Georgia State Football loses EVERYONE

© Matthew Dobbins-USA TODAY Sports

One of the worst things about being a Group of Five school is each season the big universities come and poach your talent. We see this every season so it's nothing new, but the amount of adversity the Georgia State Panthers will have to go through this off-season and throughout the 2024 football season is CRIMINAL!

In this off-season alone, the Panthers have lost quarterback Darren Grainger (multiple school record holder), one-thousand-yard rusher Marcus Carroll, and leading receiver Robert Lewis. Just to name a few.

Georgia State Football - Horrific chain of events

With the departure of Shawn Elliott, this leaves the Panthers in a desperate attempt to rush into hiring the next Head Coach. With this vacancy, the University has been forced to push back their spring practices (which just started Tuesday, February 13th) and their spring game. This means the entire team will be going into next season with less preparation than most schools if not every school.

Then we still have a 30-day window for the kids who have not left to now decide if they should jump ship to a more stable program. Currently, Georgia State is 131st in returning production for the 2024 season, and depending on if more players leave now, they could fall EVEN FURTHER! An already low 32% can quickly fall in the twenties to take over last place in the entire country.

Georgia State Football - Must Contain Composure

The last thing Georgia State can afford is to lose composure in this situation. For a team that has consistently been competitive in the Sun Belt Conference, hiring too quickly or too late can ruin these next few seasons. However, keeping a familiar face in charge can be a game-changer for the better, someone who has been with the team and the players along with the staff can trust and believe in. Northwestern just did this same thing last season when they hired David Braun which took the Wildcats to an eight-win season including a bowl win over Utah.

Or if needed, there is a closer instance of this same thing right here in the Sun Belt where South Alabama moved Major Applewhite to Head Coach after spending time as the Offensive Coordinator.

The worst case scenario is you hire from within and lose a few games; the best case scenario is you elevate one of these coordinators and they push your program over the top and win some conference championships. The world knows Atlanta breeds playmakers!