Georgia Southern seemed destined to finish a season with less than six wins for the first time since 2021 before winning four of its final five games last fall, including a victory in the Birmingham Bowl.
The Eagles have been a consistent winner under head coach Clay Helton, who has led the team to bowl games four years in a row. They face an uphill battle if they’re going to extend the bowl streak and work their way into the Sun Belt title race this year.
Helton and his staff have to replace the majority of last season’s starters, including quarterback JC French IV, who threw for almost 6,000 yards and 38 touchdowns the past three seasons. The Eagles return just six full-time starters, and they’ll be relying on many of the 22 transfers that joined the program to make immediate impacts.
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Georgia Southern Season Preview
All six of the Eagles’ returning starters play on defense, which is good news for a team that gave up a conference-worst 458.5 yards a game. The bad news is the offense will be almost entirely new, which could spell trouble for a program that isn’t shy about throwing the ball 40 times a game.
Beware The Old Soldier
French engineered an offense that averaged more than 400 yards a game last season. He threw for 2,929 yards and 20 touchdowns, but he hit the portal and landed at Cincinnati.
It looks like the Eagles will turn to another strong-armed quarterback in Max Johnson, who is entering the seventh season of his college football career. The former four-star recruit began his career at LSU in 2020. He made stops at Texas A&M and North Carolina and transferred to Georgia Southern with 24 career starts.
Johnson has started games at every stop. He started all 12 games as a sophomore at LSU in 2021 and threw for 2,815 yards and 27 touchdowns. After transferring to North Carolina in 2024, he suffered a season-ending injury in the season opener and was granted a medical hardship waiver. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder started one game for the Tar Heels last season.
Sophomore Weston Bryan is also back after seeing time in all 13 games last fall, and 6-6 redshirt freshman Charlie Johnston is a dark horse to see playing time as well.
A New Set Of Weapons
The Eagles have to replace their top five receivers from last season, including Camden Brown, who finished with 1,079 yards and 14 touchdowns. They also have to replace leading rusher Omari Arnold, who posted 1,032 yards on the ground.
Taylor Bradshaw is back at receiver after he caught 16 passes and a touchdown last season, and Josh Dallas returns after seeing spot duty. They’re joined by a host of transfers: Andre Greene Jr. (Virginia), Kam Mikell (Colorado), Alex Taylor (North Carolina), Noble Johnson (Arizona State), King Phillips (Texas A&M Kingsville) and Ashton Hollins (Illinois).
There is some experience in the backfield. David Mbadinga, Jamarian Samuel, Terrance Gibbs and Bryce Baker all saw snaps last season. Mbadinga carried the ball 49 times, while Samuel showed a burst, averaging more than seven yards a carry.
Will An Experienced Defense Improve?
The Eagles gave up 32.3 points a game and a Sun Belt-worst 218 rushing yards a contest last season. They have some experience back at key spots, but there are holes to fill.
Linebacker Brandon Tyson should lead the unit after he finished No. 2 on the team with 87 tackles last fall. He’ll be joined by Rashon Myles Jr., a 2025 second-team FCS All-American, who posted 113 tackles for Abilene Christian last season. Wingate transfer Diego Aviles should also see snaps inside, while athletic edge rusher MJ Stroud returns after he led the Sun Belt with 15.5 tackles for loss and the team with 6.5 sacks last fall.
There are some veterans in the secondary. Cornerback Tracy Hill Jr. is back after he led the team with seven pass breakups last fall, and fellow corner Chance Gamble returns after missing most of last season with an injury. He was second-team All-Sun Belt in 2024.
Aaron Sears should step in at safety. He was a 2023 FCS All-American at Stephen F. Austin, where he played for current Georgia Southern defensive coordinator Mike Mutz. Jakyri Jones should also find a role after he posted 75 tackles at Southeastern Louisiana last season.
The defensive line will be anchored by 350-pound Latrell Bullard and 305-pound Elijah Fears.
Georgia Southern’s Breakout Candidate
WR King Phillips – The 6-1, 190-pounder was the Lone Star Conference Receiver of the Year after racking up a Texas A&M Kingsville-record 68 catches for 880 yards and five touchdowns last fall.
Georgia Southern’s Sun Belt Conference Championship Betting Odds
Georgia Southern’s college football betting odds to win the Sun Belt championship are +2200 on BetMGM. James Madison is the favorite at +250.
Georgia Southern’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
- Georgia Southern’s Over/Under win total is 4.5 games
- The Over is at -165
- The Under is at +140
2026 Georgia Southern Schedule
Sept. 5 vs. Charleston Southern
Sept. 12 at Clemson
Sept. 19 at Jacksonville State
Sept. 26 vs. Houston
Oct. 3 at Coastal Carolina
Oct. 10 vs. James Madison
Oct. 15 at Old Dominion
Oct. 31 vs. Appalachian State
Nov. 7 vs. Marshall
Nov. 14 at Georgia State
Nov. 21 at Troy
Nov. 28 vs. Louisiana Tech
Bold indicates Sun Belt games
Georgia Southern Season Prediction
I predict Georgia Southern will not win the Sun Belt championship. I predict the Eagles will win more than 4.5 games, but their ceiling may be five wins thanks to a brutal non-conference schedule and only getting five days between games against James Madison and Old Dominion.
The scheme should produce another high-powered passing attack as long as Johnson stays healthy. The question is which running back will carry the load?
The defense should be much improved, but it has to be better against the run and another pass rusher has to emerge to take pressure off of Stroud.
