EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHERS FOOTBALL
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Eastern Illinois University, established in 1895 in Charleston, Illinois, fields a 100-player football roster competing at the Football Championship Subdivision level within the Ohio Valley Conference. The Panthers represent a student body of 8,107 and compete during the fall season under the direction of head coach Chris Wilkerson. Playing from their home venue, Eastern Illinois maintains a program rooted in the institution's 129-year history as a regional educational institution in central Illinois.
Coach Wilkerson leads the Panthers through Ohio Valley Conference competition, a conference that has produced numerous FCS-level programs across the Midwest and Mid-South regions. With 100 athletes on the roster, Eastern Illinois balances depth and development within the constraints typical of FCS football operations. The program continues to draw from the university's enrollment base while competing against regional conference rivals for OVC championships and FCS playoff consideration.
KEY FACTS
| School | Eastern Illinois University |
| Sport | Football |
| Conference | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Division | D1-FCS |
| Location | Charleston, Illinois |
| Venue | Home Venue |
| Head Coach | Chris Wilkerson |
ROSTER (2025-26)
| # | Name | Pos |
|---|---|---|
| 89 | Kenny Ajose | WR |
| 83 | Taiye Ajose | WR |
| 70 | Alejandro Arellano | OL |
| 75 | Johnathan Arellano | OL |
| 5 | Surahz Buncom | WR |
| 20 | Chris Caldwell | RB |
| 72 | Brandin Carpenter | OL |
| 16 | Kevin Conway | QB |
| 33 | Micheal Curry Jr | RB |
| 54 | Nic DiSanto | OL |
| 7 | Blainey Dowling | QB |
| 76 | Dominic Fasano | OL |
| 65 | Carson Fichtel | OL |
| 28 | Jacarre Fleming | RB |
| 9 | Brady Ford | QB |
| 87 | Alex Ginnever | TE |
| 8 | Landers Green | WR |
| 67 | Dejan Guzina | OL |
| 71 | Jourden Hale-Frater | OL |
| 19 | Alex Herrera | TE |
| 79 | Aidan Hubble | OL |
| 69 | Kwan Johnson | OL |
| 74 | Rahfeeq Katumbusi | OL |
| 22 | Charles Kellom | RB |
| 3 | Cole LaCrue | QB |
| - | Jesse Lajes | RB |
| 73 | Chuck Lanier | OL |
| - | Zeke Lewis | RB |
| 38 | Max Loveall | WR |
| 77 | Sandro Malicevic | OL |
| 81 | Chase McConnell | TE |
| 82 | Joe McNab | TE |
| 57 | Panayiotis Mihalopoulos | OL |
| 88 | Trayvon Moore | TE |
| 80 | Carlyun Neal | WR |
| 2 | CJ Nelson | WR |
| 1 | Jay Pearson | RB |
| 84 | Jeremy Reeves | WR |
| 4 | Quenton Rogers | WR |
| 6 | DeAirious Smith | WR |
| 78 | Joseph Solomon | OL |
| 30 | Joey Sprinkle | TE |
| 58 | Dante Thompson | OL |
| 86 | Jack Tremblay | WR |
| - | Jerry Addo-Boateng | DB |
| 4 | Moses Alexander | DB |
| 60 | Aidan Archibald | DL |
| 51 | Steven Arteaga | LB |
| 3 | Daniel Autrey | DB |
| 16 | Reed Blake-Thomas | LB |
| 29 | Kham Boecker | S |
| 27 | Josh Brown | S |
| 41 | Kennyan Chandler | LB |
| 55 | James Collins | DL |
| 36 | Dillon Conway | S |
| 91 | Knowledge Davis | DL |
| 35 | Isaac Engle | DL |
| 90 | Gerliaer Ervin | DL |
| 94 | Tyler Fortis | DL |
| 1 | Tylan Foster | LB |
| 8 | Tienne Fridge | S |
| 49 | Jesse Garza | LB |
| 37 | Taylor Goodson | S |
| 93 | Isaiah Hare | DL |
| 12 | Salah Hill | DB |
| 6 | Isaiah Houi | DB |
| 39 | Davian Humphrey | LB |
| 0 | Alton Jefferson | DL |
| 32 | Cale Kimbro | LB |
| 21 | Kaleb Lyons | DB |
| 20 | Saipeti Maiava Jr | S |
| 43 | Tovie Martin | DL |
| 7 | Jihad McCall | S |
| 92 | Tyler Miller | DL |
| 2 | Bruce Mitchell | DB |
| 5 | Ja'Wuan Nickson | LB |
| 14 | Le'Javier Payne | DB |
| 99 | Kefa Pereira | DL |
| 9 | Trevon Piggee | DL |
| 19 | Phoenix Porter | LB |
| 50 | Jett Reese | LB |
| 40 | Isaiah Richardson | S |
| 44 | Samuel Robles | DL |
| 97 | Tray Ross | DL |
| 25 | Christopher Sharp | DB |
| 52 | Barron Sholl | DL |
| 96 | Cole Silzer | DL |
| 53 | King Smith | DL |
| 34 | Jordyn Stewart | LB |
| 56 | Christian Takatch | DL |
| 45 | Caden Telleson | LB |
| 95 | Drake Van Hyfte | DL |
| 59 | Brock VanDeveer | LB |
| 46 | Nico Carrier | PK |
| 98 | Brett Galletti | LS |
| 85 | Jefferson McKinnon | LS |
| 13 | Mason Miller | P |
| 61 | Ruben Popoca | PK |
| 42 | Aaron Rice | P |
| 47 | Drew Schiller | PK |
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Illinois Football ProgramsFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What conference does Eastern Illinois Football compete in?
- Eastern Illinois Panthers Football competes in the Ohio Valley Conference conference at the NCAA D1-FCS level.
- Where does Eastern Illinois play football home games?
- Eastern Illinois Football plays home games at Home Venue in Charleston, IL.
- Who is the head coach of Eastern Illinois Football?
- The head coach of Eastern Illinois Panthers Football is Chris Wilkerson.
- When was Eastern Illinois Football program established?
- The establishment date for Eastern Illinois Football is not currently available.