DE PERE – De Pere High School senior football player Sam Robb recently accepted a preferred walk-on (PWO) offer from Illinois State University (ISU), a Division I college in Normal, Illinois.

Robb, who helped lead the Redbirds to the WIAA Division 1 state quarterfinals this past season, said the recruiting process was fun, but he’s also glad it’s in the rearview mirror.

“It feels good to finally find the right spot,” he said. “I’m pretty excited to get to ISU and play a little more football. It was getting to the point where schools were finishing up their recruiting, so finding a spot takes the stress away.”

Robb said when he visited ISU, he felt at home and liked the coaches – making it a good fit for him.

“The [then] receiver’s coach, Mickey Turner, who is now the offensive coordinator at ISU, helped me quite a bit,” he said. “Mickey was the guy who recruited me. He also played [college] football with [De Pere Coach Ben] Strickland [at Wisconsin], so it was nice to have a guy help me through everything.”

Robb – a receiver – said he received offers to play elsewhere, but he ultimately thought the PWO offer from ISU was the best fit.

“I also received an offer from [Division I] St Thomas, and then shortly after Illinois State offered, I received a PWO offer from South Dakota,” he said. “I also had a Division II offer from Northern Michigan University [in Marquette] and some other DII and DIII offers.”

ISU is coming off a 2025 season that saw it finish 12-5 overall.

The Redbirds dropped a 35-34 overtime thriller to Montana State in the FCS National Championship game to end their season.

ISU came back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to tie the game, but a blocked extra point attempt in overtime helped the Bobcats secure the win.

A PWO offer is an invitation extended to prospective college football players by a university’s football program.

Unlike athletes who receive scholarships, PWOs are not initially provided with financial aid.

Instead, they join the team as walk-on players, meaning they participate in team activities and practices without the assurance of a scholarship.

However, over time, through their performance and dedication to the program, PWOs have the opportunity to earn scholarships and secure their place on the roster.

“That’s the ultimate goal,” Robb said. “ISU still recruited me to come play there, so I just have to earn my way into a scholarship – schools only have so many scholarships to give out. It’s nice, though, because a lot of ISU’s receivers started as walk-ons but then shortly after became starters.”

Robb pointed to ISU senior receiver Daniel Sobkowicz, who started as a walk-on at the school and was a projected late-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Though Sobkowicz was not drafted, he signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent.

“I want to say two of ISU’s starters were walk-ons, but now they’re on scholarship,” Robb said. “That obviously gives me hope I can do the same thing.”

A trying senior year

Robb, who battled injuries during his senior season at De Pere, said he will receive an injury redshirt at ISU during his first season on campus in 2026.
“In June [of 2025], I hurt my hip and abs,” he said. “Through a lot of physical therapy, stretching and work with the trainers, I managed to make it through my senior season. It was pretty rough at times, but of course, I wanted to play. After the season, I continued with physical therapy, but it really didn’t get much better. I opted for surgery about two months ago.”

Speaking of De Pere football, Robb said he wouldn’t be where he is without the guidance of Strickland.

He said Strickland has been a huge influence in his game and life.

“Starting my sophomore year, he took me under his wing and guided me with a lot of stuff that will go beyond high school,” he said. “This past year, he was really good for me when I was going through my injuries. I felt like I could give him good input in games, and he would listen to me. He’s a great guy and coach, and I know I wouldn’t be here without him.”