CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern Washington quarterback Eric Barriere is returning for one final season.
After the Eags lost to North Dakota State in the FCS Playoffs last season, there was speculation Barriere might transfer to a different school. The signal caller told KREM 2 on Friday he never entered the transfer portal.
He'll have one more year with the team after each athlete was granted another season of eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He has his eyes set on big goals.
"I'm very excited," he said. "Hopefully I can win some awards, win some championships, I'm trying to do something special this year and go out with a bang."
The quarterback finished runner-up for the Walter Payton Award last season which is given to the best offensive player at the FCS level. Barriere was chosen as a First Team All-American by a few organizations.
He threw for 2.439 yards and 19 touchdowns in seven games last season.
He's calling this final season "The Encore". He's excited to put on for the Eags fans one more time.
"It's an honor," Barriere said. "Eastern is my second home. I grew up a lot, became more of an adult here. I definitely enjoy being at Eastern."
Barriere was named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week three out of a possible six times last season. No other Big Sky player has achieved that honor in 2021 more than once. Barriere was also named the STATS Perform National Player of the Week honor once last season.