Eastern’s graduate quarterback Pierce Holley was named the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference preseason offensive player of the year among poll of the two leagues’ coaches.
In the 2023 season, Holley finished the season playing 11 games with 240 completions out of 394 attempts for 2,741 yards. Holley also recorded 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
“We’ve just been preparing this last spring and summer, and I’m excited to get after it,” Holley said.
After leading the team to a final record of 8-3, Holley helped the team produce one of the biggest turnarounds within the FCS and was named a Second Team All-Conference member at the end of the 2023 season.
“It was humbling, but preseason stuff doesn’t really matter,” Holley said. “At the end of the day, we’re still preparing every day, and we still need to work.”
Ten other Panthers have been listed in the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference association’s preseason poll among coaches on players to watch.
There are 43 days until the start of the football season for the Panthers.
Coming off of an 8-3 season and being named the 2023 Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Eastern’s head coach Chris Wilkerson is excited for the season to start.
“It’s an exciting time of the year,” Wilkerson said. “As we get closer to the reporting date on the [July] 28th and closer to that first opportunity on [August] 29th, [I’m] just really really really excited to see where we’re at. We put in a lot of hard work, and we have to continue to work.”
Here are the other Panthers players named.
MJ Flowers
The redshirt sophomore running back was one of many key factors from the Panthers.
Throughout the 2023 season, Flowers rushed for more yards than three opposing team’s offenses (McNeese, TSU, Robert Morris).
Flowers was also named the Offensive Freshman of the Year as well as being named a First Team All-Conference member.
Eli Mirza
The senior wide receiver transferred to Eastern from Sierra College in Sacramento, California.
Mirza ended the 2023 season scoring four touchdowns in 11 games. Mirza also recorded 61 receptions for 721 yards which led to three of his four touchdowns throughout the season.
Mirza was also named a First Team All-Conference member along with Flowers.
Anthony Manaves
The graduate tight end has played all six years with the Panthers.
Manaves played in all 11 games, recording one touchdown throughout the season. Manaves also recorded 31 receptions for 264 yards, with his longest reception being 31 yards.
Sebastian Pares
The graduate offensive lineman played all 11 games throughout the 2023 season as both left and right guard positions on the offensive line.
Along with Holley, Pares was also named a member of the Second Team All-Conference team at the end of the 2023 season.
Joel Barrows
The graduate defensive lineman was a key factor for the Panthers defense.
Barrows recorded 15 solo tackles and 17 assisted tackles in the 2023 season. Barrows also recorded three force fumbles and four sacks for 20 yards.
Along with his statistics from last season, Barrows was named a member of the Second Team All-Conference team at the end of last season along with Holley and Pares.
“I feel good about the recognition, but I think the body of work the team is looking to put out is more important,” Barrows said.
Elijawah Tolbert
The senior linebacker started in all 11 games for the Panthers, and he let the team and tackles throughout the season as he recorded 87 tackles. Tolbert ranked fourth in the conference with that statistic.
Tolbert transferred to Missouri State for the spring before transferring back to Eastern soon after.
Along with Flowers and Mirza, Tolbert was also named a First Team All-Conference team.
Kaleb Lyons
The junior defensive back just transferred into the program from Morehead State University.
Wow, at Morehead State, Lyons earned third All-American honors by the Associated Press at the end of the 2023 season. Lyons finished the season with 34 total tackles and six interceptions.
Jacob Horvath
The sophomore punter played in all 11 games throughout the season as the starting punter for the Panthers.
Horvath averaged 38.2 yards per pint with his longest pun of the season going for 57 yards.
Mark Aitken
The graduate defensive back was not only a safety for the Panthers, but he was also a kick returner throughout the 11-game season.
Aitken recorded 16 attempts for 326 yards with his longest return being 52 yards.
Jack Valente
The senior long snapper played in nine games throughout the 2023 season.
Although Valente didn’t play in every game, he solidified his spot as long snapper throughout the 2023 season.
The Panthers were also predicted to finish in second place in the conference behind the UT Martin Skyhawks.
Both Eastern and UTM were part of the first four out for the 2023-2024 playoffs.
Last season, UTM and Gardner Webb University shared the Big South-OVC championship. Gardner Webb was the only program that got a spot in the playoffs from the conference.
Behind UTM and Eastern, Southeast Missouri (SEMO) and Tennessee State (TSU) round out the top four predicted by the association.
SEMO’s senior inside linebacker, Bryce Norman, was selected as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
The second half of the reigning conference champions, Gardner Webb, is predicted to finish in fifth place.
Gardner Webb has a full staff that is in their first year with the program under head coach Cris Reisert. Reisert came from Tiffin University located in Tiffin, Ohio where he ended with a 40-11 record after five seasons.
“It’s an exciting time at Gardner Webb,” Reisert said. “It’s a state of transition, obviously taking over a program, but we’re really optimistic about where things are at.”
Charleston Southern University, Tennessee Tech University, and Lindenwood University are predicted to finish sixth, seventh, and eighth respectively in the conference.
The newest team in the conference, Western Illinois, is predicted to finish in last place.
Western Illinois will be coached by former Eastern quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator Joe Davis.
Davis left the Panthers after the 2023 season to take the job as the 32nd head coach in the Leathernecks’ program history.
Davis has been in Macomb for a little over seven months, and he’s already seeing some similarities between players from the Leathernecks and the Panthers.
“Nate [Lamb] is someone that I give a lot of credit to,” Davis said. “He’s probably grasped our offense as quick as any quarterback I’ve ever had. He has a lot of similar traits to Pierce Holley. They are very similar players based on how they play the game.”
Lamb, a senior quarterback from Tulare, California played seven games last season. Lamb went two for six in passing for 20 yards.
“I’m a competitor,” Lamb said. “I’m someone who’s going to go out there and give it everything I have. I can play from the pocket, and I can move a little bit, so I just think being versatile for the team and being able to make plays is what I bring [to the table].”
As fall camp is quickly approaching, the Panthers are still in good spirits and want to continue their strong season from last year into the upcoming season.
“Last year, we had a really good turnaround, and this year it’s all about taking the next step and leaving no doubt on the field,” Panther defensive lineman Tre’Jon Lewis said.
“I’m super excited for the year,” Pares said. “I think we are fixing a lot of holes we had last year that’ll push us forward and extend a playoff run.”
Eastern will start their season against the University of Illinois-Champaign at Memorial Stadium on August 29 at 8 p.m.
Zaria Flippin can be reached at 581-2812 or zhflippin@eiu.edu.
