Jonathan Ifedi has earned a reputation for stability at Georgia State. He knows where he’s supposed to go, when he’s supposed to be there and what he’s supposed to do.
And he does it.
“I have a lot of respect for any young man who can handle his business the way Jonathan Ifedi has done since we’ve been here,” Georgia State coach Shawn Elliott said. “You can call him ‘Steady Ifedi,’ because that’s who he is.”
Hearing that news bring joy to Ifedi, a senior who plays wide receiver. He was taught by his parents to be dependable, “so people don’t have to worry about you,” he said. There are other more high-profile receivers on the roster, but Ifedi is content with his supporting role. He simply wants to be prepared when he gets an opportunity.
“I just want to be ready to make a play when my number is called,” he said.
It has happened before. At the 2017 Cure Bowl, Ifedi learned before the game that he would be stepping in for the injured Penny Hart. He responded with a career-high six catches for 56 yards in the win over Western Kentucky.
“I shocked myself with some of the plays I had,” he said.
Ifedi has 45 career receptions for 454 yards, a 10.1-yard average. He is still looking for that first touchdown.
He would like for that to come Saturday when the Panthers travel to play Charlotte, Ifedi’s hometown. Normally it would be an opportunity to play before his family and friends, but the game will be conducted without fans.
“It’s going to be excellent to go back,” he said. “I wish we had fans, but I know they’ll be on the outside pulling for me. I love being able to go home.”
Ifedi is one of four North Carolina natives on the Georgia State roster, along with linebacker Trajan Stephens-McQueen, linebacker T.J. Smith and kicker Noel Ruiz.
Reviewing Brown’s debut: Redshirt freshman Quad Brown received passing marks for his debut as starting quarterback. He completed 22 of 39 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown and ran 15 times or 64 yards and one touchdown. When the defense was on the field, Brown spent a lot of time listening to former GSU quarterback Dan Ellington, now an assistant coach and easy to spot on the sideline with his red shirt.
“I thought he played an exceptional ballgame,” Elliott said. “All in all, he was very productive, a good leader out there for us, stayed calm in the pocket and did the things we needed to win.”
Brown’s lone interception did not hurt the Panthers. Brown missed a couple of reads on the triple option and had a poor third-down throw on overtime.
“Moving forward, what a great opportunity to be a really good quarterback for a lot of years,” Elliott said.
Kudos for White: Cornerback Quavian White was added to the weekly honor roll for the Paul Hornung Award, which recognizes versatility. The junior had seven solo tackles, intercepted a pass, broke up two passes, returned a kickoff for 22 yards and totaled 17 yards on two punt returns.
About the Charlotte game: Kickoff will be at noon Saturday. The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU and heard locally on WRAS-FM 88.5. The all-time series is tied 1-1. Georgia State won the last meeting 28-0 in 2017.
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