By Josh Aubrey, Statesboro Herald.
Georgia Southern has been known for its option-oriented attack since the program shot to prominence in the mid 1980s. When the Eagles have gone away from the option, it hasn’t gone well.
Landing Clay Helton as head coach in 2021 from Southern California was considered a huge move for Southern but it has yet to pay off with the success Eagles fans expect. With many weapons returning on offense and eight starters back on defense, the success of the 2024 team likely rests on the quarterback position, which Helton said won’t be determined until the end of fall camp.
“We have had postseason play in each of the first two seasons, and now we are ready to take the next step,” Helton said. “I felt like we were in position to win a conference championship last year but we fell short. These guys have a chip on their shoulder.”
After starting the 2023 season 6-2, the Eagles finished 6-7 overall and were tied for fifth in the Sun Belt Conference’s East division at 3-5.
Running backs Jalen White and O.J. Arnold provided power and speed. They also return two of their top three receivers and all five offensive linemen saw significant time last year. The defensive line is experienced and features two all-conference performers. Linebacker Marques Watson-Trent is the heart of the defense and could vie for defensive player of the year honors in the Sun Belt.
Offense
On offense the Eagles say goodbye to offensive coordinator Bryan Ellis, who left for Alabama. Helton has turned the reins over to former tight ends coach Ryan Aplin.
Georgia Southern loses quarterback Davis Brin, who was sixth in the nation with 3,781 yards passing. But Brin also led the nation with 19 interceptions, and the Eagles ranked 124 out of 130 D-1 teams in turnover margin, which is something that will have to change.
After two seasons of primarily drop-back quarterbacks, Helton is hoping that a little more diversity may help balance out the offense a bit, as a trio of dual- threat signal callers are battling it out for the starting quarterback spot.
Indiana University transfer Dexter Williams has started on the P-4 level. J.C. French transferred to Georgia Southern from Memphis, but saw limited playing time last season. Redshirt sophomore David Dallas is a three-star recruit, but hasn’t played football in two years due to injuries.
“It’s been really neat to watch the competition in the quarterback room,” Helton said. “They have all taken turns but it’s about which guy is playing the best in the moment. It’s going to be the guy who produces the most at the moment and we still have a way to go.”
One area the Eagles are strong is running back, where they return leading rusher White. White missed the last two games of the season, but had nearly 1,000 yards of total offense and scored 10 touchdowns. Arnold, a junior, is the lightning to White’s thunder and had more than 500 yards of total offense with four touchdowns.
The wide receiver room also is deep, led by senior Derwin Burgess, who was second on the team with 74 catches, going for 813 yards and a team-high six touchdowns. He’s joined by junior Dalen Cobb, who caught 40 passes for 601 yards and two scores, and Oklahoma transfer L.V. Bunkley-Shelton.
Defense
On defense, Brandon Bailey is the second defensive coordinator in as many years under Helton and got a late jump on the 2023 season. With a full year under his belt and some talented players returning, the defense expects to see improvement in 2024.
Marques Watson-Trent anchors a defense that was ranked No. 13 in the nation on stopping third-down conversions, but after a good start to the season, the Eagles defense gave up over 30 points per game.
Watson-Trent was a firstteam all-Sun Belt selection and an all-American honorable mention. He lines up alongside Davon Gilmore, who played in all 13 games with 13 tackles and 3 for loss. Marc Stampley is the nickel in Bailey’s defense and started 10 games in 2023 with 56 tackles.
Latrell Bullard is a 6-1, 340-pound defensive lineman (26 tackles, 3 for loss) who helps anchor a defensive line that returns all four starters. He is joined by Davion Rhodes (39 tackles, 5 for loss), Justin Rhodes (38 tackles, 13 for loss), and Isaac Walker (24 tackles, 8.5 for loss and 6 sacks.
T.J. Smith, who had 52 tackles and 3 interceptions a year ago, leads the Eagle secondary. Cornerback Dorian Smith is in his first year at Georgia Southern, having transferred from Northeast Mississippi CC where he had 22 tackles and an interception. The other corner is Kennesaw State transfer Chance Gamble. Safety Cam Williams transferred from Washington in 2022 and played in five games for the Eagles last year with 15 tackles.
Special Teams
On special teams, the Eagles lost starting kicker Michael Lantz after the spring, as he decided to transfer to Helton’s old team, the USC Trojans. The Eagles brought in a kicker through the transfer portal, as former Benedictine (Savannah) standout Gavin Stewart, who transferred from Georgia Tech. Stewart is a fifth-year senior who had 40 touchbacks on 62 kickoffs. The Eagles do return Aussie punter Alex Smith who averaged over 40 yards per punt, with 18 downed inside the 20yard line.
Newcomers
Among the top newcomers are Williams and tight end Tyler Fromm. Williams had two starts with the Hoosiers before a knee injury against Purdue ended his season. Fromm, the younger brother of former Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm, is a transfer from Auburn and at 6-5, 245 pounds provides size and pass catching abilities that could help the Eagles in the run-pass option.
The Eagles have talent, but the biggest question mark is who is going lead the offense on the field. The quarterback position being a three-man race could be concerning if there is no separation in the fall. Williams seems to have the biggest upside as he is the only one with real D-1 experience, but has had ACL surgery on both knees. The Eagles also have to prevent another late season swoon. They lost four of their last five games in 2022, and lost five straight to end the 2023 campaign.
“I feel like we have now had three recruiting cycles with not a lot of attrition,” Helton said. “I feel like we are three deep in each and every room right now.”