2012 EIU Signing Class  |  Coach Babers Opening Statement  |  Recruit Highlights  |

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois head coach Dino Babers announced his first recruiting class as the Panthers signed ten players to letters of intent on national signing day.  Babers was hired as the 22nd head coach in EIU program history on Dec. 9, 2011. 

Babers signed recruits from five different states as the former Baylor assistant and his staff made their first reach into the state of Texas in addition to a strong Midwest class.  The Panthers have three players from the state of Texas in this year's class that includes balance on both sides of the ball.  EIU is signing five defensive players and five offensive players.  Included in that group are a pair of offensive lineman, pair of wide receivers and a defensive back from Hawai'i.

“We are excited about this class.  There is no question that with the amount of time we had to work on it and where we ended up that it was a great job by the assistant coaches on this staff,” Babers said.  “I want to commend two gentlemen, Kendal Butler and Jake McNair.  I thought these guys were the key to the class.  They both committed to EIU early and remained loyal to us in this process.  They were the first two people to jump onboard and start to believe in what we are going to build here.”

EIU will open the 2012 season on Thursday, August 30 against Southern Illinois.  Babers and his staff will conduct their first spring football practices in April with the spring game tentatively set for Saturday, April 28 at O'Brien Field.