There is an optimistic mood around the Georgia State football program as it opens spring practice on Monday and ever-upbeat coach Shawn Elliott is eager to continue building on the foundation his staff has created since his arrival in 2017.
The Panthers are fresh from their second bowl appearance in three seasons under Elliott and look to continue the upward trend set in 2019, when the Panthers went 7-6 – including an opening-day win over Tennessee – and battled through injuries to set a school record for most regular-season wins.
“It’s always critical to build a strong football program in the offseason, both mentally and physically,” Elliott said. “I think we’ve done that in the weight room. I think you’ve got to push your players to be the very best they can be at times. They don’t understand that, but our ultimate goal is to make them understand it.”
Elliott’s point of emphasis in the spring is effort. Players who don’t go all-out should not expect to play.
“I don’t expect to be perfect at spring practice. We’re going to fall down a lot,” Elliott said. “But the effort needs to be there and needs to be the first and foremost thing we talk about every day.”
Here are five questions for Georgia State’s spring workouts:
Who is going to be the starting quarterback?
The Panthers lost record-setting dual-threat quarterback Dan Ellington to graduation. He leaves a huge hole to fill, both on and off the field. Ellington ran for 668 yards and threw for 2,447 yards, despite playing the final five games with a torn ACL. And Ellington was without question the team’s emotional leader.
A lot of attention will center around incoming freshman Mikele Colasurdo, the South Carolina Gatorade High School Player of the Year, an early enrollee who will participate in spring drills. Colasurdo led his high school team to the state championship and accounted for 51 touchdowns (36 passing, 15 running) as a senior. He will be challenged by Cornelious Brown and Kierston Harvey, a pair of redshirt freshmen who each got their feet wet last year.
“I’ll handle it just like everything else,” Elliott said. “I’ll put in whoever can make plays and do the things necessary to put us in position to be successful.”
Can the Panthers replace all-Sun Belt running back Trae Barnett?
It’s never easy to replace a player like Barnett, who set a school record with 1,453 yards rushing in 2019 and had the durability (248 carries) that’s hard to duplicate.
But running back is a position for strength for the Panthers, where Destin Coates and Seth Paige both had 100-yard games in 2019. Coates ran for 546 yards and Paige ran for 405 yards before suffering a knee injury. Both will likely be key pieces this fall. Dawson Hill appears ready to emerge and join the mix, too.
“I think our skill position players are really where they need to be,” Elliott said. “And we’ve added some really good skill players in the recruiting process and that’s going to be fun to watch.”
What’s up with the offensive line?
This should be a team strength, as only all-conference left tackle Hunter Atkinson graduated. Spring will be a chance to identify his replacement and watch the group of left guard Shamarious Gilmore, center Malik Sumter, right guard Pat Bartlett and right tackle Travis Glover continue to get better as a unit. That group helped the team produce 440 yards of offense each game.
“We’re still looking for that guy to step in for Hunter Atkinson,” Elliott said. “There’s a few guys that can definitely do it, but the core of that group is back.”
Where are the biggest holes on defense?The Panthers lost some key defensive players, including inside linebacker Ed Curney, safety Remy Lazarus and defensive end Terry Thomas, as well as field-flipping punter Brandon Wright.
But Trajan Stephens-McQueen stepped forward when Curney was injured and led the team with 110 tackles. Dontae Wilson has been a rock at defensive tackle and end Hardrick Willis recorded a team-leading 4.5 sacks. Cedric Stone returned from a knee injury to play each game and playmaker Quavian White is back at cornerback.
Which newcomers are in camp?
In addition to Colasurdo, there are three other true freshmen in spring camp: Jonathan Brown, a 6-foot-4, 278-pound offensive lineman, tight end Kris Byrd and defensive back Jalen Tate. Brown and Tate were first-team all-state players in South Carolina.
Much interest surrounds defensive back Jamyest Williams, a Grayson High School product who spent two-plus seasons at South Carolina. Williams played 11 games for the Gamecocks as a true freshman, mostly at nickel, and eight in 2018 at safety before season-ending shoulder surgery. He only played four games in 2019, thus preserving his redshirt opportunity. The Panthers are still waiting to see if Williams will be immediately eligible to play.
Georgia State’s spring game will be April 3 at Georgia State Stadium.
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