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2025 Southern Illinois

7–⁠5 (4–⁠4 Missouri Valley Football Conference).

Schedule and results

Southern Illinois in 2025, game by game: won vs. Thomas More 49–3; lost at Purdue 17–34; won at UT Martin 37–10; won at Southeast Missouri State 59–31; won vs. Indiana State 55–27; lost at North Dakota State 17–45; lost vs. North Dakota 19–38; won vs. Northern Iowa 31–17; won at Murray State 27–7; lost at Youngstown State 38–48; lost vs. South Dakota 51–53; won at Illinois State 37–7+46−28Won 49–3 vs. Thomas More+46Thomas MoreLost 17–34 at Purdue-17PurdueWon 37–10 at UT Martin+27UT MartinWon 59–31 at Southeast Missouri State+28Southeast Misso…Won 55–27 vs. Indiana State+28Indiana StateLost 17–45 at North Dakota State-28North Dakota St…Lost 19–38 vs. North Dakota-19North DakotaWon 31–17 vs. Northern Iowa+14Northern IowaWon 27–7 at Murray State+20Murray StateLost 38–48 at Youngstown State-10Youngstown StateLost 51–53 vs. South Dakota-2South DakotaWon 37–7 at Illinois State+30Illinois State
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Aug 30vsThomas MoreW 49–⁠376%
Sep 6atPurdueL 17–⁠3427%
Sep 13atUT MartinW 37–⁠1033%
Sep 20atSoutheast Missouri StateW 59–⁠3142%
Oct 4vsIndiana StateW 55–⁠2775%
Oct 11atNorth Dakota StateL 17–⁠4517%
Oct 18vsNorth DakotaL 19–⁠3856%
Oct 25vsNorthern IowaW 31–⁠1774%
Nov 1atMurray StateW 27–⁠778%
Nov 8atYoungstown StateL 38–⁠4847%
Nov 15vsSouth DakotaL 51–⁠5344%
Nov 22atIllinois StateW 37–⁠725%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Illinois State 37–⁠7; unranked in the final AP poll; tied for 6th in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

In program history: The 13th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 62 on file).

Record
7–⁠5
Conference
4–⁠4 tied for 6th in Missouri Valley Football Conference
AP final
Unranked
Points
437–⁠320
Coach
—
Elo
1396 +110 this season
SP+ rating
—
SRS
−11.7 No. 7 of 129 in FCS
Recruiting class
No. 169
Defensive coordinator
Lee Pronschinske

Leaders

Passing yardsD.J. Williams QB2,846 yds
Passing touchdownsD.J. Williams QB22 TD
Rushing yardsD.J. Williams QB847 yds
Rushing touchdownsD.J. Williams QB18 TD
Receiving yardsVinson Davis WR786 yds
Receiving touchdownsJathen Jones WR6 TD
TacklesAndrew Behm LB16 tkl
InterceptionsCejai Parson S2 INT

Top recruits in the 2025 class

Clayton Lakatos S★★★No. 1671
Jacques Carter WR★★★No. 2468
Brennan King DE★★★No. 2771
Kaden Clay LB★★★No. 3126
Tristan Cooke-Dennis OT★★★No. 3126

247Sports composite rankings via CollegeFootballData.com; national rank in the class.

The 2025 class by position

SignedStarsRating
Receivers13.00.830
Offensive line23.00.800
Defensive line13.00.820
Linebackers13.00.800
Defensive backs13.00.852
Athletes and specialists12.00.760
Whole class72.90.809

High-school signees by position group, with their average stars and 247Sports composite rating (out of 1), via CollegeFootballData.com. Athletes are signees with no set position.

Roster 109

The 2025 roster

109 players, with numbers, heights, hometowns and each player’s 2025 line; 46 have a stat line. See the roster

Transfers in 3

The 2025 portal
Jacob Katauskas OL★★★from Coastal Carolina
Naz Hill CB★★★from Wyoming
Dashaun Gibson CBfrom Northern Illinois

Transfers out 9

Keontez Lewis WR★★★to Oklahoma
Jamir Conn CB★★★to Nebraska
Ben Bogle LB★★★to West Virginia
Elijah Gunn DL★★★to Cincinnati
Jerrian Parker RB★★★to Sam Houston
Jamond Mathis DE★★★to Kent State
Vinson Davis WR★★★returned to Southern Illinois
Desman Hearns Sto Wyoming
Dewey Greene IV DEto Incarnate Word

2025 Missouri Valley Football Conference standings

Conference page
TeamConf.OverallAP final
North Dakota State8–⁠012–⁠1
South Dakota6–⁠210–⁠5
Illinois State5–⁠312–⁠5
Youngstown State5–⁠38–⁠5
North Dakota5–⁠38–⁠6
South Dakota State4–⁠49–⁠5
Southern Illinois4–⁠47–⁠5
Indiana State1–⁠73–⁠9
Northern Iowa1–⁠73–⁠9
Murray State1–⁠71–⁠11

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.