CHICAGO – The Chicago State Football Cougars may be only a month into their first season in program history, but CSU is on the national map, thanks to the play of S
Jayden Earley.
The senior from Hampton, Va., is emerging as an All-America candidate, having already recorded four interceptions this season in just five games. His latest pick came last week on the final play of the first half against Norfolk State.
Earley made his first INT of the season at Butler on Sept. 5. In Chicago State's first-ever win over Kentucky Christian, Earley made two interceptions, including a 62-yard pick six in the second quarter. Earley is one of four players in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) with four interceptions, joining Parker Vance (Southern Utah), Cameron Goggins (Mercer), and Xaden Benson (Harvard).
Earley is third on the team with 24 tackles, including a team-leading 4.5 tackles for loss as he and Chicago State (1-4) face their toughest test of the season at #4-ranked Tarleton State (4-0) Saturday night. The game, scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff in Stephenville, Texas, will air on ESPN+.
Chicago State Game Notes
CSU, coming off a 43-20 home loss to Michael Vick's Norfolk State team, achieved another first this week: the program's first award winner from the Northeast Conference.
Freshman LB/DE
Lesroy Tittle earned the program's first conference honor, as the Aurora, Ill. native earned Northeast Conference / Atlantic Tomorrow's Office Rookie of the Week honors. Tittle posted career highs in tackles (eight), solo tackles (four), and assisted tackles (four), along with two tackles for loss Saturday night. Tittle's 5.0 tackles for loss this season tie for the league lead as he emerges as an impact player on the Cougars' defense. This season, he has 12 tackles, 1.0 sack, and one interception, which Tittle returned 82 yards for a touchdown vs. Kentucky Christian.
Tarleton State, located about an hour west of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, has emerged as a national power in the NCAA Division I FCS ranks. The Texans advanced to the second round of the playoffs in 2024 and the quarterfinals in 2025.
About Chicago State Athletics
Chicago State University sponsors 17 Division I intercollegiate athletic teams and competes in the Northeast (NEC) Conference. CSU's athletic program includes over 300 student-athletes that compete in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, triathlon and volleyball. CSU held memberships in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and NCAA Division II before transitioning to NCAA Division I in 1994. For more information and updates on Chicago State Football, visit
www.gocsucougars.com.
About Chicago State University
Chicago State University, founded in 1867, is the oldest public university in the Chicago Metropolitan area. The University's four colleges offer over 60 undergraduate and graduate degree-granting and non-degree programs. CSU is committed to equity in education, serving as the only U.S. Department of Education-designated four-year Predominantly Black Institution in Illinois. The University's continued value to students and the State of Illinois is demonstrated by the ranking by a Harvard economist that places CSU in the top 4 percent of public and private universities nationwide in supporting its graduates' economic mobility. The University serves as a prominent community anchor and civic space on the greater south side of Chicago by leading a multitude of athletic, educational, cultural, and recreational activities. Visit
csu.edu.
