2014 Class Highlight Video

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois head coach Kim Dameron has announced the Panthers 2014 recruiting class which includes 15 players that will join the EIU program for the 2014 season.  

The class includes 13 high school players and two junior college players.  Dameron mentioned that the Panthers addressed some needs with this class as well as working on balancing a team that is currently heavy with juniors and seniors on its roster.  EIU will open the 2014 season on August 28 at Minnesota.

"We put a lot of hard work into this recruiting class and signed 15 guys.  We are excited about all of them," said Dameron.  "We addressed some needs that going forward we needed to address.  We are excited about the future.  We feel we signed a really athletic class and one that will reap benefits for EIU football for years to come."

EIU was 12-2 last season winning the Ohio Valley Conference regular season title with an 8-0 record.  The Panthers advanced to the FCS playoff quarterfinal round and were ranked No. 4 in the final poll of the year.

Dameron added two players late in the 2014 signing period with the addition of defensive players Dante' Bland and Timothy Wilkerson.

2014 EIU Football Class

Austin Askin (6-7, 270, OL, Louisville, Ky./Saint Xavier HS) Played for coaches Will Wolford and Mike Glaser at Saint Xavier HS… helped lead team to the Kentucky Class 6A state playoffs… played both guard and tackle positions during his career… played for the Kentucky All-Star team in the Border Bowl game with Tennessee… 

Tony Bradford (6-0, 225, LB, Suwanee, Ga./North Gwinett HS) Played for coach Bob Sphire at North Gwinett HS… helped team reach Georgia Class AAAAAA State Championship game as a senior… was a two-year starter battling injuries as a senior that limited him to seven games… made 32 tackles with one sack as a senior… dad Ronnie Bradford is the special teams coordinator at Louisiana Tech after playing ten seasons in the NFL including on the Atlanta Falcons 1998 Super Bowl team.

JoWahn Brown (6-3, 195, ATH, Matteson, Ill./Thornton Township HS) Played for coach Bill Mosel at Thornton Township HS… earned first team All-Area by the NW Times as a quarterback passing for 1,855 yards and 16 touchdowns (135-of-222)… on the ground he rushed for 487 yards and six touchdowns… first team All-Southwest Suburban Red selection… named to the Sun Times Top 100 list…

Bradley Dewberry (6-0, 185, SAF, McDonough, Ga./Eagles Landing HS) Played for coach Joe Teknipp at Eagles Landing HS… helped team post an 8-3 record advancing to the school's second-ever Georgia State playoff appearance… named 4A-AAAA Subregion Offensive Player of the Year as a quarterback… passed for 2,012 yards with 21 touchdowns completing 56 percent… rushed for 471 yards and 11 touchdowns on 111 carries… on defense made 51 tackles with five interceptions and 18 pass break-ups… returned one interception for a touchdown… maintains a 3.5 grade point average.

Jonathan Draper (6-1, 185, SAF, Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee HS) Played for coaches John Konecki and Jerry Verde at Crete-Monee HS… helped team go 14-0 as a junior winning IHSA Class 6A state championship making 72 tackles with four forced fumbles… Southtown Star second team All-Area as a senior with 90 tackles, two interceptions and two sacks… 

Ben Jones (6-6, 255, OL, Ocala, Fla./Belleview HS) Played for coach Phillip Yancey at Belleview HS… 3-year starter… recorded 16 pancake blocks as a senior offensive tackle earning Florida Football Magazine All-North Central Region honors… honorable mention All-County as a junior… played defensive tackle during career recording 62 tackles with two sacks…rated a two-star offensive line prospect by Rivals.com

Jeremy Joseph (6-6, 230, QB, Auburn, Ala./Lee-Scott Academy) Played for coach Robert Maddox at Lee-Scott Academy… was a three year starter at quarterback… as a senior was named All-Area first team passing for 904 yards with nine touchdowns… rushed for 483 yards with seven touchdowns… named AISA All-Star as a senior… also played defensive end with one sack and six tackles for loss as a senior.

Anthony Love, Jr. (6-2, 230, DE, Romeoville, Ill./Romeoville HS) Played for coach Jeff Kuna at Romeoville HS… IHSA Class 6A All-State selection after earning Southwest Prairie Conference Defensive MVP honors as a senior… recorded 80 tackles with 51 solo stops… had 7.5 sacks, 22.5 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles and one interception… two-time All-Conference selection… 

Brandon Matthews (6-2, 215, LB, Edgard, La./West St. John HS) Played for coach Robert Valdez at West St. John HS helping the team advance to the Louisiana Class 1A state semifinals as a junior and senior… named preseason New Orleans All Metro Team as a senior… played in Louisiana State All-Star game as a senior… returned one interception for a touchdown as a senior… had seven sacks and 68 tackles. 

Kevin Pickett (6-4, 275, OL, Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder HS) Played for coach Doug Ramsey at Elder HS… starter on the offensive line helping team reach the second round of the Ohio Division I State playoffs as a junior and senior… 

DySaun Smith (5-10, 155, DB, Lake Cormorant, Miss./Lake Cormorant HS) Played for coach Nick Nester at Lake Cormorant HS… helped team post a 6-5 record as a senior… finished year with 45 tackles, 2 interceptions, 12 pass break-ups and one tackle for loss… had one kickoff return for touchdown going 98 yards against Oxford HS… named second team All-Region..

Wilbert (Will) Vails Jr. (6-1, 180, SAF, St. Louis, Mo./De Smet Jesuit HS)… Played for coach Pat Mahoney at De Smet Jesuit HS… named first team All-Metro Catholic Conference as a linebacker two times… as a senior made 61 tackles with two sacks while scoring two defensive touchdowns… as a junior had 64 tackles with eight sacks and two interceptions… helped team advance to the second round of the Missouri Class 6A state playoffs as a senior.

Louis Vailopa (6-3, 315, OL, Honolulu, Haw./Saint Louis HS) Played for coach Matt Wright… earned first team All-State honors as a senior at offensive guard… helped team advanced to the second round of the state playoffs… blocked for a team that had a 2,000 yard passer and two running backs over 500 yards….named second team All-ILH as a junior.

LATE ADDITIONS TO 2014 CLASS

Dante' Bland (6-2, 260, LB, Clayton, Ohio/Northmont HS) Played for coach Lance Schnieder at Northmont HS… second team All-Conference… as a senior had 88 tackles with 25 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and three sacks… during junior season had 108 tackles with 14 tackles for loss… helped team advance to the Ohio State Division I playoffs as a senior finishing year with an 8-3 record… had 12 tackles in the playoff game…

Timothy Wilkerson (6-3, 220, DE, Katy, Texas/Katy HS) Played for coach Gary Joseph at Katy HS… rated the No. 88 defensive end prospect in the nation by Scout.com… helped team advance to the Texas State 5A D2 Championship game where they lost to Cedar Hill to finish the season at 15-1…  helped team win state title as a junior… first team All-District as a senior making 61 tackles with seven sacks… honorable mention Texas Class 5A All-State… first team All-District as a junior with 48 tackles and four sacks…

JUNIOR COLLEGE PLAYERS (YEAR INDICATES 2014 STATUS)

Thomas Coronado (6-5, 240, DE, Jr., Fresno, Calif./Edison HS/Fresno City College) Played two seasons at Fresno City College… earned California Community College All-Region I honors in 2013 after ranking second in the conference with ten sacks… finished season with 55 tackles and 13 tackles for loss…. first team All-North Division Valley Conference… during a 2012 played as a reserve with nine tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss… HIGH SCHOOL: Played high school football at Edison HS… appeared in area All-Star game as a senior.

Antoine Johnson (5-10, 175, CB, R-Jr., Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt HS/Nassau CC) Attended Nassau Community College in New York playing two seasons and redshirting the fall of 2013… as a sophomore made 24 tackles with four interceptions and five pass break-ups… returned one interception for a touchdown… played in four games as a reserve defensive back/special teams player… had four tackles with one pass break-up… HIGH SCHOOL: Played high school football at Eleanor Roosevelt HS