The college football transfer portal officially opened on Jan. 2, and 29 Panthers were in that portal, leaving the EIU football team facing one of the most significant roster shake-ups in the tenure of head coach Chris Wilkerson.
This has left the program with major holes on both sides of the ball.
Eastern isn’t just losing numbers, it’s losing production.
Nine starters have entered the portal, including key offensive pieces such as a starting quarterback redshirt freshman Connor Wolf, who threw for 1,074 yards and eight touchdowns.
The Panthers also top running back redshirt junior Jay Pearson who finished with 48 attempts for 195 yards. They also lost redshirt junior wide receiver CJ Nelson who had 21 receptions for 379 yards and three touchdowns.
At tight end, redshirt junior Alex Herrera entered the portal having recorded 21 receptions for 222 yards. Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Kwan Johnson, who started all 12 games at left tackle, left the team, and rounding out the offense is captain and starting junior offensive lineman Nic DiSanto, a key piece to the line.
On the defensive line, junior Samuel Robles finished with 31 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks. From the linebacker room, graduate Jesse Garza departs after finishing with 23 tackles and three sacks. In the secondary, sophomore Isaiah Houi who finished with 60 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and one interception.
Initially when the portal opened, two key defenders entered. However, after consideration, and talks with Wilkerson, they are back on the 2026 roster.
Eastern’s top tackler, junior linebacker Ja’Wuan Nickson who put up a total of 95 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and two sacks was in the portal but is now back on the 2026 roster.
Nickson entered the portal and had one offer from Alabama A&M.
It was the same situation for Saipeti Maiava Jr., who recorded 60 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Maiava Jr. announced on his X account that he would be entering on the portal, but his name is back on the 2026 roster.
During the 2024 season, the program lost seven Panthers.
A year later, that number has nearly tripled, putting Eastern well above its recent norms for player movement.
Out of 106 players, Eastern Illinois has already seen 29 enter the transfer portal and 15 seniors depart, making its five current commits a small but needed start to rebuilding the roster.
But the question remains: How will Eastern fill out the rest of its roster?
For Wilkerson, the answer isn’t simple — and it isn’t quick.
As the transfer portal opens and departures pile up, the staff is balancing the loss of starters with the scramble to replace them before spring ball begins.
“Right now, the way college football is, we had 15 seniors graduate and we’ve had 25 or so players announce their intentions of entering the portal,” Wilkerson said. “Every time a player leaves, it’s an opportunity for us to try to improve. The goal is to improve the bottom of the roster, the middle of the roster and the top of the roster.”
Right after the end of the season, Wilkerson and his staff hold exit interviews with every player, regardless of age or graduation, to figure out how many roster spots must be filled.
Those interviews help determine who still fits the program moving forward, even if that means parting ways with players the staff feels may be better off elsewhere.
Wilkerson said the staff has spent months evaluating high school recruits, junior-college players, NAIA standouts and every Division I athlete who has indicated they’ll enter the portal once it officially opens.
“It’s the new norm,” Wilkerson said. “Last year our number was 55 new players to begin preseason. As of today, it looks like we’ll have at least 40 or 45 new faces this fall.”
With the transfer portal officially closed as of Jan. 16, the picture of that incoming group is coming into focus.
Eastern has welcomed 29 new players to the program, ranging across multiple positions and backgrounds, along with five freshmen who will make up the start of the 2026 recruiting class.
Throughout the three-week break from campus, coaches and staff hosted multiple players for official and unofficial visits to quickly identify, offer and sign players who fit the program’s needs.
But adding bodies isn’t the only concern. With so many newcomers cycling through each year, maintaining a consistent locker-room identity has become one of the program’s biggest challenges.
“Some coaches say you’re fielding a team instead of building a program,” Wilkerson said. “I refuse to buy into that. Is it more challenging? Yes. But creating culture is still absolutely going to be our goal.”
Inside the locker room, the sense of uncertainty is real. Players have watched nearly half the roster enter the portal, leaving gaps at almost every position and raising questions about what the team will even look like when spring ball arrives.
“Some of the guys who jumped in the portal did surprise me,” redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Trevon Piggee said. “There were players I didn’t think would leave. But at the same time, it didn’t surprise me because the portal opens every year, and some guys aren’t happy, whether it’s playing time or wanting to be closer to home.”
Those departures have created an offseason unlike anything most players have experienced. Returning starters now find themselves balancing their own development with the responsibility of keeping the group steady while the coaching staff works to rebuild the roster.
“With me being a starter already, I just have to keep doing what I’m doing and find ways to elevate myself so I can elevate everyone else,” Piggee said. “I’ve got to be someone they look to for answers and leadership.”
Payton Liggins can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].
