Eight Redbirds named to all MVFC Teams

Image is courtesy of goredbirds.com

NORMAL, Ill. – It was an underwhelming season for the Illinois State football team as they finished 4-7, but there were some bright spots as six members were named to the All-MVFC teams as well as three players who were named to the All-Newcomer Team.

Senior fullback Timothy McCloyn II and sophomore safety Clayton Isbell each earned All-MVFC Second-Team honors. Senior punter JT Bohlken, senior offensive lineman Trey Georgie, junior linebacker Zeke Vandenburgh and freshman running back Cole Mueller was selected to the All-MVFC Honorable Mention team.

Mueller was also named to the MVFC All-Newcomer team, joined by brothers Bryson and Braydon Deming.

This is McCloyns’ second All-Conference honor as he was named to the Honorable Mentions team in the spring. McCloyn was the primary blocking back for the Redbirds in every game this season. His presence was felt as he helped pave the way for Muellers impressive freshman season. On top of being a blocker, he also had four carries for nine yards on the season.

Isbell was a starting safety for the Redbirds, ranking fourth on the team in tackles with 62, tied for the team lead with three interceptions, and had 2.5 tackles for loss. He had a big 40-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Redbirds 17-10 win over UNI.

Bohlken set an ISU single-season record with an average of 44.1 yards per punt on 67 attempts. He was second in the MVFC and ranked tenth in all of FCS. He was named MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week and Stats Perform FCS National Player of the Week for Week 10 when he punted 12 times for 516 total yards against UNI.

Georgie started in eight games for the Redbirds and helped lead the way for Mueller. He ended his career earning All-MVFC honors for the first time.

Redbird captain Vandenburgh was a starter in every game and led the team with four sacks and had 8.5 tackles-for-loss, tied for the team lead. He was second on the team with 73 tackles and had a team-high eight quarterback hurries.

Mueller made both the Honorable Mentions team, as well as the All-Newcomer team, taking over the starting running back spot for the Redbirds. He ranked third in the MVFC with 977 rushing yards and was fourth in yards per game with 88.8. He finished the season in the Top 20 of the FCS in rush yards (No. 15) and yards per game (No. 20). He averaged 5.2 yards per carry and rushed for six touchdowns.

Bryson Deming played in 10 games at tight end in his first season as a Redbird. He was second on the team with 14 receptions and tied for second with two touchdown receptions. He averaged 13.1 yards per catch and had 184 receiving yards on the season.

Braydon Deming joined his twin brother on the All-Newcomer team but was on the other side of the field as a defensive lineman. He started in nine games, finishing the season with 42 tackles and tied for a team lead with 8.5 tackles-for-loss.