ATLANTA -- Linemen Shamarious Gilmore and Dontae Wilson headline the 10 Georgia State football standouts named to the Athlon Sports Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference team.

Gilmore, the senior offensive guard, was tabbed to the Preseason All-Sun Belt first team. He is a hree-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection and a three-year starter at left guard who has started 37 straight games and a key figure in back-to-back school-record rushing seasons.

Wilson, a senior from Jefferson, Ga., was named to the Athlon's Preseason All-Sun Belt second team. He is a two-year starter at noseguard who earned All-Sun Belt honors last fall. He ranks third in GSU history in career sacks.

Six Panthers were recognized on Athlon's Preseason All-Sun Belt third team: tight end Roger Carter, wide receiver Cornelius McCoy and center Malik Sumter on offense, defensive Hardrick Willis and linebacker Trajan Stephens McQueen on defense, and incoming placekicker Noel Ruiz, the graduate transfer from North Carolina A&T.

Tight end Aubry Payne and running back Destin Coates made Athlon's Preseason third team.

Coming off a winning season and bowl berth in 2019, Georgia State is scheduled to open the 2020 season Sept. 5 vs. Murray State at Georgia State Stadium. Season tickets are on sale now by visiting GeorgiaStateSports.com/tix or calling 404-413-4020.

Profiles on all 10 GSU selections:

ROGER CARTER
TE • 6-4, 250 • Senior • Columbia, S.C.
All-Sun Belt Conference tight end ... Two-year starter and three-year letterwinner with 53 career receptions for 616 yards and six touchdowns in 34 games ... Outstanding receiver who is also a key component in Georgia State's strong running game ... Team's third-leading receiver in 2019 with 28 catches for 334 yards and 3 TD ... Career game in win over South Alabama with seven catches for 87 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter ... Two receptions for 33 yards in season-opening win at Tennessee ... Had one catch in the win over Furman but it was a 2-yard TD ... Receptions of 20 and 24 yards in win over Arkansas State ... Had two catches for 39 yards and a reception for a two-point conversion in 28-20 victory over Army ... Four catches for 38 yards, including a 4-yard TD, in win over Troy ... Added three receptions for 43 yards vs. Wyoming ... Fourth on the team with 15 catches for 136 yards and one touchdown in 2018 ... Saw action as a true freshman in 2018 with 10 receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns  in nine games, including three starts ... Made one of the key plays of the season with his touchdown catch vs. Western Kentucky in the AutoNation Cure Bowl. The 42-yard reception on the end of a double-reverse flea flicker put the Panthers ahead for good late in the third quarter ... Finished the game with career highs of four receptions for 85 yards.

DESTIN COATES
RB • 5-11, 198 • Junior • Tallahassee, Fla.
Running back who ranks 10th in GSU history with 683 career rushing yards in just 17 games ... Tied for sixth with eight rushing touchdowns ... GSU's third-leading rusher in 2019 with 560 yards on 82 carries for a team-leading 6.7-yard average ... Second on the team with seven touchdowns ... Recorded his first 100-yard game with 119 yards on just nine carries vs. ULM. Scored on a 37-yard run and also had a 44-yard run ... Just missed a second-straight 100-yard game, rushing for 97 yards vs. App State, highlighted by a 67-yard touchdown that is the fourth-longest run from scrimmage in GSU history ... Tied the GSU record by rushing for three touchdowns in the win over Arkansas State. Scored on 27-yard run in the first quarter, then helped seal the win with fourth-quarter scores of one and two yards. Rushed for 66 yards on 15 attempts, part of GSU's school-record 340 yards  ... Rushed for 95 yards on 21 carries at Texas State. Scored on a 7-yard run in the fourth quarter ... Gained 54 yards on just four carries at Georgia Southern ... Added 59 yards on seven attempts vs. Wyoming ... Started two games a true freshman in 2018 before suffering a season-ending foot injury in vs. Troy (Game 6) ... The team's third-leading rusher at the time of his injury with 137 yards on 32 carries (4.3 yards per carry) ... Gained 68 yards on 12 carries at Memphis ... Rushed for 43 yards on just six carries at NC State, including an 8-yard touchdown.

SHAMARIOUS GILMORE
G • 6-3, 288 • R-Senior • Riverdale, Ga.
Three-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection and a three-year starter at left guard who has started 37 straight games ... Key figure in back-to-back school-record rushing seasons in 2018 and 2019, helping the Panthers average 208 yards per game over the last two years ... Named third-team All-Sun Belt after helping the GSU offense set school records for rushing yards (3,141), rushing touchdowns (30), total offense (5,818), first downs (305), touchdowns (53) and points (406) ... Helped the Panthers rank No. 13 in FBS with 241.6 rushing yards per game, including school-record games against Arkansas State (340 yards), Coastal Carolina (350 yards), Troy (390 yards) and ULM (414 yards) ... Blocked for Sun Belt rushing leader Tra Barnett (111.8 ypg/No. 11 FBS) ... Earned honorable mention All-Sun Belt recognition in 2017 and played every snap for the Panthers' bowl team-winning squad .... Made history as the first offensive lineman in GSU history to score a touchdown. Recovered a blocked field goal in the end zone vs. Charlotte.

CORNELIUS McCOY
WR • 5-11, 185 • Junior • Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Georgia State's top receiver who has earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors his first two seasons ... Ranks sixth in GSU history with 105 career receptions and 1,252 yards receiving ... Caught at least one pass in every game the last two seasons (25 straight) ... All-Sun Belt Conference (third team) in 2019 as GSU's leading receiver with 70 catches for 757 yards and five touchdowns ... His 70 receptions are the fourth-best season total in GSU history, trailing only Penny Hart (twice) and Albert Wilson ... Fourth in Sun Belt with 5.4 receptions and sixth with 58.2 receiving yards per game ... Career highs with 10 receptions for 143 yards in win over Furman, including a 44-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter ... Caught a 17-yard touchdown pass in the win at Tennessee ... Recorded his second 100-yard game in win over Arkansas State, finishing with eight catches for 107 yards ... Caught a 3-yard touchdown in 31-21 win at Coastal Carolina ... Had a game-high seven catches for 66 yards in win over Army ... Finished the regular season with seven catches in each of the final two games vs. South Alabama (53 yds) and Georgia Southern (89 yds) ... Had five receptions for 78 yards in the bowl game vs. Wyoming, including a 44-yard TD ... Earned honorable mention all-conference recognition in 2018, when he started every game as a true freshman ...  GSU's second-leading receiver behind Penny Hart with 35 catches for 495 yards ... Led all Sun Belt freshmen in receptions and receiving yards ... Averaged 14.1 yards per catch.

TRAJAN STEPHENS-McQUEEN
ILB • Senior • 6-1, 230 • Charlotte, N.C.
Returning starter at inside linebacker who was GSU's leading tackler in 2019 ... Recorded 110 tackles last season, the second-highest season total in GSU history, just six behind Joseph Peterson's record of 116 ... Fifth in Sun Belt with 8.5 tackles pg, Second on the team with eight TFL and tied for team lead with two interceptions ... Ranks sixth in GSU history with 198 career tackles ... Set the Georgia State single-game record with 20 TACKLES, including 10 solo stops, in win over Army, and was named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week. ... Grabbed an interception in the fourth quarter to help seal the 38-30 upset victory at Tennessee. Had five tackles with one TFL ... Made 11 tackles with one TFL in win over Furman ... Had 10 tackles with an 11-yard sack vs. Wyoming ... Made 15 tackles at Texas State ... Made a key defensive play in the win over Arkansas State with his third-quarter interception at the GSU 45-yard line ... Had eight tackles with a sack in win over Troy ... Added six tackles with 1.5 TFL win over South Alabama ... Was fourth on the team in tackles with 50 in 2018.

AUBRY PAYNE
TE • R-Senior • 6-4, 228 • Locust Grove, Ga.
One of the top tight ends in the Sun Belt Conference in his first season for the Panthers ... Earned second-team All-Sun Belt Conference ... Had six touchdown receptions in 11 games, including one in each of the first four games of the season ... Made his GSU debut at Tennessee and caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Dan Ellington in the 38-30 victory ... Caught a 20-yard touchdown in the win over Furman ... Had another 20-yard TD at Western Michigan and the a 5-yard TD at Texas State ...After missing the Coastal Carolina game due to injury, he returned vs. Army and caught the go-ahead touchdown with an 8-yard reception with 7:41 to play in the 28-21 wins. Also had a 29-yard reception on that drive, finishing with three catches for 43 yards in the game ... Caught a 40-yard touchdown pass in win over Troy ... Spent two years (2016-17) at Western Carolina ... Named to Southern Conference All-Freshman team in 2016, when he had 14 receptions for 123 yards.

NOEL RUIZ
PK • Senior • 5-11, 187 • Wilson, N.C.
Graduate transfer placekicker from North Carolina A&T who will enroll at GSU this fall ... Named an FCS All-American by the American Football Coaches' Association in 2019 ... First-team All-MEAC ... Was 23-for-27 on field goals, setting school records for field goals made and attempted ... Made 12 straight field goals during the season and 15 of his last 16 to end the year ... Hit 47-of-52 extra points ... Led FCS with with 1.92 field goals per game while ranking fifth in field goal percentage (.852) and 10th in scoring (116 points/9.7 ppg) ... Longest field goal was a 52-yard kick in win over Elon.

MALIK SUMTER
C • R-Junior • 6-1, 295 • Irmo, S.C.
All-Sun Belt Conference center and one of four returning starters on the offensive line ... Has started 18 straight games at center,  helping GSU average 232.5 yards rushing per game since he moved into the starting lineup ... Earned honorable mention All-Sun Belt recognition in 2019 ... Key member of a GSU offensive line that helped the Panthers set school records for rushing yards (3,141), rushing touchdowns (30), total offense (5,818), first downs (305), touchdowns (53) and points (406) ... Helped the Panthers rank No. 13 in FBS with 241.6 rushing yards per game, including school-record games against Arkansas State (340 yards), Coastal Carolina (350 yards), Troy (390 yards) and ULM (414 yards) ... Blocked for Sun Belt rushing leader Tra Barnett (111.8 ypg/No. 11 FBS) ... Took over as the starting center for the final five games of 2018.

HARDRICK WILLIS
DE • 6-3, 244 • R-Junior • Jonesboro, Ga.
All-Sun Belt (honorable mention) performer at defensive end ... Has six career sacks and 11 tackles for loss ... Led the team with 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 2019 ... Finished with 40 tackles ... Had five tackles with 2 TFL, including one sack, in win at Tennessee. On the second play of the game, he caused a fumble that GSU recovered at the UT 23 to set up a touchdowns. Helped GSU hold the Vols to 93 yards rushing ... Blocked a PAT vs. Furman ... Had a tackle for loss and pass breakup in win over Arkansas State ... Recorded a sack for a 10-yard loss and a forced fumble in win at Coastal Carolina ... Career-high seven tackles vs. App State, with a TFL and a shared sack ... Had a sack in Panthers' strong defensive effort in win over South Alabama and another sack in the regular-season finale at Georgia Southern, giving him 4.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks in the final three regular-season games ... Had a strong season as a true freshman in 2017 before taking a redshirt year in 2018 ... Played in 11 games off the bench IN 2017 and collected 19 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, including 1.5 sacks ... Had one of GSU's six sacks in the AutoNation Cure Bowl win over Western Kentucky, helping the Panthers set school record with minus-2 rushing yards allowed.

DONTAE WILSON
NG • 6-0, 275 • Senior • Jefferson, Ga.
Two-year starter at noseguard who ranks third in GSU history with 8.5 career sacks and eighth with 16 tackles for loss ... Earned honorable mention All-Sun Belt honors in 2019 ... A first-team All-Sun Belt selection by Pro Football Focus, which said, "he may very well be one of the best true nose tackles in all of college football" ... Fourth on the team with 49 tackles, including seven TFL and three sacks ... Contributed two sacks in win over Furman ... Had two key defensive plays in the second half of win over Arkansas State with a forced fumble  for a 2-yard loss and then a third-down sack at the GSU 23 to force a field goal ... Outstanding game against Army's triple option offense as he made a career-high 10 tackles ... Started every game in 2018 and was third on the team with four tackles for loss, including 1.5 sacks, along with 30 tackles ... Backup in 2017 who helped the Georgia State defense set records for fewest points per game allowed (24.75), fewest rushing yards per game (136.4), fewest yards per rushing attempt (4.13) and most sacks (24) ... Tied for the team lead with four sacks, including one that caused a fumble at No. 5 Penn State.