The College of DuPage defensive back Brandon Redmond received an offer from Southern Illinois on April 13 after he spoke with cornerbacks coach Eriq Moore. More than a month later, Redmond announced his commitment to the Salukis on Monday.“I committed to Southern Illinois because of the great and winning culture they have! They also play in the toughest conference around, and I have a real opportunity to play, which Coach Moore told me when I was offered. My relationship with him is great, and he checks up on me a lot, updates me about anything going on with the team, or what I need to do,” Redmond said.Redmond was in Carbondale the weekend of April 17, which was when the Salukis had their spring football game. The visit was key in his decision, as he was able to somewhat experience what gameday will be like in the fall.“My visit there was great, but different because it was during their spring game. So I actually got to see how they operate before the game, which was kind of like a game-day atmosphere. Also, getting to meet Coach Hill was cool (head coach Nick Hill), as I had a great conversation with him, and he is a super cool guy.”Committed‼️@SIU_Football @17NickHill @CoachEmoore @Dupage_Football @BataviaFootball @JUCOFFrenzy @ThePortalReport @JUCOInsiderRep @JuCoFootballACE pic.twitter.com/Q88WN3AXeB— Brandon Redmond Jr. (@Brandonred2442) May 18, 2026Winning The JUCO National ChampionshipThe College of DuPage has been on an incredible run the past few seasons, and last season, they won their fifth consecutive NJCAA Division III national championship. Redmond finished 2025 with nine tackles, one interception, and a quarterback hurry for the Chaparrals.“The season went really well, even though we had some guys leave. My true freshman year, I played mostly corner, but my sophomore year, they moved me to safety. Since I played both positions, I learned a lot. Teamwise, we are very close to each other, so when we had some bumps in the road, we pulled back in and still completed the main goal and won another national championship,” Redmond said.Out of Batavia (IL) High School, Redmond was originally a basketball player, then began playing football in his junior season. He did receive multiple Division II and NAIA offers before going the JUCO route. In addition to the Salukis’, he also had an offer from East Texas A&M, Division II programs Livingston College, Central State, Lane College, and Thomas More University.“The recruiting process went well. I was talking to a lot of schools, but I wanted to go somewhere where I could have a real opportunity to play. The offseason has been going well, as I have been back in my hometown working with my trainer, Chris, from Pro Force.”Follow FCS Football Central on social media for ongoing coverage of FCS football, including on X, Facebook, and YouTube.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow