Season Review Georgia State Panthers
As the 2025 college football season nears its conclusion, let’s take a look back at where the Georgia State Panthers shined, fell short, and what’s on the horizon in 2026.
It was easily a season to forget for the Georgia State Panthers, finishing with a 1-11 record for the second time in school history and their worst season since 2018, where they ended up just 2-10. The team also missed bowl eligibility for a second straight season under head coach Dell McGee, who has a 4-20 record in two seasons with the Panthers.
The Georgia State defense never really got going, finishing in the bottom five in all FBS for total defense at 130th. Where the Panthers struggled the most was stopping the run, allowing 208.1 yards per game on the ground and 31 rushing touchdowns. Despite this, they were able to keep it close with the eventual Sun Belt champion JMU in a low scoring affair where they lost by just one score, 14-7. The defense had better luck in shutting down opponents’ passing attacks, finishing just outside the top 100 in FBS for passing yards allowed.
Final.#LightItBlue | #NewAtlanta pic.twitter.com/YHq4eOHYT6
— GSU Football (@GeorgiaStateFB) October 4, 2025
Georgia State’s secondary was headlined by the safety duo of junior D-Icey Hopkins and sophomore Jaylen Jones. Hopkins notched 34 solo tackles with a sack and five passes defended while Jones tallied the same number of tackles while adding an interception, forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Junior linebacker Josiah Robinson was the top performer for the Panthers, tallying 96 total tackles to grab a tie for him at 53rd in all FBS. He also chipped in two sacks on the season as well.
It was a similar story for the Georgia State offense that saw three different quarterbacks at the helm this season. Christian Veilleux got the start in the season opener against Ole Miss but wouldn’t start again until the second to last game of the season against Troy. Veilleux would also start the last game of the season as well. TJ Finley, who transferred to Georgia State in early September, started the next few games for the Panthers but struggled to find a rhythm in the offense. Finley’s battle with injuries and attempts to grasp the offense opened the door for Cameran Brown. Brown would go on to be the most consistent quarterback for the Panthers this season, despite only starting three games. He would throw for 1,296 yards and 13 touchdowns to just one interception. He also proved to be an asset in the run game, rushing for 284 yards and four touchdowns.
Even with a revolving door at the quarterback position, Georgia State finished the season ranked top 40 in FBS for passing offense. The Panthers threw to the tune of 254.1 passing yards-per-game with a little over six yards per catch and found the endzone 22 times through the air. The biggest contributor to Georgia State’s air attack was senior wide receiver Ted Hurst who hauled in 71 passes this season for 1,004 yards and six touchdowns. Hurst finished the season ranked 14th in FBS for receiving yards and finishes his college career 3rd all-time at Georgia State for receiving yards.
Leaving a legacy.
🔖: https://t.co/28gIgGvWnh#LightItBlue | #NewAtlanta pic.twitter.com/KI2qtlXIAD
— GSU Football (@GeorgiaStateFB) December 4, 2025
The Panthers also set two new records during the 2025 season, both in the same game against Marshall. Senior running back Jordon Simmons ran the ball 92-yards for the first score of the game, marking the longest rushing touchdown in Georgia State University history. Later in the first half, junior kicker Braeden McAlister booted a 60-yard field goal to tie with Georgia State alumni Wil Lutz for the Sun Belt record.
𝗦𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘.@_jaythegr8_ takes the first offensive play 92 yards for the longest rushing touchdown in @GeorgiaStateFB history. ☀️🏈pic.twitter.com/Igrzq6ZTtT
— Sun Belt Football (@SunBeltFB) November 15, 2025
Looking forward to what’s ahead for Georgia State, things are looking promising heading towards 2026. At the time of this article, the team currently has the #77 ranked recruiting class which is headlined by 4-star interior lineman Maxwell Robinson from Derby, Kansas. The Panthers also boast the #71 ranked transfer class with their biggest commit coming from Oregon State, 4-star defensive lineman Kelze Howard. The team will look to turn things around heading into Dell McGee’s third year at the helm.
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