WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS FOOTBALL
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Western Illinois University, established in 1899 in Macomb, Illinois, fields a 100-player roster competing in the Football Championship Subdivision as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. Coach Joe Davis leads the Leathernecks program at a school with an enrollment of 5,337 students, making Western Illinois one of the smaller FCS institutions. The program represents one of the oldest universities in Illinois, having served the region for over 120 years while maintaining intercollegiate athletics throughout that span.
Competing in the Ohio Valley Conference places Western Illinois among programs stretching across the Midwest and border South regions, a conference known for competitive FCS football. The Leathernecks operate from their home venue in Macomb, where they host Ohio Valley Conference matchups against regional rivals. With a century of football tradition dating back to the university's 1899 founding, Western Illinois continues developing student-athletes within the FCS framework, competing annually in the fall season against similar-sized institutions throughout the conference.
KEY FACTS
| School | Western Illinois University |
| Sport | Football |
| Conference | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Division | D1-FCS |
| Location | Macomb, Illinois |
| Venue | Home Venue |
| Head Coach | Joe Davis |
ROSTER (2025-26)
| # | Name | Pos |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Christian Anaya | WR |
| 67 | Dorian Arguelles | OL |
| 1 | Fabian Baez | WR |
| 52 | Jeremiah Banks-Wall | OL |
| 28 | Ethan Bryce | RB |
| 85 | Carter Campbell | TE |
| 15 | Cason Carswell | QB |
| 19 | Myles Cox | WR |
| 3 | Demari Davis | WR |
| 0 | Eric Denham | WR |
| 65 | Brendan Dignan | OL |
| 84 | Dylan Drake | TE |
| 9 | Tristin Duncan | WR |
| 63 | James Durand | OL |
| 11 | Cam Edwards | WR |
| 70 | Michael Forney | OL |
| 68 | Ryan Gray | OL |
| 81 | AJ Harris | WR |
| 61 | Brayden Hartman | OL |
| 6 | Markell Holman | RB |
| 5 | Chris Irvin | QB |
| 23 | Aric Johnson | WR |
| 4 | Tyler Jordan | RB |
| 2 | Avery Knight | RB |
| 76 | Tommy Lamberti | OL |
| 8 | Brandon Lanier | TE |
| 75 | Dylan Leiggi | OL |
| 56 | Ryan McCombs | OL |
| 10 | Antwon McKay Jr. | QB |
| 54 | Jackson Metzdorff | OL |
| 55 | Dagen Miller | OL |
| 7 | T.C. Molk | QB |
| 78 | Matthew Montgomery | OL |
| 87 | Joshua Nieves | WR |
| 66 | Zac Price | OL |
| 80 | Morgan Quiri | WR |
| 83 | Eric Reedus | WR |
| 17 | Joel Salien | WR |
| 71 | Luca Siamashvili | OL |
| 77 | Cole Smith | OL |
| 69 | Tyler Sulsberger | OL |
| 82 | Sasha Summers | WR |
| 39 | Calen Taylor | RB |
| 24 | Ernest Temple | RB |
| 58 | Clement Ulale | OL |
| 14 | Buju Aumua-Tuisavura | DB |
| 10 | Amare Bickham | DB |
| 7 | Mayo Bola | DL |
| 38 | Aa'zoriyon Bonner | DB |
| 72 | David Borchers | DL |
| 9 | Peyton Bradford | DE |
| 25 | Santhony Brown | DB |
| 95 | Trace Brown | DL |
| 17 | Nick Bucaro | DB |
| 44 | Justin Buckner | LB |
| 26 | Tyrese Buffkin | DB |
| 43 | Jalen Camp | LB |
| 19 | Keon Collier | DB |
| 32 | David Dunston | DL |
| 40 | Joe Edwards | LB |
| 16 | Gage Freeman | LB |
| 0 | Esteban Guillory | DB |
| 92 | Keshawn Harrington-McKinney | DL |
| 90 | Jamesly Jean Louis | DL |
| 2 | Willie Jones | DB |
| 34 | Don Paul Keith | DB |
| 91 | Elijah Kongolo | DL |
| 46 | Jacob Kruger | DB |
| 13 | Ethan Ladd | LB |
| 22 | LeeJohn Majerus | DB |
| 29 | James Mankaka | DB |
| 27 | Harlon May | DB |
| 15 | Rodney McNeil Jr. | DB |
| 99 | Jace Miller | DL |
| 97 | Payne Miller | DL |
| 59 | Troy Mills | LB |
| 20 | Keith Moko | DB |
| 6 | LeBron Morgan | DB |
| 49 | Cameron Nickel | LB |
| 96 | Jalen Nicolas | DL |
| 98 | Steven Oberst | DL |
| 51 | Oshobi Odior | DL |
| 30 | Jaylen Olokun | LB |
| 11 | Matthew Perry | DB |
| 42 | Christian W. Pierce | LB |
| 3 | Christian S. Pierce | DB |
| 93 | Nick Prestipino | DL |
| 12 | Justin Richardson | DB |
| 5 | Jalen Riven | DL |
| 94 | Ethan Sather | DE |
| 50 | Brock Sperling | LB |
| 18 | DJ Taylor | DE |
| 33 | Malini Ti'a | DB |
| 45 | Ben Bergfeld | LS |
| 53 | Antonio Chadha | PK |
| 57 | Daniel Cheveallier | LS |
| 41 | Ronan Culkin | PK |
| 48 | Luke Droegemueller | P |
| 37 | Rocco Fedrigo | PK |
| 60 | Kacper Lobas | PK |
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Illinois Football ProgramsFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What conference does Western Illinois Football compete in?
- Western Illinois Leathernecks Football competes in the Ohio Valley Conference conference at the NCAA D1-FCS level.
- Where does Western Illinois play football home games?
- Western Illinois Football plays home games at Home Venue in Macomb, IL.
- Who is the head coach of Western Illinois Football?
- The head coach of Western Illinois Leathernecks Football is Joe Davis.
- When was Western Illinois Football program established?
- The establishment date for Western Illinois Football is not currently available.