterback Nic Baker, SIU will be replacing its top two running backs, Romier Elliott and Justin Strong, and receivers Izaiah Hartrup and D’Ante Cox, who combined for 84 catches and seven TDs last season.
“In every class, you try to get better at every position,” Hill said, “You’re obviously going to have a need at certain positions.”
Hartson and two prep running backs are joining the program, along with Lewis and Howard University transfer wide receiver Nah’shawn Hezekiah, another mid-year addition. Two transfers and a prep senior joined the wide receiver group as part of the December signees.
Linebacker was also a position where the team improved, Hill said, with Murray State transfer Shug Howard from Bethalto, Ill., and former John Carroll LB Jaheim Peake.
Consistent up front
Amid all the change on offense, SIU has one position that with plenty of familiar faces returning.
“The most consistency is having all five starting offensive linemen back, which is rare,” Hill said.
Along with guards Chase Evans and Derek Harden, tackles Jake Green and Abdou Toure and center Jacob Caughell, the Salukis have three intriguing new faces.
Two sixth-year players – offensive tackle Noah Fenske (Colorado) and offensive guard Marcelo Mendiola (Cincinnati) – were FBS transfers who did not play last season. In December, the Salukis signed FBS Georgia State transfer Cameron Dye.
“That’s going to be a lot of competition,” Hill said.
QB competitors
Murray State transfer D.J. Williams and Marion native Hunter Simmons, the backup last season, will compete to replace Baker.
When will that decision be made? In due time, according to Hill.
“You don’t rush it,” he said. “You just naturally let it happen. We will let those guys go out there and earn it. I’m excited for the guys to be able to compete.”
Spring game and eclipse
Hill said the SIU spring game is currently planned for April 20, a Saturday. The Salukis, however, might have to adjust spring practices because Carbondale is in the path of the highly anticipated solar eclipse April 8.
According to NASA’s website, the eclipse is expected to be visible in Carbondale from approximately 2-2:05 p.m.
“We have to move a couple days around,” Hill said. “NASA comes and takes over our field. The last time, it was in 2017, and that was during fall camp. We had to shut down fall camp for three days.”
In 2017, observers from around the country jammed Saluki Stadium for the rare event.
Schedule talk
Though Hill said he’s talked very little about the 2024 schedule with his team, the 12-game slate that was released last week is a strong one.
The Salukis open the season at Brigham Young of the Big 12 Conference, play five FCS playoff teams, have rivalry games against Illinois State and Southeast Missouri and face non-conference FCS foes Incarnate Word and 2023 playoff participant Austin Peay.
“It’s what we’ve come to expect,” Hill said. “It’s definitely 12 legitimate games. No. 1, you find out what type of team you’re going to have. It’s going to have you prepared not just to make the playoffs but to go win games in the playoffs.”
Southern Illinois mid-year additions
(Name, Position, Height, Weight, Previous School, Hometown)
Jeremiah Baxter, CB, 6-2, 190, Frostburg State University, Silver Spring, Md.
Willtrell Hartson, RB, 5-9, 205, Ohio State University, Massillon, Ohio
Nah’shawn Hezekiah, WR, 6-2, 210, Howard University, Orangeburg, S.C.
Keontez Lewis, WR, 6-2, 190, University of Wisconsin, East St. Louis, Ill.
Andrew Volmar, CB, 6-1, 166, UL Monroe, Miami, Fla.
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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