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Eastern Illinois head football coach Adam Cushing has announced the addition of six new players that have joined the Panthers program with the beginning of the spring term.  In total EIU will have eight new faces on the roster for spring practice with early signing period additions Steven Frank and Daniel Louma also attending classes this spring on campus.  
 
EIU has added offensive players Matt Judd, Eric Hoff, Justin Walker, Michael Jarosz and Desean Phillips along with defensive lineman Sean Morris.
 
2019 Early Signing Period Release
 
Matt Judd (Wide Receiver, 6-2, 185, Frankfort, Ill./Univ. of Illinois/Lincoln-Way East HS) – Played wide receiver for coach Rob Zvonar at Lincoln-Way East HS… transfer from Illinois following 2019 season where he was a member of the team but did not appear in any games… at Lincoln-Way East helped lead team to a 12-1 record as a senior catching 38 passes for 517 yards and six touchdowns… named to the All-SWSC Conference team as a senior… during last two seasons was part of program that went 26-1 including capturing IHSA Class 8A State Championship in 2017…
 
Eric Hoff (Wide Receiver, 5-7, 155, Pembroke Pines, Fla./Concordia College Chicago/West Broward HS) – Played wide receiver for two seasons at Concordia College in Chicago… as a sophomore caught 11 passes for 112 yards while averaging 18.2 yards per kickoff return… during freshman season caught 43 passes for 497 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 24.2 yards per kickoff return… played for coach Monte Dilworth at West Broward HS helping lead team to first district title… as a two-way player finished season rushing for 901 yards and eight touchdowns… on defense had three interceptions…
 
Justin Wallace (SuperBack, 6-5, 235, Albion, Ill./Western Illinois University/Edwards County HS) – Redshirted the 2019 season at Western Illinois… played for coach Joe Rivers at Edwards County HS helping the team advance to the second round of the IHSA Class 1A playoffs, the first time the school had advanced to the second round in school history… had 20 catches for 200 yards as a tight end… All-Black Diamond Conference performer in both football and basketball... scored 1,200 points as a four-year letterwinner in basketball… member of National Honor Society…
 
Michael Jarosz (SuperBack, 6-1, 255, Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North HS) – Played running back and linebacker for coach Joe Wardynski at Wheaton North HS… helped team post a 10-3 record as a senior advancing to the second round of the IHSA Class 7A state playoffs… second team All-DuKane Conference selection at running back playing primarily as a fullback/blocking back… rushed for 65 yards and two touchdowns during the season… attended Western Illinois in 2018 but was not a member of football team… transferred to EIU in fall of 2019 and joined team in spring 2020…
 
Desean Phillips (Running Back, 5-11, 210, Albertville, Minn./North Dakota State College of Science/St. Michael-Albertville HS) – Played 2019 season at North Dakota State College of Science leading the nation in rushing yards (1,306) and rushing yards per game (130.6) while finishing second among all NJCAA running backs with 16 touchdowns… had eight 100-yard rushing games during the season with a high of 209 against Minnesota West Community & Technical College… earned honorable mention NJCAA All-America honors while being named a first-team All-Region and All-Minnesota College Athletic Conference selection… prepped for coach Jared Essler at St. Michael-Albertville HS… named the District Offensive Player of the Year as a junior and senior… rushed for 1,608 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior after posting 1,198 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior… helped lead team to Minnesota Class 6A quarterfinals as a junior…
 
Sean Morris (Defensive Line, 6-3, 290, Lansdowne, Pa./St. Joseph (Hammonton, NJ)/The Peddle School) – Played 2019 season for coach Christopher Melleo at The Peddle Prep school in New Jersey helping school post an 8-0 record… helped anchor a defensive line that allowed just 8.8 points per game for the season with two shutouts… played high school football for coach Paul Sacco at St. Joseph in Hammonton, N.J… helped lead team to back-to-back State Championships in junior and senior year… posted 83 tackles with 35 tackles for loss… added eight sacks with four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two scoop and score touchdowns… earned first team All-Tri-County Conference as a senior despite playing out of position much of the year and missing two games… added some snaps at tight end and offensive line out of team need…