ATLANTA -- Georgia State placed an all-time high 14 individuals on the 2020 All-Sun Belt Conference football team, led by senior left guard Shamarious Gilmore, who earned first-team honors to become the Panthers' first four-time all-conference selection.
 
Gilmore, the Riverdale, Ga., native who has started 46 straight games, improved from honorable mention recognition his first two years to third-team honors last year to first-team status as a senior. He is joined on the first team by placekicker Noel Ruiz, the graduate transfer from Wilson, N.C., who leads Sun Belt kickers in scoring and field goal percentage.
 
Junior receiver Sam Pinckney (Greenwood, S.C.), junior defensive end Hardrick Willis (Jonesboro, Ga.) and defensive backs Quavian White, the junior cornerback from Greer, S.C., and Antavious Lane, the redshirt freshman safety from West Palm Beach, Fla., made the All-Sun Belt second team. Willis was selected for the second straight year.
 
Recognized on the All-Sun Belt third team are senior tight end Roger Carter (Columbia, S.C.), a two-time all-conference honoree, junior running back Destin Coates (Tallahassee, Fla.), junior outside linebacker and Sun Belt sacks leader Jordan Strachan (Kingsland, Ga.), and senior noseguard Dontae Wilson (Jefferson, Ga.), another two-time selection.
 
Four Panthers earned honorable mention recognition in junior wide receiver Cornelius McCoy (Deerfield Beach, Fla.), an All-Sun Belt selection for the third straight year; junior center Malik Sumter (Irmo, S.C.), a two-time honoree, and linebackers Blake Carroll (junior, Lawrenceville, Ga.) and Trajan Stephen-McQueen (senior, Charlotte, N.C.).
 
First-Team All-Sun Belt: LG SHAMARIOUS GILMORE (Senior, Riverdale, Ga.)
 
Georgia State's first four-time All-Sun Belt Conference ... Named first-team All-Sun Belt in 2020 after earning third-team All-Sun Belt honors in 2019 and honorable mention recognition in 2017 and 2018 ... Four-year starter at left guard who has started 46 straight games ... Member of 2020 Outland Trophy Watch List ...  2020 team captain ... Helps Georgia State rank No. 16 in FBS in fewest sacks allowed ... Key figure in a GSU offense that has averaged 32 points and 220 yards rushing over the last two seasons ... Blocks for No. 2 rusher in the Sun Belt in 2020 after blocking for the rusher leader in 2019 ... The only GSU lineman ever to score a touchdown.
 
First-Team All-Sun Belt: PK NOEL RUIZ (Senior, Wilson, N.C.)
 
Placekicker who leads Sun Belt kickers in scoring with 7.9 ppg (second among all players) and field goal percentage (.786) and second in field goals with 1.38 per game and is second in FG% ... Has hit 11 of 14 FG and 30 of 31 PAT ... Also handles kickoffs ... Named Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Week and a Lou Groza Award Star of the Week after kicking three field goals and scoring 10 points in win over Georgia Southern. His third FG of the game, from 35 yards, gave Georgia State a six-point lead with two minutes left ... Booted three field goals in win over Troy and two at App State ... Ranks sixth among all active FBS kickers (seventh among all players) with 313 career points, fifth with 169 career PAT, and 14th with 48 career field goals ... Graduate transfer from North Carolina A&T, where he was an FCS All-American in 2019.
 
Second-Team All-Sun Belt: S ANTAVIOUS LANE (R-Fr., West Palm Beach, Fla.)
 
Redshirt freshman safety named to the FWAA Freshman All-America Watch List ... Leads GSU and ranks third in the Sun Belt with three interceptions (0.4 per game), along with six pass breakups, in seven games ... Third on the team in tackles with 50 ... His three interceptions are the most ever by a GSU freshman ... Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week after returning an interception 34 yards for a touchdown vs. East Carolina. Also had five tackles and two pass breakups, helping hold ECU to 286 total yards, 50 yards rushing and no offensive touchdowns ... Got his second interception in win at Troy as he grabbed a tipped ball in the end zone and returned it 42 yards. Also had seven tackles and a pass breakup ... Grabbed his third interception at App State, along with nine tackles, to help hold the Mountaineers to a season-low 310 yards ... Opened the season with a career-high nine tackles, one tackle for loss and a forced fumble vs. Louisiana.
 
Second-Team All-Sun Belt: WR SAM PINCKNEY (Jr., Greenwood, S.C.)
 
Named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List ... Georgia State's top receiver with 44 catches for 753 yards and six touchdowns (9 games) ... Third in the Sun Belt in receiving yards and fourth in receptions ... Averages 17.1 yards per catch (No. 2 in Sun Belt) ... Had 176 receiving yards on just five catches in win at South Alabama for the sixth-best single-game total in program history. Made three spectacular catches for 147 yards to set up touchdowns in GSU's second half rally, including one that was featured on ESPN's "You Got Mossed" segment ... Career-high 10 catches for 126 yards in win over Georgia Southern ... Caught three touchdowns (21, 36 and 31 yards) vs. Arkansas State, when he had six catches for 146 yards ... Caught seven passes for 134 yards and two TD to lead 49-29 win over East Carolina ... Added a 19-yard TD catch at App State ... Over the last two seasons, he has 80 catches for 1,213 yards and 11 TDs in 18 games.
 
Second-Team All-Sun Belt: CB QUAVIAN WHITE (Jr., Greer, S.C.)
 
Three-year starter at cornerback ... Second in Sun Belt and No. 6 in FBS in passes defended with three interceptions (tied for team lead) and eight pass breakups ... Fifth in the Sun Belt with three interceptions in eight games (0.4 pg) ... His interception in the final two minutes sealed 30-24 win over Georgia Southern. That was his second game-saving interception in the last two seasons ... Named to the Paul Hornung Award Weekly Honor Roll vs. No. 19 Louisiana. Grabbed an interception at GSU 15-yard line late in the first half, likely preventing a score. Also had seven solo tackles, two pass breakups, one kickoff return for 22 yards and two punt returns for 17 yards ... Had an interception, one pass breakup and four tackles, including 1.5 sacks, to help GSU hold ECU to 286 total yards, 50 yards rushing and zero offensive touchdowns in 49-29 win ... Six tackles and two pass breakups in win over ULM ... Second in GSU history with six career interceptions and third with 23 career passes defended.
 
Second-Team All-Sun Belt: DE HARDRICK WILLIS (R-Jr., Jonesboro, Ga.)
 
Defensive end who is third in the Sun Belt with 5.5 sacks (0.69 per game) ... Key contributor on a GSU defense with a school-record 32 sacks (No. 7 in FBS) ... Two-time All-Sun Belt selection after earning honorable mention recognition in 2019 ... 2020 team captain ... Georgia State's career leader in sacks with 11.5 ... Broke the GSU career sack record with 1.5 sacks in win at South Alabama as the Panthers tied the school record with seven sacks and allowed just 14 points and 324 yards ... Four tackles and a sack at Arkansas State ... Had 1.5 sacks, including one on which he stripped the QB and GSU recovered, in win over ULM ... Had a sack to help GSU hold App State to a season low 310 yards of offense.
 
Third-Team All-Sun Belt: TE ROGER CARTER (Sr., Columbia, S.C.)
 
Georgia State's third-leading receiver with 21 catches for 256 yards in nine games ... Tied for first among all Sun Belt tight ends with four touchdown catches ...  Also an outstanding blocker and key piece in the running game ... Two-time All-Sun Belt honoree (third-team in 2020 and honorable mention in 2019) Led GSU to win at Troy with two touchdowns of four and 36 yards and a career-high seven catches for 72 yards ... Against No. 19 Louisiana he had a 28-yard TD and a 25-yard reception to the 4-yard line to set up another TD ... Added a 4-yard scoring pass in win over ULM ... Five catches for 71 yards in win at South Alabama ... Has 10 career touchdown receptions, tied for fifth in GSU history and first among tight ends, along with 74 career receptions for 872 yards.
 
Third-Team All-Sun Belt: RB DESTIN COATES (Jr., Tallahassee, Fla.)
 
The second-leading rusher in the Sun Belt, averaging 81.5 yards per game ... Career-high 150 yards rushing on 34 carries (tied GSU record) vs. No. 19 Louisiana. Sixth-highest single-game rushing total in school history. Added four catches for 21 yards ...Followed with 113 yards in win over East Carolina, including TD runs of 13 and 5 yards ... Third-straight 100-yard game with 115 yards in win at Troy ... Rushed for 102 yards on 20 carries and scored twice in 54-32 win over ULM ... Scored on a 4-yard run in Georgia State's fourth-quarter comeback vs. Georgia Southern ... Ranks fourth in GSU history 1,335 career rushing yards and second with 14 rushing touchdowns.
           
Third-Team All-Sun Belt: OLB JORDAN STRACHAN (R-Jr., Kingsland, Ga.)
 
Outside linebacker who leads the Sun Belt and ranks No. 4 in FBS with 9.0 sacks (1.0 per game) .... Keys a GSU defense with a school-record 32 sacks (No. 7 in FBS) ... Ranks second in the Sun Belt with 12.5 tackles for loss (1.4 per game) ... Leads the Sun Belt with two fumble recoveries and is second with three forced fumbles ... Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week vs. Troy when he had three tackles for loss, including 2.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. Had a sack-and-strip and recovered the fumble at the Troy 8-yard line to set up a TD. Returned his other fumble recovery 63 yards ... Had another sack-and-strip against Georgia Southern, forcing a fumble that GSU recovered with two minutes left to help seal the victory ... Made another big play at Arkansas State with a sack and forced fumble that teammate Blake Carroll picked up and returned 74 yards for a touchdown ... Had two sacks and three tackles for loss at South Alabama as the GSU defense allowed just 14 points and 324 total yards ... Needed just seven games to break the GSU season sack record and has also tied the school record for tackles for loss ... Nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy as the top player who began his career as a walk-on ...Joined the program as a walk-on safety in 2017 ... Recovered from a season-ending knee injury (torn ACL) suffered in Game 1 of the 2019 season.
 
Third-Team All-Sun Belt: NG DONTAE WILSON (Sr., Jefferson, Ga.)
 
Three-year starter at noseguard ... Two-time All-Sun Belt with third-team honors in 2020 and honorable mention recognition in 2019 ... Fourth in GSU history with 8.5 career sacks and sixth with 19.5 tackles for loss ... Missed two games due to injury but has 26 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss in seven games ... Opened the season with two tackles for loss vs. No. 19 Louisiana ... Keyed strong defensive effort vs. East Carolina, when GSU allowed just 50 yards rushing and 286 total yards ... Helped hold four opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing, including season-low 40 yards in win over Troy ... Recovered a fumble in win vs. ULM ... Helped hold App State to season-low 310 yards.
 
Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt: ILB BLAKE CARROLL (Jr., Lawrenceville, Ga.)
 
Georgia State's leading tackler with 72 stops, including 5.5 tackles for loss ... Leads the Sun Belt with 5.7 solo tackles per game and is fifth overall with 8.0 tackles a game ... Tied for the league lead with two fumble recoveries ... Also has four pass breakups and one forced fumble ... Scooped up a fumble and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown vs. Arkansas State. That is the second-longest defensive score in program history ... One game later at Troy, he forced a fumble that teammate Jordan Strachan recovered and returned 63 yards. Also had eight tackles and a pass breakup as GSU held Troy to 40 yards rushing ... Career-high 14 tackles against Georgia Southern, when he recovered a fumble in the final two minutes at the GS 21-yard line to help seal the win ... Made 11 tackles with three TFL as GSU held App State to 310 total yards ... Eight tackles with one TFL in 31-14 win over South Alabama in which the GSU defense allowed just 324 yards ... Helps GSU rank third in Sun Belt in rushing defense  and hold four teams below 100 yards ... Broke up two passes in win over East Carolina.
 
Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt: WR CORNELIUS McCOY (Jr., Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
 
All-Sun Belt receiver in 2018 and 2019 and a 2020 Preseason All-Sun Belt selection ... Team's second-leading receiving with 26 catches for 359 yards and three TDs in six games ... After missing three games due to injury, he returned with a big game vs. ULM. Caught a 57-yard pass on the first play of the game, and went on to finish with seven catches for 118 yards, including TD catches of 3 and 18 yards ... Caught five passes for 111 yards in win over Georgia Southern, including a 45-yard touchdown catch. Also had a 44-yard catch ... Has caught at least one pass in 31 straight games (every game of his career), which ranks fourth among active FBS players ... Fourth in GSU history with 131 career receptions and 1,611 yards receiving and eighth with nine touchdown catches.
 
Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt: TRAJAN STEPHENS-McQUEEN
 
Senior inside linebacker who is second on the team with 58 tackles and 8.0 tackles for loss ... Rranks fourth in GSU history with 256 career tackles and seventh with 19.0 tackles for loss ... Grabbed one of GSU's three interceptions against ECU, helping the Panthers hold the Pirates to 286 total yards, 50 yards rushing and zero offensive touchdowns ... Had 1.5 sacks vs. Arkansas State ... Nine tackles and a pass breakup in win at Troy, which GSU held to 40 yards rushing ... Made 10 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss at App State, helping hold the Mountaineers to 310 yards of offense ... Season-high 11 tackles with one TFL in win at South Alabama as the defense allowed just 14 points and 324 yards ... Holds the school record with 20 tackles in a game (2019 vs. Army).
 
Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt: C MALIK SUMTER (R-Jr., Irmo, S.C.)
 
Three-year starter at center and a member of the Rimington Trophy Watch List ... Two-time All-Sun Belt Conference ... Has started 27 straight games at left guard ... Helps Georgia State rank No. 16 in FBS in fewest sacks allowed ... Key figure in a GSU offense that has averaged 32 points and 220 yards rushing per game over the last two seasons ... Blocks for No. 2 rusher in the Sun Belt in 2020 after blocking for the rusher leader in 2019.