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Eastern Illinois football opens the 2024 season on August 29 at Illinois, the first of two games this season against Big Ten Conference schools.
 
The Panthers enter the 2024 season with three returners on the offensive line along with four other experience returners who have starting experience during their time at EIU.
 
"We have a great group of experience and depth coming back on the offensive line," said offensive line coach John Cannova. "Drew Wilder, Sebastian Pares, and Nic DiSanto played a lot of football together last fall.  I'm really excited to see this group take the next step. Replacing Chad Strickland will be a tall task, but we feel very confident with the guys competing for the job. The experience and leadership on the OL will make a for very competitive fall camp. Elkhanan Tanelus, Jack Valente, and Johnathan Arellano have played a lot of snaps over the last several seasons. And we are very excited about the development of Pan (Panayiotis) Mihalopoulos, Matthew Allen, Carson Fichtel, and Bryce Burnett."
 
Wilder, Pares and DiSanto started together nine times last season including five times making up the right side of the offensive line (center, right guard and right tackle).  Toss in three starts by Tanelus and six by Jack Valente last season and a very veteran group comes together for the Panthers to build around.  Tanelus has made 28 starts on the Panthers offensive line heading into his sixth season.  Valente has made 18 starts over the last two seasons while Arellano started two games in 2022 and was a top reserve last season.
 
Coming into the season Sebastian Pares was named to the preseason offensive line players to watch in the Big South/OVC after earning second team All-Conference honors last season.   DiSanto was a freshman All-American making nine starts at right tackle while Wilder started all 11 games at center. 
 
"Coming into his 2nd year at EIU, Sebastian Pares is looking to build on All Conference accolades last year. He worked extremely hard in the off season to improve and develop his strength and ability," added Cannova.  "Drew Wilder and Nic DiSanto have made great strides coming off last year. New additions to the room that could play big roles: Sandro Malicevic, Alejandro Arellano, and Joseph Solomon."
 
Malicevic and Arellano are both junior college transfers into the program while Solomon, the younger brother of former EIU offensive lineman Ben Solomon, is a FBS transfer.  
 
EIU looked to build depth for the future with the addition of incoming freshmen Connor Shelby, Rahfeeq Katumbusi, Kwan Johnson and Clint Chamley.  Those players will join returning redshirts Brennan Anderson, Noah Howard, Haven Hatfield and Rasheed Anderson to fill out the offensive line room.