The starting lineup that Georgia State will field in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is going to look very different than the one that took the field in the regular-season finale Nov. 25 against Old Dominion. A series of defections, transfers and injuries will offer long-awaited opportunities for a lot of different players at numerous positions.
Georgia State will be missing a dozen players from its two-deep roster when the Panthers play Utah State on Dec. 23 in Boise, Idaho. That includes transfers such as running back Marcus Carroll (Missouri), wide receiver Robert Lewis (Auburn), right tackle Montavious Cunningham (Virginia Tech) and cornerback Bryquice Brown (Boston College). Also opting out were linebacker Jontrey Hunter and left tackle Travis Glover, who are working toward a professional career and don’t want to risk injury. Center Avery Reese is out with an injury.
“In the day and age of the transfer portal, I think everybody’s aware of who we’ve lost and what we have to do, so this preparation is very important for us,” Georgia State coach Shawn Elliott said. “You can complain about it, but you have to engage in it and make the most of it.”
One of the newcomers in the spotlight will be running back Freddie Brock, who will replace Carroll. Brock transferred to GSU last spring after spending three seasons at Maine and had only six carries all season, for 31 yards.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to take advantage of the opportunity and live in the moment,” Brock said. “It’s been kind of a humbling year for me, coming from Maine and being the guy and coming here and watching the next guy do what I used to do. Now I’m ready to take advantage of the opportunity and show what I can do.”
Brock has been waiting for a chance. He rushed for 1,145 yards during three seasons at Maine and was named to the Colonial Athletic Association’s all-conference team in 2021, when he ran for 720 yards. This season he carried only six times for 31 yards because Carroll (274 carries for 1,350 yards) and quarterback Darren Grainger (135 carries for 625 yards) accounted for 88.2% of the team’s rushing attempts.
Brock’s best game in his limited time came against Marshall, when he carried twice for 19 yards, including a 12-yard run. He should get more opportunities in the bowl game, which has become almost an audition for 2024.
“It’s definitely a chance for me to stamp my spot for next year,” Brock said. “You’ve got to work for the starting spot regardless, but it will give me a better opportunity to show what I can do in this game going into next year.”
The Panthers will have two new tackles in senior Ben Chukwuma, who came to GSU as a walk-on from Campbell High School, and sophomore Trevor Timmons, a transfer from the University of Charlotte. Elliott said Chukwuma has been “on the cusp of being a starter” and said Timmons “has done a nice job developing as well.”
Elliott said, “Those are three guys right off the top of my head that are ready to go out and there and show them they can get the job done.”
The same scenario exists on defense, where three of the six players on the two-deep roster in the secondary left to seek greener pastures. The timing isn’t great against a Utah State team that likes to throw it around.
“It’s been like that all offseason,” all-conference cornerback Gavin Pringle said. “Coach tells us all the time, because certain people aren’t here, we still have to keep it rolling with the young guys. They’ve been locked into meetings and locked into practice, so as long as we’re on the same page and everybody knows what’s going on, I think we’ll be fine.”
The school’s equipment trucks headed to Idaho on Friday, and the team flies to Boise on Tuesday. It will be the first trip to the Rocky Mountain region for most players on the team, and the idea of playing in the snow is on the mind of everyone – some more than others.
Elliott said, “I wish it would snow a foot. Honestly, when they announced the bowl site, I was like, please, I want it to snow – 12, 16, 18 inches – because you talk about something that will energize a football team, especially our group here. If it’s 35 and there’s some snowfall, we’ve got a group that will probably go crazy to get out there on the field.”
Slow your roll, Coach, said Grainger, a South Carolina native more accustomed to beach weather. “Not during the game, but I would like to see it while I’m out there,” he said. “I heard they may be doing something in the snow for the team and that would be fun.”
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