Eastern Illinois men's basketball head coach Marty Simmons has announced the addition of guard Kyle Layton to the Panthers 2025-26 roster.
 
Layton (6'0" / 175) is familiar with the Ohio Valley Conference having spent the past two seasons at OVC member Tennessee Tech.  Layton started 30 games last season for the Golden Eagles after making 14 starts his freshman season in 2023-24. 
 
Last season he averaged 8.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.  He knocked down 61 3-pointers finishing the year ranked eighth in the league in 3-pointers made.  Layton posted 14 double figure scoring games including a season-high 20 points at Tennessee State.   As a freshman he appeared in all 31 games averaging 4.4 points per game.  He earned OVC Freshman of the Week honors one time during the season.  Layton had five double figure scoring games his freshman campaign with a season high 14 points against Eastern Illinois.
 
"Kyle is someone that our coaching staff has been familiar with as we watched him on film and in games over the last two years at Tennessee Tech," said Simmons.  "He is a veteran guard that brings great experience and maturity with his time in the league.  We are happy to have him join our EIU basketball family."
 
Layton was born in McKinney, Texas and attended high school at Mountain Brook High School in Alabama.  He missed most of his senior season due to injury after averaging 14.9 points, 3 assists and 3 steals per game as a junior.  Layton returned for the final few weeks of his senior season and helped lead his team to an Alabama Class 6A runner-up appearance falling in the state title game.   He earned All-Suth Metro Third Team honors and his team reached the regional finals during both his sophomore and junior seasons.