# 2025 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team

The 2025 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team will represent Western Illinois University as a member of the OVC–Big South Football Association during the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They are expected to be led by second-year head coach Joe Davis. The Leathernecks play their home games at Hanson Field in Macomb, Illinois.

## Offseason
### Transfers
#### Outgoing

| Player | Position | Destination |
| Ryan Merklinger | OL | Chattanooga |
| Curtis Horras | WR | Grand View |
| Ludovick Choquette | RB | LIU |
| Ryan Crandall | LB | Northern Iowa |
| Matthew Henry | WR | Western Kentucky |
| Jeremiah Piper | DB | Unknown |
| Kamal Mukarram | DB | Unknown |
| Braylen Brooks | DB | Unknown |

#### Incoming

| Player | Position | Previous school |
| Michael Forney | OL | Black Hills State |
| Wyatt Milkovic | LB | Boise State |
| Austin Young | LB | Butte CC |
| Nigel Cheeks | RB/WR | Ellsworth CC |
| Amare Bickham | DB | Iowa |
| Esteban Guillory | DB | Murray State |
| Keith Moko | DB | Northern Iowa |
| Matthew Perry | DB | St. Francis |
| Jalen Nicolas | DE | St. Thomas More |
| Steve Oberst | DL | Stetson |
| Fabian Baez | WR | Stetson |
| Jerrod Cameron | DB | UMass |
| LeBron Morgan | DB | UT Martin |
| AJ Harris | WR | Walsh |
| T.C. Molk | QB | Walsh |
| James Durand | DL | Wisconsin |

#### Preferred Walk Ons

| Player | Position | Previous school |
| Troy Mills | LB | California Lutheran |
| Luke Droegemueller | K/P | Concordia University Wisconsin |
| Ernest Temple | RB | DuPage CC |
| Harlon May | DB | Missouri Southern |
| Carter Campbell | TE | Ohio Wesleyan |
| Jaylen Olokun | LB | Roosevelt |
| Joseph Tumilty | WR | St. Francis |

### Recruiting class

| Name | Position | Height | Weight | Hometown | High School |
| Sage Yazzie | TE | 6-5 | 215 | Waukee, IA | Waukee |
| Cason Carswell | QB | 6-3 | 185 | Mason, MI | Mason |
| Tyler Sulsberger | OL | 6-7 | 295 | Hornick, IA | Westwood |
| Ryan McCombs | OL | 6-5 | 280 | Jacksonville, IL | Jacksonville |
| Morgan Quiri | WR | 6-5 | 175 | Tucson, AZ | Salpointe Catholic |
| Cameron Nickel | LB | 6-2 | 218 | Metamora, IL | Metamora |
| Joe Edwards | LB | 6-3 | 215 | Downers Grove, IL | Downers Grove North |
| Aa'Zoriyon Bonner | DB | 6-3 | 180 | Sandusky, OH | Sandusky |
| Charlie Stec | DL | 6-4 | 225 | Orland Park, IL | Brother Rice |
| Kacper Lobas | K | 6-3 | 185 | Summit, IL | Argo Community |
| Joel Salien | WR | 6-0 | 177 | Miami, FL | Immaculata-LaSalle |
| Luca Siamashvili | OL | 6-6 | 335 | Hawthorn Woods, IL | Adlai E. Stevenson |
| Donpaul Keith | DB | 6-2 | 179 | Taylor, MI | River Rouge |
| Joel Salien | WR | 6-0 | 178 | Miami, FL | Immaculata-LaSalle |
| Tommy Lamberti | OL | 6-8 | 300 | Vernon Hills, IL | Carmel Catholic |
| Jamesly Jean Louis | DL | 6-5 | 246 | Immokalee, FL | Immokalee |
| Justin Buckner | LB | 6-0 | 205 | Tinley Park, IL | St. Rita |

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | TV |
| August 30 | at Illinois* | Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL | TBA |
| September 6 | at Northwestern* | Martin StadiumEvanston, IL | TBA |
| September 13 | Valparaiso* | Hanson FieldMacomb, IL | TBA |
| September 20 | at Eastern Washington* | Roos FieldCheney, WA | TBA |
| September 27 | Eastern Illinois | Hanson FieldMacomb, IL | ESPN+ |
| October 4 | at Tennessee Tech | Tucker StadiumCookeville, TN | ESPN+ |
| October 11 | at UT Martin | Graham StadiumMartin, TN | ESPN+ |
| October 18 | Charleston Southern | Hanson FieldMacomb, IL | ESPN+ |
| October 25 | at Tennessee State | Nissan StadiumNashville, TN | ESPN+ |
| November 8 | Lindenwood | Hanson FieldMacomb, IL | ESPN+ |
| November 15 | Southeast Missouri State | Hanson FieldMacomb, IL | ESPN+ |
| November 22 | at Gardner–Webb | Ernest W. Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ |
| *Non-conference game |||||

## Game summaries
### at (FBS) Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Leathernecks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| (FBS) Fighting Illini | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL
* Date: Saturday August 30, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Western Illinois | Passing |
| Western Illinois | Rushing |
| Western Illinois | Receiving |
| Illinois | Passing |
| Illinois | Rushing |
| Illinois | Receiving |

### at (FBS) Northwestern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Leathernecks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| (FBS) Wildcats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Martin Stadium • Evanston, IL
* Date: Saturday September 6, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Western Illinois | Passing |
| Western Illinois | Rushing |
| Western Illinois | Receiving |
| Northwestern | Passing |
| Northwestern | Rushing |
| Northwestern | Receiving |

### vs. Valparaiso

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Beacons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leathernecks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Hanson Field • Macomb, IL
* Date: Saturday September 13, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Valparaiso | Passing |
| Valparaiso | Rushing |
| Valparaiso | Receiving |
| Western Illinois | Passing |
| Western Illinois | Rushing |
| Western Illinois | Receiving |

### at Eastern Washington

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Leathernecks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Roos Field • Cheney, WA
* Date: Saturday September 20, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Western Illinois | Passing |
| Western Illinois | Rushing |
| Western Illinois | Receiving |
| Eastern Washington | Passing |
| Eastern Washington | Rushing |
| Eastern Washington | Receiving |

### vs. Eastern Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leathernecks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Hanson Field • Macomb, IL
* Date: Saturday September 27, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Eastern Illinois | Passing |
| Eastern Illinois | Rushing |
| Eastern Illinois | Receiving |
| Western Illinois | Passing |
| Western Illinois | Rushing |
| Western Illinois | Receiving |

### at Tennessee Tech

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Leathernecks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Tucker Stadium • Cookeville, TN
* Date: Saturday October 4, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Western Illinois | Passing |
| Western Illinois | Rushing |
| Western Illinois | Receiving |
| Tennessee Tech | Passing |
| Tennessee Tech | Rushing |
| Tennessee Tech | Receiving |

### at UT Martin

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Leathernecks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Skyhawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Graham Stadium • Martin, TN
* Date: Saturday October 11, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Western Illinois | Passing |
| Western Illinois | Rushing |
| Western Illinois | Receiving |
| UT Martin | Passing |
| UT Martin | Rushing |
| UT Martin | Receiving |

### vs. Charleston Southern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leathernecks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Hanson Field • Macomb, IL
* Date: Saturday October 18, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Charleston Southern | Passing |
| Charleston Southern | Rushing |
| Charleston Southern | Receiving |
| Western Illinois | Passing |
| Western Illinois | Rushing |
| Western Illinois | Receiving |

### at Tennessee State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Leathernecks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tigers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Nissan Stadium • Nashville, TN
* Date: Saturday October 25, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Western Illinois | Passing |
| Western Illinois | Rushing |
| Western Illinois | Receiving |
| Tennessee State | Passing |
| Tennessee State | Rushing |
| Tennessee State | Receiving |

### vs. Lindenwood

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leathernecks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Hanson Field • Macomb, IL
* Date: Saturday November 8, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Lindenwood | Passing |
| Lindenwood | Rushing |
| Lindenwood | Receiving |
| Western Illinois | Passing |
| Western Illinois | Rushing |
| Western Illinois | Receiving |

### vs. Southeast Missouri State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redhawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leathernecks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Hanson Field • Macomb, IL
* Date: Saturday August 30, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Southeast Missouri State | Passing |
| Southeast Missouri State | Rushing |
| Southeast Missouri State | Receiving |
| Western Illinois | Passing |
| Western Illinois | Rushing |
| Western Illinois | Receiving |

### at Gardner–Webb

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Leathernecks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Ernest W. Spangler Stadium • Boiling Springs, NC
* Date: Saturday November 22, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Western Illinois | Passing |
| Western Illinois | Rushing |
| Western Illinois | Receiving |
| Gardner–Webb | Passing |
| Gardner–Webb | Rushing |
| Gardner–Webb | Receiving |