Eastern Illinois football opened fall camp this weekend as the Panthers prepare for the 2021 season which kicks off on Saturday, August 28 with a Week Zero contest at Indiana State.
As the Panthers returned to campus eight new faces joined the roster as transfers from other four-year schools as head coach
Adam Cushing opens his third season.
Joining the program are
Elijah Benoit,
Justin Growel,
Chris Katrenick,
Cam Mattox,
Logen Neidhardt,
Markenzy Pierre,
Tyler Ringwood and
Kobe Rodgers.
Benoit is a transfer defensive back from UCF where he was a three-year member of the Golden Knights program. He played in eight games in 2019 on special teams and as a back-up defensive back including appearing the team's bowl game win. He opted out of the 2020 COVID-19 fall season.
Growel is a transfer defensive lineman from Lake Erie College where he was a five-year member of the NCAA Division II program. He appeared in three games during the program's shortened COVID-19 season making 21 tackles. During the 2019 season Growel earned All-American honors with 69 tackles including nine sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss.
Katrenick is a transfer quarterback from Duke where he was a four-year member of the Blue Devils program. He appeared in five games as a back-up quarterback in 2019 and played in one game during the 2020 COVID-19 season before opting out the remainder of the year. He is originally from Algonquin, Ill., playing his prep football at Jacobs HS.
Mattox is a transfer defensive lineman from Northern Illinois where he was a two-year member of the Huskies program. He did not appear in any games during the shortened 2020 COVID-19 fall season. In 2019 he appeared in seven games as a back-up defensive lineman with a sack against Vanderbilt.
Neidhardt is a transfer punter from Ohio Dominican where he was a four-year member of the program. Neidhardt did not appear in any games during the COVID-19 spring season. In 2019 he earned honorable mention NCAA Division II All-American honors and was named the Great Midwest Conference Special Teams Player of the Year.
Pierre is a transfer running back from Syracuse where he played four seasons for former EIU head coach Dino Babers. He played in all 11 games during last fall's COVID-19 season as a back-up running back finishing the year with 48 yards. Pierre appeared in 36 games during his career with the Orange.
Ringwood is a transfer wide receiver from FBS member Charlotte where he was a three-year member of the 49ers program. He appeared in five games during the COVID-19 fall season catching nine passes. In 2019 he was the team's third leading receiver including five catches in the school's first-ever bowl game appearance.
Rodgers is a transfer defensive back from Gardner-Webb where he was a five year member of the Bulldogs program. During the shortened COVID-19 year he appeared in four games of GWU's spring season. In 2019 he had 45 tackles with two interceptions for the FCS program.
The Panthers will play the first three games this season on the road with the opener in Week Zero at Indiana State followed by games at Southeastern Conference member South Carolina and at Dayton. The home opener for EIU will be on Sept. 18 with a night game against Illinois State in the Mid-America Classic.
Additional home games this season will be Ohio Valley Conference contests against UT Martin (Oct. 16 – Hall of Fame Game), Tennessee State (Oct. 23 – Homecoming) and Murray State (Nov. 20 – Senior Day). The home opener against Illinois State will also be Family Weekend on campus.
EIU had two players –
Jason Johnson (linebacker) and
Matt Judd (kick returner) named to the preseason All-OVC team earlier this month.
