NASHVILLE – Eastern Illinois football placed ten players on the preseason watch list announced on Tuesday (July 25), at the inaugural Big South – OVC Football Association Football Media Days in Nashville.
The ten team association also released its preseason predicted order of finish voted on by the league's head coaches with Eastern Illinois selected eighth in the poll.
The ten players named on the preseason watch list are
Juwon Farri,
Justin Thomas,
Chad Strickland,
Elijawah Tolbert,
Nick Coates,
Russell Dandy,
Stone Galloway,
Mark Aitken,
Cooper Willman and
Jack Valente.
Strickland and Aitken were in attendance representing the Panthers along with second year head coach
Chris Wilkerson.
EIU opens the regular season on Thursday, August 31 at Indiana State with the home opener on Sept. 16 against Illinois State. Season ticket sales and renewals are now available online at www.eiupanthers.com
The watch list highlighted players in the two leagues that have previously won All-League Honors (Big South Conference or Ohio Valley Conference) with some additional honorees having earned All-America honors.
Farri, a transfer running back at EIU, was the 2021 Big South Offensive Player of the Year and a three-time All-Big South selection while playing at Monmouth before joining EIU this season.
Thomas was a four-time All-MIAA selection at wide receiver and a D3 All-American at Albion College. He started the year at EIU in 2022 before an early season injury provided a medical redshirt opportunity.
Strickland was a second team All-OVC selection at offensive line last season and a 2019 Freshman All-American.
Tolbert was a first team All-OVC selection at linebacker last season for EIU.
Coates was a second team All-OVC selection at safety last year at EIU.
Dandy was a 2021 OVC All-Newcomer Team selection before missing last year with injury.
Galloway was one of the top kickers in the nation last season and earned first team All-OVC honors in 2022.
Aitken was a second team All-OVC selection last season at kick returner in addition to his play as a defensive back.
Willman was a second team All-OVC selection in 2022 at punt returner in addition to his play as a wide receiver.
Valente was a second team All-OVC performer at long snapper last season in addition to his versatile play on the offensive line which saw time at all three positions (center, guard, tackle).
As a team EIU was selected sixth in the OVC preseason poll. EIU's Big South-OVC opener will be against UT Martin on Oct. 7. Southeast Missouri was picked first with six first place votes. Gardner-Webb was picked to finish second followed by UT Martin and Tennessee Tech. Tennessee State was fifth and Bryant was sixth. Lindenwood and Eastern Illinois were seventh and eighth as the final two OVC schools in the poll. Charleston Southern and Robert Morris were ninth and tenth as the final two Big South schools in the poll.
