3 most dangerous Eastern Illinois players vs Illinois football

2. MJ Flowers (SO) – Running Back

I believe the strength of the Eastern Illinois offense isn’t going to be the quarterback position. While Pierce Holley is a solid passer, the Panthers will likely be relying on running back MJ Flowers.

Flowers is entering his redshirt sophomore campaign after a brilliant freshman year. He notched a spot on the first team All-Big South/Ohio Valley and made numerous freshman All-American teams.

On the ground, Flowers was extremely effective. He finished 2023 with 157 carries for 871 yards and eight touchdowns. That comes out to an impressive 5.4 yards per carry average.

• Best Attribute: Patience

There are a lot of things to love about Flowers on the field. He is quick and shifty, and he can get through a hole with a burst. But I would say his patience is the attribute that stands out to me.

Flowers has a Le’Veon Bell-type of patience. He can keep his feet moving but wait for a hole to open up, and then bust through that hole. He isn’t going to just go headfirst into a pile of linemen. This kid is really smart, and those smarts make him patient on the football field.

• Worst Attribute: Staying upright

There really aren’t any bad attributes to Flowers’ game. He is an impressive running back. But if I had to point anything out, it would be that he drops quickly when he gets hit.

Last season, Flowers checked in at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds. He was great at running back and was able to hit the holes with patience, but when he did physically get hit, he wouldn’t stay on his feet. He wasn’t great at taking a hit and getting a few more yards.

I do want to point out, that might change in 2024, though. Flowers has put on more weight. He checked in at 195 pounds in 2023, and now he is up to 220 pounds. That will make a huge difference in this one worst attribute.