After playing in bowl games in four of the previous five seasons, Georgia State went 3-9 under new head coach Dell McGee last fall. It was the Panthers’ fewest wins in a season since 2018.
The most glaring of the team’s many deficiencies was a defense that gave up 33.8 points a game, which ranked No. 13 in the 14-team Sun Belt Conference. The Panthers surrendered 210.3 rushing yards a contest, which ranked No. 12 in the league, and 418.7 total yards a game, which ranked No. 11.
Returning starters are going to have to step up on both sides of the ball, and a host of new faces are going to have to make an immediate impact on defense, but McGee and company believe a record-setting recruiting class and some key additions via the transfer portal can put Georgia State back in the hunt for a bowl game this fall.
The Panthers signed 29 players during the early signing period last December, marking the program’s largest recruiting class in its history. It’s also the highest-ranked class in program history, sitting atop the Sun Belt, according to 247Sports. Georgia State added four more players in February. The class is highlighted by four-star wide receiver Derrick Avery Jr.
Georgia State Football’s Sun Belt Title Betting Odds
Georgia State’s odds to win the conference are +5000, via BetMGM.
Georgia State Football’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
- Georgia State’s win total Over/Under is 3.5 games.
- Under 3.5 is at -110.
- Over 3.5 is at -110.
Georgia State Football’s 2025 Schedule
- 8/30 @ Ole Miss
- 9/6 vs. Memphis
- 9/13 vs. Murray State
- 9/20 @ Vanderbilt
- 10/4 vs. James Madison
- 10/11 vs. Appalachian State
- 10/18 @ Georgia Southern
- 10/23 vs. South Alabama
- 11/8 @ Coastal Carolina
- 11/15 vs. Marshall
- 11/22 @ Troy
- 11/29 @ Old Dominion
Bold indicates Sun Belt contests
Key Georgia State Football Returners
2024 All-Sun Belt 2nd Team
WR Ted Hurst
Honorable Mention
DL Henry Bryant
LB Damaine Wilson
Georgia State Football 2025 Preview
The Panthers head into season No. 2 of the McGee era with more questions than answers. How many transfers will make an immediate impact at key positions? Can quarterback Christian Veilleux better protect the ball? Who will carry the load in the backfield? Can the defense improve enough to keep the team’s postseason hopes alive?
Veilleux Must Limit Turnovers
Veilleux, who began his career at Penn State and spent 2023 at Pitt, made an impact right away in his first season with the Panthers. He played in 10 games last season and led the team with 2,047 passing yards and 13 passing touchdowns.
The 6-foot-5 sixth-year senior had some highlights last season, including a four-touchdown performance in Georgia State’s upset of Vanderbilt and three touchdown passes against Texas State. Veilleux also struggled to protect the ball, throwing 11 interceptions.
He needs to cut that number in half if the Panthers are going to get to bowl eligibility, which comes with six wins.
Will Hurst Get Some Help?
Wide receiver Ted Hurst burst onto the scene at Georgia State last season. After transferring in from Valdosta State, he led the Panthers with 56 catches and 961 yards, and he set a program record with nine touchdown catches. Two of those came against Vanderbilt, including the game-winner with 15 seconds left in regulation.
The 6-3 senior will probably be the leading pass catcher again this season, but he needs some help, especially after the team’s second-leading receiver, tight end Dorian Fleming transferred to Maryland.
Hurst should get some help from a trio of transfers, including Javon Robinson, who was the 2023 SWAC Freshman of the Year at Grambling State and led the Tigers with 43 catches for 507 yards last season. Georgia State also added Leo Blackburn (Georgia Tech) and junior college transfer Jaylin Marshall.
Which Transfer RB Will Emerge?
Last year’s leading rusher, Freddie Brock, transferred to Oklahoma State, so McGee and his staff turned to the portal to replace him.
Georgia State added former Georgia running back Branson Robinson, a former four-star recruit who missed most of the past two seasons with injuries. The program added another former four-star recruit in South Carolina’s DJay Braswell.
The Panthers also brought in a pair of well-traveled backs. Jordon Simmons is joining his fourth team since 2020, and Rashad Amos is joining his seventh squad since 2020. Amos spent last season at Ole Miss and signed with Memphis this spring before transferring again. Simmons led Akron with 664 rushing yards last season. He signed with Ole Miss this spring before hopping back in the portal.
Georgia State’s Defense Should Improve
The Panthers have some key players back on the defensive front, including versatile defensive lineman Henry Bryant, who was No. 2 on the team with four sacks last season.
Georgia State also returns two experienced linebackers. Josiah Robinson was No. 2 on the team last fall in tackles (63) and tackles for loss (seven), and ranked third on the team with 3.5 sacks. Damaine Wilson earned honorable mention All-Sun Belt honors last season with 39 tackles and an interception as a true freshman.
The Panthers will have plenty of new faces in the secondary thanks to the transfer portal, including cornerbacks Bernard Causey III (LSU) and Tyler Scott (Auburn).
Georgia State Football Season Prediction
I predict Georgia State won’t win the Sun Belt Championship and will go Under 3.5 wins.
The Panthers are counting on a lot of new players to fill key roles on offense and defense. They also have to deal with a daunting schedule, which pits them against Ole Miss, Memphis, and Vanderbilt in three of their first four games. And I haven’t even mentioned their tough Sun Belt slate, which includes James Madison, Marshall, Appalachian State, and Georgia Southern.
