Senior running back Victor Dawson was one of eight Illinois State players held out of last weekend’s spring game that wrapped up the Redbirds’ 15 practices. (Photo by Barry Bottino, PrairieStatePigskin.com)
By Dan Verdun
Illinois State’s remarkable 17-game run to last season’s FCS national championship game produced what head coach Brock Spack called “the equivalent of an NFL schedule.”
That didn’t leave much time for rest and recovery.
Yet, ISU found a few ways to find time right up through the recent 15 spring practices.
“Our two top players on both sides of the ball didn’t play today and they haven’t played much all spring,” head coach Brock Spack said following Saturday’s spring game at Hancock Stadium.
The two players Spack referenced were middle linebacker Tye Niekamp and running back Victor Dawson. They were joined on the sidelines by six other Redbirds, some of whom were nursing nagging injuries.
“This team knows how to practice,” Spack said. “You can learn and develop a little bit better when you know how to practice.”
Illinois State’s 17 games was the most ever played by an FCS team in one season.
Spack and his staff’s plan for 2026 began soon after the 35-34 overtime loss to Montana State in the Jan. 5 title game in Nashville.
“The big thing for me was going in for treatment and getting my body the best it can be,” said Niekamp, who has appeared in 42 games and racked up 346 career tackles.
While a healthy diet plays a key role, there are other factors.
“Getting eight hours of sleep to get the body right is something I did,” Niekamp said.
The calendar quickly flipped from semester break into winter workouts.
“It was a quick turnaround with the school year starting back up, but I got off my feet a little bit,” senior linebacker Mason Kaplan said.
Yet, the sport was never far away.
“While we were resting, we were still evaluating film and what to do better,” he said. “It was time to rest, but also time to mentally prepare for when we started up again.”
Kaplan said the staff provided an extra week off before beginning formal workouts in January.
“A lot of us were still coming in on our own,” he said. “Recovery is an active thing. It’s not just sitting on the couch.”
Redshirt junior Travis Jones, listed as starting defensive tackle on the spring depth chart, also took advantage of time off.
“We probably had a week or two off. The coaches gave us an extra week when we got back into school (in January),” he said.
Jones, a four-year standout at Herscher High School, said that while he rested his legs, ISU’s strength and conditioning staff used the same procedures and techniques for offseason training as usual.
“If you have the same goals, you’ve got to have the same approach,” Jones said.
If the Redbirds are to have continued success and make another significant playoff run, younger players are expected to fill roles vacated by graduation or the transfer portal.
Sophomores Dexter Niekamp and Beckham Pellant are two such players with high expectations.
Niekamp, the younger brother of Tye and son of defensive coordinator Travis Niekamp, saw increased playing time last fall. The former three-sport Normal Community High standout said the school-record 17 games ISU played “was hard for everybody.”
“You’re practicing every week. We ended in January and started spring practice in March. It’s hard to come back that early, but it helps you. It’s good for experience, especially for the freshmen,” Niekamp said.
Pellant is competing with USC transfer Gage Roy to win the starting quarterback job. Pellant backed up Redbird record-setter Tommy Rittenhouse last season.
“I’m just minimizing what I’m doing outside of football and school. I come in for a lift, get some treatment. Treatment has been big, for sure,” he said.
With spring practice now complete, the players have more time to rest and recover. However, they realize fall camp isn’t that far away.
“It’s crazy how fast it goes,” Tye Niekamp said. “I’ve enjoyed my four years. I’m going to enjoy my fifth. There’s a lot of excitement for the last year.”
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
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