Linebacker, Illinois State, 2022–26
Tye Niekamp
- Number
- No. 46
- Height
- 6′3″
- Weight
- 245 lb
- Class (2026)
- Senior
- Hometown
- Normal, IL
Tye Niekamp plays linebacker for Illinois State. Last time out, at Southern Illinois: 6 tackles. Niekamp leads Illinois State in sacks and tackles this season.
2026 so far
45 tackles, 3 sacks
Last game: 6 tackles at Southern Illinois, W 35–14
Next game: vs. Indiana State, Oct 24
Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.
Career highs
11tackles, career highat Northern Illinois, 20262sacks, career highat Northern Illinois, 2026Defense
* The season in progress, so far.
| Season | Team | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | Int | PD | Hur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Illinois State | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Illinois State | 25 | 8 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2026 | Illinois State | 45 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 79 | 27 | 8.5 | 4.5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | |
Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls. A dash: the source has no number for that season (often an FCS season), and career totals count only the numbers on file.
On the roster
| Season | Team | No. | Pos | Class | Ht | Wt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Illinois State | 46 | LB | RS | ||
| 2024 | Illinois State | 46 | LB | So. | ||
| 2025 | Illinois State | 46 | LB | Jr. | ||
| 2026 | Illinois State | 46 | LB | Sr. | 6′3″ | 245 |
As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.
Game by game
2026 Illinois State 6 games, 45 tackles, 3 sacks
| Date | Opponent | Result | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | Int | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5 | at Western Illinois | W 41–10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 12 | at Northern Illinois | W 28–24 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 19 | vs. Eastern Illinois | W 49–13 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 26 | at Northern Iowa | L 21–28 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 3 | vs. South Dakota State | L 14–31 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 17 | at Southern Illinois | W 35–14 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
No box score in the source for Aug 29 vs. St. Francis (IL), so that game is not listed.
2025 Illinois State 5 games, 25 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT
| Date | Opponent | Result | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | Int | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30 | at Oklahoma | L 3–35 | 10 | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 29 | at SE Louisiana | W 21–3 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| Dec 13 | at UC Davis | W 42–31 | 5 | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 20 ✦ | at Villanova | W 30–14 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jan 5 ✦ | vs. Montana State | L 34–35 | 5 | 1 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0 | 1 |
2024 Illinois State 5 games, 9 tackles, 4 INT
| Date | Opponent | Result | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | Int | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 31 | at Iowa | L 0–40 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 14 | vs.Western Illinois | W 51–34 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| Oct 5 | atSouthern Illinois | W 45–10 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| Nov 2 | vs. Youngstown State | W 23–16 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| Nov 30 | at Southeast Missouri State | W 35–27 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.
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