Drake Van Hyfte gives Eastern Illinois an active, disruptive DL with real backfield juice
Van Hyfte has been a steadily productive interior defender for Eastern Illinois, posting 25 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack in the 2024 season after a 2023 breakout that led the team with 9 tackles for loss and included 3 sacks in the finale against Robert Morris.[1][5][6] At 6-foot-4 and roughly 280 pounds, he brings the frame and length to anchor the run game, while his late-season surge and ability to finish plays suggest a high-motor player who can fit well in a defense that values physicality and disruption.[1][5][6]
