True freshman quarterback Cason Carswell threw for 16 touchdowns and more than 2,000 yards while starting seven game for the Leathernecks in 2025. (Photo by GoLeathernecks.com)
Editor’s note: This is the second of a four-part series on five key questions facing each of the Illinois FCS teams.
By Barry Bottino
During a 1-7 start to the 2025 season, Western Illinois head coach Joe Davis encouraged his team to stay the course.
Over the final four games, despite a rash of injuries, the Leathernecks’ perseverance paid dividends.
WIU (4-8) matched its win total from 2024, the first season with Davis at the helm, thanks to a 3-1 finish. An example of that determination was the offensive line, which went through multiple combinations, including in the season-ending, 29-24 victory at Gardner-Webb.
“We had a lot of guys in there playing different positions. We had a true freshman that had only played one snap. For those guys to stay together and grind out some yards was really important,” Davis said.
Western already has added numerous new faces from the transfer portal, which will impact the off-season.
Here are five burning questions facing Western as 2026 begins:
How good can Cason Carswell become at WIU?
The true freshman quarterback was who Davis turned to after veteran Chris Irvin stumbled in the first five games.
The results were pretty impressive and make Carswell – the Ohio Valley Conference-Big South Football Association Offensive Freshman of the Year – one of the league’s top returning quarterbacks.
After a 1-4 start, the Leathernecks finished with a 3-4 record in Carswell’s seven starts. He threw for more than 2,000 yards, along with 16 touchdowns and only three interceptions.
Carswell had six multiple-TD games and three 300-yard passing days.
His 375 yards against Charleston Southern ranks as the 13th-best passing total in a game in school history.
A full offseason of Carswell gaining a deeper understanding of WIU’s offense gives the Leathernecks a leg up heading into the 2026 campaign.
Who’s up next at running back?
For the second year in a row, the Leathernecks are replacing their leading rusher thanks to a portal departure.
This year, it’s Markell Holman, whose one season in Macomb resulted in an OVC-Big South rushing title and a very heavy workload.
He rushed for 1,063 yards and seven touchdowns while catching 39 passes – which was second-best on the team – and scored two TDs in the pass game.
The opening for Holman was created by a season-ending injury sustained during fall camp by Avery Knight, who was slated to take over the top job.
The 6-foot, 200-pound Knight showed flashes of his skill level in 2024 when he rushed for 8.1 yards a carry during a four-game redshirt season. His 20-yard TD run against McKendree was a highlight-reel play.
A healthy Knight could provide the offense with a third straight all-conference running back.
An intriguing portal addition is Ihson Jackson-Anderson, who led FCS Wofford last season with 677 rushing yards.
Which position group has seen the most turnover?
Only one of Western’s top seven reception leaders will return in Christian Anaya, who had a team-high 44 catches while scoring four touchdowns.
No other returnee had more than 11 catches for the Leathernecks.
The first step to revamp the receiver room came in December, when WIU signed four prep wideouts, including Xavier Coleman, who helped Providence Catholic to the Illinois Class 5A state title game. The group also included Quincy Notre Dame’s Gavin Doellman (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) and 6-6 Ohio receiver Christopher Bouyer.
A late addition from Palatine’s Fremd High School, MarQuan Brewster piled up 1,200 receiving yards and 14 TD catches as a senior.
The portal provided plenty of talent as well. Jacob Kania, a Florida native, led Iowa Central Community College in 2025 with 38 receptions and eight TDs.
As a freshman at D-II Post University last season, Israel Hiraldo had team highs with 42 catches and six touchdowns.
The Leathernecks also signed a pair of tight ends – one each from D-II and the junior college ranks. Last season, WIU’s top two tight ends combined for 38 receptions and 11 touchdowns.
What strides have been made on defense?
In the first season under defensive coordinator Landon Fox, the 2025 defense allowed 104 fewer points and 500-plus fewer rushing yards than in 2024, along with 17 fewer touchdowns.
While winning three of their final four games to end the season, Western allowed 14 points below its season average.
Despite a barrage of injuries, the defense turned a corner with a mix of veterans like defensive back Christian Pierce, linebacker Kevin Washington Jr. and safety Malini Ti’a, along with up-and-coming talents such as defensive backs Aa’zoriyon Bonner and Don Paul Keith, and linebacker Justin Buckner.
Western has an intriguing group of young players at linebacker and in the defensive backfield. Up front, linemen Elijah Kongolo, David Dunston, Jalen Nicolas could be the next wave of Leathernecks to make an impact.
What gems has the portal brought this offseason?
There’s something about linebackers from Iowa and Western Illinois that has become a good fit.
Pete Swenson from Clear Lake, Ryan Crandall from Ankeny and Lee Russell from Blue Grass are just a few of the imports who have shined in Macomb over the years.
Could Nick Reinecke be the next?
At 6-4 and 235 pounds, Reinecke hails from Dike, a town located 12 miles west of Cedar Falls, home to the University of Northern Iowa. He spend the last three seasons at Iowa State, where he played in 11 games over his final two years. That included time on special teams and a two-tackle, one-interception game against FCS South Dakota.
In high school, he earned first-team all-state honors after 106 tackles and 13 tackles for loss as a senior.
Though he grew up in Wausau, Wis., linebacker Nevin Poppy played at Iowa’s Ellsworth Community College, where he won all-region honors in 2025.
Defensive lineman Jack Larson, who arrives from California’s Santa Rosa Community College, had 41 tackles and seven tackles for loss last season. He earned first-team all-conference honors for the Bear Cubs.
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.
Find us on social media!
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/PSPigskin
Facebook: Prairie State Pigskin
Instagram: Prairiestatepigskin
Blue Sky: PSPigskin
Prairie State Pigskin 
Leave a comment