ATLANTA -- The Georgia State football team hit the practice field for the first time in 2020 as the Panthers opened spring practice Monday morning at Georgia State Stadium.
Monday was Day 1 of 15 sessions for head coach
Shawn Elliott and the Panthers. Spring practice continues through Friday, April 3, when GSU will hold its annual Spring Game at 7:30 p.m. at Georgia State Stadium.
"It's come really fast. In this day and age, it never stops," Elliott said as he begins his fourth spring at the helm. "It seems like we were just at the bowl game, and here we are back on the field for Spring Practice No. 1."
"For spring practice, you want great effort and great competition," Elliott continued. "There are a lot of position battles out here, and a lot of young players pushing those older guys. I'm looking for great effort and great enthusiasm."
Georgia State returns nine starters on offense and nine on defense from last year's squad that posted a 7-6 record and earned a trip to the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl for the Panthers' third bowl berth in the last five years.
One starter who must replaced is standout quarterback
Dan Ellington. Four players, all freshmen, will be competing for the quarterback job: redshirt freshmen
Cornelious Brown and
Kierston Harvey, both of whom saw limited action last season, as well as redshirt freshman
Jamil Muhammad and true freshman
Mikele Colasurdo, a December signee who enrolled in January.
"The quarterback will be the focus that everyone wants to ask about, and we look forward to seeing how it all plays out. We're going to let them go live and see who can stand up to that pressure," Elliott said.
"But all the battles are fun. Probably because it's the quarterback position, people from the outside view it a little bit differently, but anytime you have competition, you see the best come out."
Spring drills continue this week with workouts on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings.
The Panthers open the 2020 season on Sept. 5, when they host Murray State at Georgia State Stadium. The complete schedule was released last week, and season tickets are on sale now at GeorgiaStateSports.com/TIX. Children 10 and under are free.
SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE (Subject to change)
2 - Tuesday, March 3
3 - Thursday, March 5
4 - Friday, March 6
5 - Monday, March 9
6 - Tuesday, March 10
7 - Thursday, March 12
8 - Friday, March 13
SPRING BREAK
9 - Tuesday, March 24
10 - Thursday, March 26
11 - Friday, March 27
12 - Monday, March 30
13 - Tuesday, March 31
14 - Thursday, April 2
15 - Friday, April 3 (Spring Game, 7:30 p.m.)
Practices are at 9 a.m. at Georgia State Stadium unless noted.
