Eastern Illinois football kicks off the 2022 season in nine weeks with the opener on Thursday, Sept. 1 at Northern Illinois. With summer workouts currently underway, head coach Chris Wilkerson has bolstered the Panthers roster with the addition of 12 players with seven transfers and five high school players.
The OVC will hold its football media day on Tuesday, July 19, returning to an in-person event in Nashville. The home opener for EIU will be on Saturday, Sept. 10 against Chattanooga.
Season ticket renewals and sales are now ongoing at www.EIUPanthers.com/FBTickets with in-person sales and renewals available by phone or in-person at the EIU ticket office starting July 5. Single game tickets go on sale on Monday, August 1. This season’s home slate includes games against Chattanooga, Northwestern State, Lindenwood (HC), Tennessee Tech and Southeast Missouri.
Listed below are the new additions to the 2022 EIU roster.
2022 February Recruiting Class Story Link
2021 December Recruiting Class Story Link
HIGH SCHOOL ADDITIONS
Jason Gleyzer (TE/LB, 5-10, 190, Fr., Highland Park Ill./Highland Park HS)
Played for coach David Lindquist at Highland Park HS… earned All-Area honors at linebacker as a senior… was named first team All-CSL North as a senior… began prep career at Stevenson HS in Lincolnshire… older brother Ivan is an offensive lineman on the Panthers team…
Ty Schultz (RB, 5-10, 195, Fr., Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township HS)
Played for coach George Czart at Lockport Township HS… rushed for more than 1,200 yards and 22 touchdowns during senior season helping lead team to IHSA Class 8A State Championship… team finished season with a 13-1 record… in the State Championship Game rushed for 231 yards and two touchdowns as team won state title with a 24-6 win… named All-Area and first-team All-Southwest Suburban League as a senior…
Mike Smith Jr. (DB, 6-0, 170, Fr., Rockford, Ill./Guilford HS)
Played for coach Buzz Bazsali at Guilford HS… played both wide receiver and defensive back during his career… also ran indoor and outdoor track at Guilford competing in the 100 meter and 200 meter sprints… father Mike Smith was a defensive back at Eastern Illinois in the early 1990’s…
Brody Rankin (OL, 6-3, 310, Fr., Charleston Ill./Charleston HS)
Played for coach Jerry Payne at local Charleston HS… was both an offensive and defensive lineman during career… named second team All-Apollo Conference at offensive line as a senior… as a junior helped lead team to a 4-2 record in COVID shortened spring season marking first winning season for the program in ten years…
Rasheed Anderson (OL, 6-5, 360, Fr., Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick HS)
Played offensive and defensive line for coach Matt Battaglia at Fenwick HS in Oak Park… helped lead team to a 12-2 record as a senior including winning the IHSA Class 5A State Championship… paved the way for a balanced offensive unit that averaged 39.4 points per game and 464 yards per contest… named All-Chicago Catholic League selection…
SUMMER TRANSFERS
Ryan Brown (DL, 6-1, 275, Sr., Dunkirk, Md./Northern HS/Univ. of Maryland)
Attended the University of Maryland where he was a four-year member of the track & field program and two year football member… did not appear in any games during the 2020 or 2021 season with Maryland… as a prep athlete won three Maryland State championships in football at Northern HS and was the state champion in the shot put…
Foday Jalloh (LB, 6-2, 220, Jr., West Lawn, Pa./Wilson HS/Central Connecticut State Univ.)
Was a four-year member of the Central Connecticut State Football Team… appeared in only five games in 2021 overcoming early season injury… finished year with eight tackles and one pass break-up… had a five tackle performance at Duquesne… was a second team All-Northeast Conference selection in 2019 playing in 13 games… led team with 81 tackles including 8.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, a forced fumble, one interception and six pass break-ups… had a season high 11 tackles against Bryant with a pair of ten tackle games against Saint Francis (Pa.) and Eastern Michigan… as a freshman in 2018 played in 11 games making 19 tackles… finished year with two sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble… was a high school athlete at Wilson HS… was an All-Area selection making more than 200 career tackles in his varsity career…
Alex Oyawale (LB, 6-0, 220, Jr., Murrieta, Calif./Vista Murrieta HS/Riverside City College)
Was a three-year member of the Riverside City College football team… as a sophomore in 2021 played in seven games making 19 tackles… added one pass break-up and one fumble recovery… helped team post a 10-3 record, advancing to the CCCAA State Championship Game… as a freshman in 2019 played in seven games making ten tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss… helped team post a 13-0 record winning CCCAA State Championship… as a high school athlete lettered in both football and track at Vista Murrieta HS… had 41 tackles with six sacks as a senior in football… as a track athlete advanced to the CIF Southern Sectional…
Terence Simon Jr. (DL, 6-1, 275, Jr., 6-1, 275, Inglewood, Calif./Cathedral HS/Cerritos College)
Was a member of the Cerritos College football team during the 2021 season… played in 11 games finishing season with 35 tackles… added six tackles for loss and two sacks… helped team post a 6-5 record including a win in the Western State Bowl to cap the season… first two seasons of junior college career were at El Camino College including the canceled 2020 COVID season… as a freshman in 2019 appeared in ten games… had three tackles with a quarterback sack and tackle for loss… played high school football at Cathedral HS in Los Angeles… was named All-Angelus League as a senior… was team’s MVP rushing for 861 yards and 16 touchdowns as a running back… also lettered in track & field…
Justin Thomas (WR, 6-1 190, Sr., Wixom, Mich./Walled Lake Western HS/Albion College)
Was a four-time All-MIAA selection while playing at Albion College… as a senior earned D3football.com All-American honors after hauling in 67 passes for 1,113 yards and 14 touchdowns… was named the MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and first team All-Region selection… helped lead Albion to a 9-2 record including an appearance in the NCAA Division III football playoffs… capped career as all-time Albion leader in touchdown receptions (39) and receiving yards (2,602) with 162 overall receptions… as an All-State performer in high school at Walled Lake Western HS…
Luke Wagner (DL, 6-4, 230, So., Washington, Pa./McGuffey HS/Santa Barbara City College)
Played one season at Santa Barbara City College… appeared in nine games during the 2021 season making 18 tackles… added 1.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss… helped team post a 7-4 record advancing to play in the Chick-fil-A Winter Festi-Bowl… attended McGuffey HS lettering in both football and baseball… earned All-Conference honors in football…
Dom Shoffner (QB, 6-1, 210, Sr., Cary, N.C./Middle Creek HS/UNC Charlotte)
Was a two-year member of the Charlotte football program… missed 2021 season due to injury… appeared in four of six games during the 2020 COVID shortened season… rushed for 101 yards while going 2-of-4 on pass attempts for 32 yards and two touchdowns… was a C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal recipient… began collegiate career at North Carolina Central passing for 350 yards in six games… added 128 yards rushing… transferred to play at Monroe College and was named the Conference Player of the Year after passing for 2,488 yards and 27 touchdowns… helped lead team to an 8-3 record, NJCAA National ranking and appearance in the Salt City Bowl… was a dual-threat quarterback playing at Middle Creek HS… tossed for more than 5,300 yards and 66 touchdowns in two varsity seasons while adding 23 rushing touchdowns…
