DB Kimal Clark of Indiana State and WR Luke Mailander of Illinois State have earned the 2025 Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer and Freshman of the Year honors, respectively.  League coaches, sports information directors and a media panel selected the team, which features 15 offensive and 15 defensive newcomers.

2025 MVFC All-Newcomer Team (PDF)




Clark finished the regular season second in the FCS in total tackles per game while collecting 10 games with at least 10 tackles.  He recorded 4.5 TFL and 2.0 sacks from his safety position and added two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He is a finalist for the Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Award - the first Sycamore to earn that distinction. Only two other ISU players have been MVFC Newcomer of the Year: QB Julian Reese (2001) and QB Ryan Boyle (2018).



During the regular season Mailander ranked second for Illinois State in yards (557) and third in receptions (34).  He averaged 16.4 yards per catch and was second on the team with four receiving touchdowns.  Other Redbirds to win the league's Freshman of the Year include QB Dusty Burk (1999), DB Tom Nelson (2005), QB Matt Brown (2009), and Tye Niekamp (2023).

 

OFFENSE	Yr.	Hometown [Previous Schools]
WR Alex Bullock, South Dakota State	Gr.	Omaha, Neb. / Creighton Prep [Nebraska]
WR Darius Cannon, Murray State	R-So.	Gainesville,Ga. / Gainesville HS [Kentucky]
OL Almarion Crim, South Dakota	Sr.	Adamsville, Ala. / Minor HS [Houston, Chattanooga]
RB Victor Dawson, Illinois State	Sr.	Akron, Ohio / Hoban HS [Cincinnati]
WR B.J. Fleming, North Dakota	Jr.	Aledo, Texas / Aledo HS [Northern Arizona]
WR Luke Mailander, Illinois State	R-Fr.	Elmhurst, Ill. / York Community HS
WR Fabian McCray, Southern Illinois	Sr.	Chicago, Ill. / Phillips Academy [Jackson State]
OL Jack McGarry, Illinois State	Jr.	Oak Brook, Ill. / Hinsdale Central HS [Missouri]
TE Reis Kessel, North Dakota State	R-Fr.	Fargo, N.D. / Fargo South HS
RB Julius Loughridge, South Dakota State	Sr.	Houston, Texas / Mayde Creek HS [Fordham]
OL Drew Page, Indiana State	R-Jr.	Noblesville, Ind. / Noblesville HS [Kent State]
RB DJ Scott, North Dakota State	So.	Oviedo, Fla. / Oviedo HS [Kennesaw State]
OL Nate Tastad, North Dakota State	R-Fr.	Rolette, N.D. / Rolette HS
OL Shane Willenbring, South Dakota State	R-Fr.	La Crosse, Wis. / Aquinas HS
WR/AP Ky "Flash" Wilson, Youngstown St.	Jr.	Farrell, Pa. / Farrell HS [Slippery Rock]
DEFENSE	Yr.	Hometown [Previous Schools]
P Aaron Bickerton, North Dakota State	R-Jr.	Stoke-on-Trent, England / Gulf Coast HS [Howard]
DB Lashavion Brown, Illinois State	Jr.	Fairhope, Ala. / Fairhope HS [Hutchinson CC]
DB Kimal Clark, Indiana State	Sr.	Lackawanna, N.Y. / St. Francis [Central Connecticut St.]
LB Ryan Crandall, UNI	R-Sr.	Ankeny, Iowa / Ankeny Senior HS [Western Illinois]
DL Caden Crawford, South Dakota	Jr.	Lansing, Kan. / Lansing HS [Iowa, Iowa State]
DB DeJuan Lewis, South Dakota	Sr.	Pearland, Texas / Shadow Creek HS [Prairie View A&M, Lamar]
S Zach Lewis, North Dakota	Sr.	Chandler, Ariz. / Hamilton HS [Northern Arizona]
LB Dexter Niekamp, Illinois State	R-Fr.	Normal, Ill. / Normal Community HS
DB Shadwel Nkuba II, Illinois State	Sr.	Lewisville, Texas / Lewisville HS [Louisiana]
DB Grant Noland, North Dakota	Fr.	Kearney, Mo. / Kearney HS
DL Owen Ostroski, UNI	R-Sr.	Tulsa, Okla. / Holland Hall HS [Tulsa]
S Dylan Rowsey, Murray State	Jr.	Rienzi, Miss. / Biggersville HS [Itawamba CC]
DT Zach Vanderpool, North Dakota State	R-Fr.	Byron, Minn. / Byron HS
DE Donnie Wingate, Southern Illinois	Sr.	Choctaw, Okla. / Choctaw HS [Lindenwood]
DB Nic Yatsko, Indiana State	R-Fr.	Terre Haute, Ind. / Terre Haute South HS