Georgia State College Football Preview, Best Players, Top Transfers, Season Prediction, Win Total 2024

Georgia State Panthers Preview 2024

New Georgia State head man Dell McGee isn't taking on anything easy.

The Sun Belt has become so even and so good that every week is a fight. Last year’s Panther team got to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl game and beat Utah State, but that came off a five-game losing streak in a run of nine straight games - including LSU - against teams that went bowling.

But it was a winning season - the fourth in five years. This year’s schedule is a wee bit lighter, but it’s still going to be a fight considering everything the program has to deal with.

How’s this to welcome in the new guy? Five straight road games in the middle of the season, and six in seven weeks.

If that’s not nasty enough, McGee has to deal without the team's top receiver (Robert Lewis to Auburn), top running back (Marcus Carroll to Missouri), top offensive lineman (Montavious Cunningham to Virginia Tech), top corner (Bryquice Brown to Boston College) and longtime star quarterback (Darren Grainger to graduation).

Give former head coach Shawn Elliott his due - now gone to be the South Carolina tight ends coach - he managed to win despite a few of problems. And don't feel too sorry for McGee just yet. He brought in a ton of transfers to throw options at all the holes on both sides of the ball, but ...

Georgia State Preview 2024: Offense

- The offense that lost a ton of talents and parts has to find something that works. Last year’s attack was the best in the Sun Belt on third downs, but it fizzled late in the season with a three-game stretch scoring just 14 points in each.

The line wasn’t all that bad in pass protection, but had a rough time keeping defenses out of the backfield. There’s an overhaul with the transfer portal helping the left side and some movement happening on the other three spots around OG Trevor Timmons.

- Losing star RB Marcus Carroll stings, but bringing in CJ Beasley from Coastal Carolina should ease that up a little. The bigger problem for the Sun Belt’s top ground game is the loss of QB Darren Grainger - he finished second on the team with 736 yards and ten scores. Georgia Tech transfer Zach Gibson is a veteran who can throw, but he’s not a runner.

- The receiving corps should be okay. Tailique Williams was a strong No. 2 who now has to step up in a bigger role. The same goes for the 6-3 Cadarrius Thompson and 64 Ja’Cyais Credle - they go from role players to major factors now.

Georgia State Preview 2024: Defense

- A bit like the offense, the defense went from good early on to disastrous late. It got it back in the end, but it needs to get back the consistency after having too many problems on third downs and struggling too much against the pass.

- The secondary should be better. Gavin Pringle is a decent veteran corner, and Georgia Tech’s Kenyatta Watson is a promising veteran on the other side. Jeremiah Johnson is an all-around baller of a safety, and there’s good depth to fill out the other spots.

- The pass rush has to come from somewhere. Edge rusher Kevin Swint is fine, and Justin Abraham might lead the team in tackles from his outside linebacker spot, but the from three has to do its part. There’s not a ton of mass inside, but there should be a good rotation to let the transfers coming in for the end to work.

Georgia State Key To The Season

Keep that running game moving.
The ground attack took a dip from pass seasons and it was still dangerous. Freddie Brock ran for over 300 yards in four games, and CJ Beasley should crank up the yards, but over 2,000 of the 2,445 yards and 24 of the 25 rushing scores are gone. The system will have to make the parts work, and vice versa. That’s why …

Georgia State Key Player

OT Kyrie Mason, Jr.
The offensive line that did such a great job at pounding away has to be better at keeping down the tackles for loss. There’s work to be done to get this front five to gel, and it starts with needing the 6-3, 290-pound transfer from Monmouth to be solid at left tackle. If he’s okay, the rest of the line should come into place.

Georgia State Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss

Top Transfer In: QB Zach Gibson, Sr.
There’s just enough experience to come in and be a factor, but he still has to prove himself as a full-time starter. He threw 16 touchdown passes over three years at Akron, and last year got in a little work at Georgia Tech. It’s his fifth season playing college football - he’s being given the key to the Georgia State attack.

Top Transfer Out: RB Marcus Carroll, Sr.
The Panthers should be okay in the offensive backfield, and losing top receiver Robert Lewis to Auburn might be the biggest hit, but Carroll was a 1,350-yard, 13-touchdown rusher who caught 23 passes as one of the main playmakers in the attack. Now he’s off to Missouri.

Georgia State Key Game

Georgia Southern, Sept. 28
The Panthers get the rivalry game out of the way in the first battle of the Sun Belt season. They won three in a row in the series before getting rolled 44-27 to start a rough losing streak.

This time around this should be one of those games Georgia State needs in the first month of the season considering what’s to come

Georgia State 10 Best Players

1. Jeremiah Johnson, S Sr.
2. Tailique Williams, WR Sr.
3. Kevin Swint, LB Sr.
4. CJ Beasley, RB Sr.
5. Zach Gibson, QB Sr.
6. Josiah Robinson, LB Jr.
7. Henry Bryant, DT Jr.
8. Gavin Pringle, CB Sr.
9. Trevor Timmons, OG Jr.
10. Liam Rickman, PK Soph.

Georgia State 2023 Fun Stats

- 2 Point Conversions: Opponents 3-for-3, Georgia State 0-for-1

- Punt Return Average: Opponents 11.9 yards, Georgia State 2.3 yards

- 2nd Half Score: Opponents 223, Georgia State 141

Georgia State 2024 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen

Again, as mentioned before, Georgia State usually finds a way to work its way through the weeds to get just enough wins to come up with a strong season.

This time around it’s going to be tough, and it's not because of the coaching change.

There are way too many lost parts, way too many things to fix, and way too many road games over the second half of the season to do anything amazing.

And it’s not like any of the four straight road games are down the road, and that fifth game in six weeks is at Texas State.

Can it all come together fast to win at home against Vanderbilt? How about taking care of Georgia Southern, Old Dominion, or and of the eight games against Sun Belt teams that went bowling last year?

And how about a winnable game against UConn coming on the road in the midst of the storm?

The Panthers will find a way to get to four wins, and they’ll push through against someone to get a fifth, but it’ll come down to the regular season finale against Coastal Carolina to get that sixth and a bowl bid.

Set The Georgia State Win Total At … 5.5

Likely Wins: UT Chattanooga

50/50 Games: Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Old Dominion, at Texas State, at UConn, Vanderbilt

Likely Losses: at Appalachian State, at Georgia Tech, at James Madison