Illinois State's Tye Niekamp ranked No. 1 among returning FCS linebackers

Illinois State already has the kind of defender who can change the way the Missouri Valley Football Conference race looks on paper. Tye Niekamp, the Redbirds’ senior middle linebacker, was ranked No. 1 among returning FCS linebackers, a nod to a résumé built on production, postseason hardware and the kind of every-down impact that carries into the NFL scouting conversation.

Hero Sports put Niekamp atop its 2026 list based on on-field production, postseason accolades, PFF grades and FCS knowledge. That placement is more than a preseason compliment. It gives Illinois State a proven centerpiece at the exact spot where games are often decided, in the middle of a defense that needs one player to erase mistakes, finish tackles and set the tone from snap to snap.

Niekamp backed up the ranking with a 2025 season that looked like a scouting report come to life. He started all 12 games at middle linebacker and finished with 126 tackles, third in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. He added 12.0 tackles for loss, second in the league, along with one sack, six pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, four quarterback hurries and even a safety. For a linebacker, that is the profile of a player who does not just clean up plays, he creates them.

His 2024 season may have been even louder. Niekamp led Illinois State and tied for first in the MVFC with 112 tackles, added 11.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and a conference-high four interceptions. That blend of volume and playmaking is part of what makes him more than a tackling machine. It is also why his name carries weight beyond Normal, Illinois, where scouts can see a linebacker who has already shown range, ball skills and production against conference competition.

The honors have piled up accordingly. Niekamp earned MVFC Defensive Player of the Week recognition three times in 2025, including after a career-high 14 tackles, 10 of them solo stops, in Illinois State’s 42-30 win over Eastern Illinois in the 113th Mid-America Classic. He also drew league recognition after a road win at South Dakota and another victory at No. 15 South Dakota State. On Jan. 2, 2026, Illinois State named him an FCS ADA All-American as the top linebacker in the country, and he was one of 30 finalists for the Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Award.

The background helps explain the feel for the position. Niekamp was born April 12, 2004, in Spokane, Washington, the son of Travis and Tracy Niekamp. Travis Niekamp now serves as Illinois State’s defensive coordinator, giving the Redbirds a rare setup: the conference’s top returning linebacker and the coach responsible for putting him in position to steer the defense. If Illinois State is going to push the top of the MVFC in 2026, Niekamp is the player most likely to make that leap possible.