News recap from MVFC Media Day

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — On a newsworthy Tuesday morning, Saluki Football was picked to finish sixth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason poll, while SIU quarterback DJ Williams was one of five league players named to the Payton Award preseason watch list.

The 2026 season will feature a new dynamic in the Valley race, one without perennial bully North Dakota State, which officially joined the Mountain West Conference on July 1.

South Dakota State was selected as the league’s preseason favorite, although five of the nine teams received first-place votes, including SIU, meaning the title seems up for grabs.

“That’s why both of these guys are back,” said SIU head coach Nick Hill, nodding to Williams and linebacker Chris Presto, who joined him at media day. “They could have chosen to go somewhere else, but winning is important. All off-season, that's what we've talked about. It's a new year, new team. Everybody's optimistic, and the real work is about to start.”

The league features a trio of quarterbacks on the preseason Payton Award watchlist, which also came out on Tuesday — Williams, South Dakota State’s Chase Mason and last year’s winner, Youngstown State QB Beau Brungard. Two Valley running backs also made the list — Illinois State's Victor Dawson and South Dakota's had Charles Pierre Jr.

Williams is coming off a record-breaking season in which he accounted for 40 touchdowns (22 passing, 18 rushing) and became the school’s first quarterback to earn All-America honors since Hill quarterbacked the team to the Final Four in 2007.

Southern finished 7-5, though, narrowly missing the playoffs in 2025.

“Last season left a bad taste in my mouth, not getting to the playoffs,” Williams said. “I’m ready to give Saluki fans everything that I have and bring a championship back to Southern Illinois.”

Both Williams and Presto acknowledged they could have transferred up to a bigger school after the season, but felt a strong bond with the program Hill has established at SIU.

DJ Williams

“Ultimately, it didn't feel like any other coach believed in me the way Coach Hill believes in me,” Williams said.

“Actually being somewhere where you're wanted and valued and that pours into you,” Presto added. “The way Coach Hill runs the team, it's very inspiring, and so he's a guy you want to work for.”

Southern’s offense will feature 10 players with starting experience at SIU: RB Chandler Chapman, QB Jake Curry, OT Blaine Halley, G Derek Harden Jr., G Jacob Katauskas, TE Miles Marshall, WR Allen Middleton, RB Ed Robinson, OT Coleon Smith and Williams.

On defense, the Salukis return seven players who have started games at Southern: LB Andrew Behm, LB Ben Fiegel, DE Jake Parrella, S Vinny Pierre Jr., Presto, CB Gavin Shepard and CB Sebastian Vargas-Escobar. Long snapper Ryan Algrim also returns.

Nick Hill

Hill said the 2026 team has an established core of leaders, including Williams and Presto.

“These guys are incredible young men, and I'm proud of them, on and off the field,” Hill said. “Ultimately, this can be a player-led team because you trust these guys, and so it's easy to like these guys.”

Training camp begins on Monday, July 27, and the 12-game season opens a month later on August 27 at West Florida.

Williams and Presto were among 13 SIU players named to the Valley's preseason watch list.

MVFC PRESEASON WATCH LIST

QB: Beau Brungard, Youngstown State

QB: Jaxon Dailey, UNI

QB: Jerry Kaminski, North Dakota

QB: Chase Mason, South Dakota State

QB: Elijah Owens, Indiana State

QB: DJ Williams, Southern Illinois

RB: Chandler Chapman, Southern Illinois

RB: Victor Dawson, Illinois State

RB: Jaden Gilbert, Youngstown State

RB: Keyondray Jones-Logan, South Dakota

RB: Ramon McKinney Jr., South Dakota State

RB: Charles Pierre Jr., South Dakota

RB: Edward Robinson, Southern Illinois

FB: Mason South, North Dakota

WR: Tysen Boze, South Dakota

WR: Tennel Bryant, South Dakota

WR: Deng Deng, North Dakota

WR: Grahm Goering, South Dakota State

WR: Dylan Lord, Illinois State

WR: Luke Mailander, Illinois State

WR: Allen Middleton, Southern Illinois

WR: Lofton O'Groske, South Dakota State

WR: KeShon Singleton, Indiana State

WR: Fresh Walters, Youngstown State

WR: Dorian Williams, Youngstown State

TE: Austin Bray, Youngstown State

TE: Greyton Gannon, South Dakota State

TE: Coleman Kuntz, South Dakota State

TE: Jesse Miller, South Dakota

OL: Liam Becher, North Dakota

OL: Logan Brasfield, Illinois State

OL: Ben Buxa, North Dakota

OL: Quinten Christensen, South Dakota State

OL: Jake Darby, Murray State

OL: Blaine Halley, Southern Illinois

OL: Derek Harden, Southern Illinois

OL: Desmeal Leigh, Youngstown State

OL: Shane Keenan, Youngstown State

OL: Kyle Kelly, UNI

OL: Nick Nielsen, Youngstown State

OL: Drew Page, Indiana State

OL: AJ Shadid, Murray State

OL: Zach Simpson, Indiana State

OL: Trace Thaden, North Dakota

OL: Shane Willenbring, South Dakota State

OL: Landon Woodard, Illinois State

OL: Brock Woolf, South Dakota

DL: Jayden Childers, Indiana State

DL: Chris Dixon, South Dakota

DL: Amir Dwight, Southern Illinois

DL: Kolten Gajewski, Indiana State

DL: Logan Green, South Dakota State

DL: Ben Harman, Illinois State

DL: Thomas Jolly, Youngstown State

DL: Mason Knipp, Indiana State

DL: Reis Kirschenman, South Dakota State

DL: Nathan Laperi, South Dakota

DL: Jake Parrella, Southern Illinois

DL: Jaylen Pettus, UNI

DL: Dawson Ripperda, South Dakota State

DL: Lance Rucker, North Dakota

DL: Jace Sifore, South Dakota State

DL: Carter Sitzman, South Dakota State

DL: Kaden Vig, North Dakota

DL: Jayden Walker, Murray State

DL: Mike Wells, Youngstown State

LB: Andrew Behm, Southern Illinois

LB: Conlee Crossno, Murray State

LB: Micheal Devereaux, North Dakota

LB: Gabe Hardman, South Dakota

LB: Klayton Ingram, Murray State

LB: Mason Kaplan, Illinois State

LB: Carston Marshall, Youngstown State

LB: Cullen McShane, South Dakota State

LB: Kolben Miller, UNI

LB: Dexter Niekamp, Illinois State

LB: Tye Niekamp, Illinois State

LB: Chris Presto, Southern Illinois

LB: Braxton Sampson, Indiana State

LB: Chase Van Tol, South Dakota State

DB: Xavian Andrews, Indiana State

DB: La'Shavion Brown, Illinois State

DB: Raleigh Collins, Youngstown State

DB: Ife Current, South Dakota State

DB: Dev Holman, Youngstown State

DB: Jordan McClom, UNI

DB: Grant Noland, North Dakota

DB: Vinny Pierre, Southern Illinois

DB: Dylan Rowsey, Murray State

DB: Noah St. Juste, South Dakota State

DB: Gavin Shephard, Southern Illinois

DB: Cam Smith, Youngstown State

DB: RJ Stewart, South Dakota

DB: Jorge Valdes, Indiana State

DB: Nic Yatsko, Indiana State

PK: Andrew Lastovka, Youngstown State

P: Hayden Futch, Illinois State

P: Logan Gregory, UNI

P: Max Pelham, South Dakota State

P: Luke Silvernale, North Dakota

LS: Ryan Algrim, Southern Illinois

RS/APB: Mar'Quan Gary, Illinois State

RS/APB: Jack Smith, South Dakota State