7 Realistic Goals for the Panthers

By: Mac Brown, @SSN_GSU

As promised, the fourth stop of our countdown has arrived. Just like last week, this list isn’t in ascending or descending order, but rather a comprehensive list. This time around the countdown will go over seven realistic goals for Georgia State in 2025. These goals aren't exactly the loftiest, but they’ll still take some serious improvement to reach. If most of the goals are accomplished this season, the Panthers will be more than trending in the right direction. If most fall short, it could be another long year on Hank Aaron Drive. Finding themselves somewhere in the middle might not be acceptable either. First on the list…

1. Go Bowling Again

   
   

Georgia State’s football program was founded in 2010 and found itself at the FBS level by 2013. In those twelve years of being at the Bowl Subdivision level, Georgia State has gone bowling SIX times. The Panthers have a record of 4-2 in those games winning their first bowl game against Western Kentucky in their second attempt at the Cure Bowl. Georgia State is tied for eighth all-time in NCAA history for bowl game winning percentage. Four of the schools ahead of them in this category have played in less bowl games than GSU. Whether you want to admit it or not, when it comes to bowl games, GSU gets it done.

What is the result when you have a history of making six bowl games in your first twelve years at the FBS level, and winning four of them? Expectations. No one necessarily felt full confidence this time last year that first year head coach, Dell McGee, would take the Panthers bowling. It’s hard to say that may not be the expectation for this season though. With having a full offseason, a full recruiting class, and a full list of expectations, CDM and the Panthers will need to find themselves at least fighting for a bowl game come the end of November to feel like this season was any level of a success. If CDM can lead the Panthers back to a bowl, it would solidify a building block for him and this program. The schedule will be tough yet again but there’s plenty of reason to believe that the Panthers can find six wins along the way.

2. Have a Top 50 Rushing Attack Again

   
   

As previously covered in this countdown, under HC Shawn Elliott, GSU had one of the better rushing attacks in the entire country. It took him a couple of seasons to establish it, but once he did, there was no looking back. The Panthers finished in the top 40 five consecutive seasons, with four of those seasons falling in the top 25. In Elliott’s final game as the head man, the Panthers walloped Utah State for 386 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The Panthers won that game 45-22. Last year, the Panthers finished 92nd in rushing yards and never had solidified rushers in the backfield like in years past. CDM was a running backs coach for UGA. He understands the importance of establishing a run game and what it can do for a team. All signs point to GSU reestablishing itself.

How can this be done? How about having a backfield that’s arguably the most talented in the conference. The Panthers will trot out two former 4-star running backs, a P5 transfer, a top-level P4 transfer, and one of the highest rated recruits in school history. There will truly be no shortage of talent nor any shortage of desire either. If Cameran Brown or PJ Hatter are to end up the starter at quarterback, the rushing attack could be even more lethal. Panther fans have seen in the past with QBs like Darren Grainger and Quad Brown, that having a dual-threat player can really open up the running lanes for everyone. Georgia State will look to control as much as it can week to week and the best way to do that is establishing a reliable rushing attack. They have the pieces, now it’s time to see if they can complete the puzzle that is the 2025 college football season.

3. Have Multiple First Team All-Conference Players on Both Sides of the Ball

   
   

Since 2019, GSU has had eight players named to the All-Sun Belt First Team. Those nine players are Hunter Atkinson (2019), Tra Barnett (’19), Shamarious Gilmore (’20 & ’21), Noel Ruiz (’20), Antavious Lane (’21), Jamari Thrash (’22), Travis Glover (’23), and Marcus Carroll (’23). The Panthers had zero first teamers last season. Having players named to the All-Sun Belt First Team on both sides of the ball has only had twice before in school history. In 2015, the Panthers fielded All-Sun Belt First Teamers QB Nick Arbuckle, WRs Robert Davis and Penny Hart, and DB Tarris Batiste. In 2016, Robert Davis was again named to the First Team and was joined by teammate DB Bobby Baker. Arbuckle threw for 4,368 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2015. Both still stand as single-season records for GSU and his 4,368 yards are good for 64th all-time in NCAA history for single-season passing yards. Arbuckle sits ahead of guys like Kyler Murray, Cam Ward, and Robert Griffin III when it comes to this stat. Hart lead the conference in receiving yards in 2015 and then Davis did in 2016. Batiste had 100 combined tackles and 4 interceptions in 2015. Needless to say, these guys certainly earned their selections.

The Panthers have a great shot of doing something they haven’t done since 2016 and have a first teamer on both sides of the ball. Barring any injuries or anything of that nature, Ted Hurst should be a shoo-in for All-Sun Belt First Team at WR. Hurst was named to All-Sun Belt Second Team last season with 56 catches for 961 yards and 9 touchdowns. It’s safe to say he should surpass all these numbers no matter who the QB may be for the Panthers. Who could join Hurst on the First Team this year? Any one of the previously mentioned talented RBs could make it. Having one the QBs on the roster breakthrough and have a huge year isn’t completely out of the realm of possibility too. The likeliest of outcomes though is that he’s joined by one of, if not both, anchors up front in Mason Cook or Alec Johnson. Cook and Johnson will play huge roles in the Panthers offense this season and if GSU returns to a style of play previously seen in Downtown Atlanta, they could be shoo-ins as well.

On the defensive side, there’s guys with the potential to be named All-Sun Belt First Team at all levels. In the secondary you have guys like Deuce Walker and D’Icey Hopkins that could have breakthrough seasons. Up front you have dudes like Fuches Lewis II and Henry Bryant who will wreak havoc week in and week out. Cam Williams blitzing off the edge could have a huge year. Really, so many options to look at and yet the guy with the highest chance of making it will be a second year player. Sophomore Inside Linebacker, Damaine Wilson, very well could end up being the best player on the team this season. He’s already being named to preseason All-Sun Belt Teams and that will only continue. He’s a vocal leader in the locker room who leads with his play as well. Wilson is poised for a huge year, and he just may get the deserved recognition come season end.

4. Have the School’s First All-American

   
   

GSU has had players in the past be named to Honorable Mention All-American, Freshman All-American, and others. However, GSU has never had a First Team All-American be named to any list for any publication. 2025 could be the year where that changes. Ted Hurst is going to have a monster year for the Panthers. Hurst entered the transfer portal last offseason but was quickly swayed back to Atlanta and decided to stay at GSU. He could’ve gone almost anywhere in the country and made an immediate impact. His impact will now be felt by every opponent of the Panthers this upcoming season.

Hurst had two games last season where he only had one reception and two other games where he only had two. He’ll need to avoid games like this if he’s to be named a First Team All-American. His stretch from Week 2 to Week 10 last year saw his average sit at 4.8 receptions per game, 83.7 yards per game, and 1 touchdown per game. This is likely good enough for All-Sun Belt First Team but wouldn’t come close to All-American type numbers. Hurst will need to have a much bigger year than last year, but he should be able to accomplish that. The three consensus First Team All-American receivers from last year were Tetairoa McMillan from Arizona, Nick Nash from San Jose State, and Xavier Restrepo from Miami. Hurst finished with more touchdowns than McMillan, more yards per reception than Nash, and only 13 receptions less than Restrepo. It’s worth mentioning too that Restrepo had eventual number one overall draft pick in the NFL Draft, Cam Ward, throwing to him and McMillan had a QB who had previously won the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year. Nash had two quarterbacks throwing to him throughout the season by design and eventually lead the nation in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Hurst had two quarterbacks throwing to him last season and it was not by design. With a more stable situation at QB, Hurst should shine, and the sky is truly the limit.

5. Beat App State

   
   

Georgia State has accomplished a lot in it’s short time of existence but one mountaintop the program has yet to reach is besting the Mountaineers of Appalachian State. GSU is 0-11 against App State with an average margin of victory of 23.8 points. Only twice has the game ended within one possession. There’s no sugarcoating it, App State has completely owned the Panthers, no matter who the head coach is. To take the next step as a program, and compete for conference championships regularly, GSU will have to get the “Mountaineer off their backs”. They will look to do just that in 2025.

One of the two aforementioned one possession games came last year when the Panthers fell short 33-26 in Boone, NC. GSU took the lead with 6:39 left in the fourth quarter on a 39-yard Liam Rickman field goal. With just under two minutes, now Tennessee QB Joey Aguliar hit his receiver from four yards out to take the lead for good. The closest the Panthers have ever gotten to victory against the Mountaineers ended in heartbreak. But there’s certainly potential to use last year’s game as a catalyst to win this year’s contest. App State is projected to finish 8th in conference by ESPN and has just as many question marks as anyone else in the Sun Belt. The opportunity is for the taking for the Panthers and time will tell if they’re able to get it done.

6. Play Impressively in Oxford

   
   

The title of this list is “Realistic Goals for the Panthers”. So, with that said, expecting to beat an expected top 25 team in Oxford, MS is not exactly realistic. What could be realistic for GSU though is playing competitively and impressively. Due to how many question marks the Panthers will have themselves, there’s really so many different things that could happen for them to play “impressively”. Keeping the game within three scores and being in the same ballpark of offensive yardage would be huge for the Panthers and would certainly reach the status of impressive. GSU’s rival down south went into Oxford last season and lost 52-13. If GSU can go into Vaught-Hemingway and leave with a closer result than that, it’s safe to say most Panther fans would be satisfied. Whether it’s on the offensive or defensive side of the ball, establishing any level of success will help the Panthers tremendously in getting off to a hot start like they did last season. With G5 power, Memphis, coming to Center Parc Stadium the next week it will be imperative for the Panthers to figure out something while in the Magnolia State. And if the Panthers are able to pull off the improbable, it’ll be the hottest start in school history.

7. Lay a Foundation of Success for the Program Under McGee

What would laying a foundation of success for the program look like in Year 2 under CDM? Winning an additional game or two from last year when the Panthers went 3-9 would hardly cut it as a success. The only real way for the Panthers to say they had a successful year in 2025 is to return to Bowl Season, and maybe even win one. It won’t be easy to do, but playing in the Sun Belt East is never going to be. Other programs are trying to get better just as much as GSU is. Every win will have to be earned at this level. Looking at the schedule, six wins are doable. If the Panthers are able to return to the glory land, the foundation it could potentially lay for the program would be exponentially more important than winning any lower-level bowl game. CDM has shown he can recruit, even after winning just three games. Being able to add a bowl win to his resume will only increase the level of recruit he’s able to pursue. CDM has all the potential to become a legend for this university and 2025 could be a year to remember.