Eastern Illinois University Panthers Class of 2024 Early Signing Day Roster
My Take: In State Names from the EIU Class of 2024- Eastern Illinois and head coach Chris Wilkerson is coming off an impressive 2023 season as the Panthers posted a 8-3 record and finished ranked 24th in the nation in FCS. The Panthers fell a bit short of making the FCS playoffs as an at large but was in the discussions for several weeks leading up to the selection show. The EIU Panthers added 16 new names to it's early signing day roster and I would expect a few more names to be announced later in the February signing period as well. The Panthers stayed strictly on the high school recruits with this early class with 7 names coming from the State of Illinois.
Eastern Illinois Class of 2024 In State Signing Class of 2024
DB Dillon Conway 6-foot-3, 200 pounds Chicago Mount Carmel
DB Isaiah Houi 5-foot-10, 165 pounds Hononegah
OL Kewan Johnson 6-foot-1, 310 pounds Blue Island Eisenhower
OL Rahfeeq Katumbusi 6-foot-3, 312 pounds Chicago Mount Carmel
K Drew Schiller 6-foot-1, 164 pounds Lincoln Way Central
DL King Smith 6-foot-1, 311 pounds Decatur MacArthur
LB Jordyn Stewart 6-foot-0, 220 pounds Homewood Flossmoor
Which In State name has the best chance of becoming an impact player?
Keep a serious eye on both Mount Carmel signee's in S Dillon Conway along with OG Rahfeeq Katumbusi as two names who could find their way up the depth charts as soon as this coming summer. Dillon Conway is a rarity at really any level of football.....he's a tall lanky kid who has very good speed and cover abilities along with way above ball skills who could very well outgrow the safety position at EIU down the line. Conway, who played corner in 2023 has the frame and the look of a player who will add another 10-15 pounds over the next year or two and I can see him as more of a hybrid DE/OLB type. Again you won't see a ton of kids with Conways upside drop down to any FCS level schools.
Chicago Mount Carmel Rahfeeq Katumbusi is another name that could wind up making some big noise and a player who could develop into a longer term starter for the Panthers in my opinion. Rahfeeq has good size, great feet and strength and is a 300 pounder who can run and pull with the best of them. Rahfeeq was a multi-year starter for the state champion Caravan winning back to back state titles and he's played a ton of football at the highest high school level in Illinois. I've spoken to more than a few high level FCS and other FBS programs who thought they would have a chance at landing Rahfeeq as a PWO and gambled and missed landing him.
Sleeper EIU In-State Name in the Class of 2024?
Hononegah DB Isaiah Houi- Houi is a talented two way starter and a high level, twitchy athlete with impressive speed and burst who again has the ability to play on either side of the football. Houi was able to show over the past two seasons that he can hit with the best of them, has a very good nose for the football and also is a fluid athlete who back peddle ability and change of direction along with picking up the football is at a pretty high level. Houi still has some work to do including adding a bit more good weight and muscle but overall I like his ability along with his upside at the FCS level.
The One Who Got Away?
Eastern Illinois went in hard on a handful of in state names and went head to head with Illinois State on both Maine West OLB Ben Cooper along with Hoffman Estates RB Matt Lawson. Unfortunately for the Panthers the rival Redbirds came away with signed Letters of Intent from both Cooper and Lawson. However. did anyone think a year ago that EIU would be able to hang with, then beat on the field powerful FCS power Illinois State? The answer is no and look for EIU to have better days on the recruiting trail against its other FCS rivals especially with another winning season or two.
Overall Grade on the Eastern Illinois In State Class of 2024: B-
One of the best college football stories within the State of Illinois in 2023 was no question the sudden turnaround of the EIU Panthers. EIU, who was selected to finish 8th in the 10 team Ohio Valley conference in the preseason polls finished with an impressive 8-3 record and also a Top 25 finish. EIU for the last handful of seasons just seems like it was stuck in a rut football wise and wasn't able to break thru the upper half of the Ohio Valley conference. EIIU head coach Chris Wilkerson brought in a no nonsense approach and a blue collar work ethic and made it all come together in 2023.
The EIU Panthers are hopefully at the beginning of a new breakthrough for the football program. I like the talent level here in it's early Class of 2024 and it's pretty clear that the State of Illinois high school recruiting will be a priority....something at times wasn't always the case in the past at EIU. Much like the rest of college football and especially at the FCS level....the Panthers will need to constantly deal with recruiting and retaining it's own roster along with monitoring the transfer portal for upgrades and additions when they arise. EIU is still a challenging job for any head coach...the facilities are incredibly outdated and the school/Charleston is also in dire need of major investments and infrastructure both in the athletics and academic departments....something that living in State of Illinois sounds good but these days is much more smoke than fire.
Hopefully this is more than a one year deal for EIU and I like the direction they are heading with this class.
My Take: In State Names from the EIU Class of 2024- Eastern Illinois and head coach Chris Wilkerson is coming off an impressive 2023 season as the Panthers posted a 8-3 record and finished ranked 24th in the nation in FCS. The Panthers fell a bit short of making the FCS playoffs as an at large but was in the discussions for several weeks leading up to the selection show. The EIU Panthers added 16 new names to it's early signing day roster and I would expect a few more names to be announced later in the February signing period as well. The Panthers stayed strictly on the high school recruits with this early class with 7 names coming from the State of Illinois.
Eastern Illinois Class of 2024 In State Signing Class of 2024
DB Dillon Conway 6-foot-3, 200 pounds Chicago Mount Carmel
DB Isaiah Houi 5-foot-10, 165 pounds Hononegah
OL Kewan Johnson 6-foot-1, 310 pounds Blue Island Eisenhower
OL Rahfeeq Katumbusi 6-foot-3, 312 pounds Chicago Mount Carmel
K Drew Schiller 6-foot-1, 164 pounds Lincoln Way Central
DL King Smith 6-foot-1, 311 pounds Decatur MacArthur
LB Jordyn Stewart 6-foot-0, 220 pounds Homewood Flossmoor
Which In State name has the best chance of becoming an impact player?
Keep a serious eye on both Mount Carmel signee's in S Dillon Conway along with OG Rahfeeq Katumbusi as two names who could find their way up the depth charts as soon as this coming summer. Dillon Conway is a rarity at really any level of football.....he's a tall lanky kid who has very good speed and cover abilities along with way above ball skills who could very well outgrow the safety position at EIU down the line. Conway, who played corner in 2023 has the frame and the look of a player who will add another 10-15 pounds over the next year or two and I can see him as more of a hybrid DE/OLB type. Again you won't see a ton of kids with Conways upside drop down to any FCS level schools.
Chicago Mount Carmel Rahfeeq Katumbusi is another name that could wind up making some big noise and a player who could develop into a longer term starter for the Panthers in my opinion. Rahfeeq has good size, great feet and strength and is a 300 pounder who can run and pull with the best of them. Rahfeeq was a multi-year starter for the state champion Caravan winning back to back state titles and he's played a ton of football at the highest high school level in Illinois. I've spoken to more than a few high level FCS and other FBS programs who thought they would have a chance at landing Rahfeeq as a PWO and gambled and missed landing him.
Sleeper EIU In-State Name in the Class of 2024?
Hononegah DB Isaiah Houi- Houi is a talented two way starter and a high level, twitchy athlete with impressive speed and burst who again has the ability to play on either side of the football. Houi was able to show over the past two seasons that he can hit with the best of them, has a very good nose for the football and also is a fluid athlete who back peddle ability and change of direction along with picking up the football is at a pretty high level. Houi still has some work to do including adding a bit more good weight and muscle but overall I like his ability along with his upside at the FCS level.
The One Who Got Away?
Eastern Illinois went in hard on a handful of in state names and went head to head with Illinois State on both Maine West OLB Ben Cooper along with Hoffman Estates RB Matt Lawson. Unfortunately for the Panthers the rival Redbirds came away with signed Letters of Intent from both Cooper and Lawson. However. did anyone think a year ago that EIU would be able to hang with, then beat on the field powerful FCS power Illinois State? The answer is no and look for EIU to have better days on the recruiting trail against its other FCS rivals especially with another winning season or two.
Overall Grade on the Eastern Illinois In State Class of 2024: B-
One of the best college football stories within the State of Illinois in 2023 was no question the sudden turnaround of the EIU Panthers. EIU, who was selected to finish 8th in the 10 team Ohio Valley conference in the preseason polls finished with an impressive 8-3 record and also a Top 25 finish. EIU for the last handful of seasons just seems like it was stuck in a rut football wise and wasn't able to break thru the upper half of the Ohio Valley conference. EIIU head coach Chris Wilkerson brought in a no nonsense approach and a blue collar work ethic and made it all come together in 2023.
The EIU Panthers are hopefully at the beginning of a new breakthrough for the football program. I like the talent level here in it's early Class of 2024 and it's pretty clear that the State of Illinois high school recruiting will be a priority....something at times wasn't always the case in the past at EIU. Much like the rest of college football and especially at the FCS level....the Panthers will need to constantly deal with recruiting and retaining it's own roster along with monitoring the transfer portal for upgrades and additions when they arise. EIU is still a challenging job for any head coach...the facilities are incredibly outdated and the school/Charleston is also in dire need of major investments and infrastructure both in the athletics and academic departments....something that living in State of Illinois sounds good but these days is much more smoke than fire.
Hopefully this is more than a one year deal for EIU and I like the direction they are heading with this class.
