Coming off its third bowl appearance in the last five years, the Georgia State football program officially begins preseason practice for the 2020 season on Wednesday.

Under fourth-year head coach Shawn Elliott, the Panthers are scheduled to hold their first full-squad workout in helmets and shorts Wednesday morning at Georgia State Stadium. The Panthers are scheduled to open the season on Thursday, Sept. 3, when they host Murray State at 7:30 p.m. at GSU Stadium.

Georgia State returns 16 starters (eight offense/eight defense) from last year's squad that posted a 7-6 record and earned a trip to the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl. 

The biggest question as practice begins is under center, where Georgia State must replace standout quarterback Dan Ellington, who directed an offense that set school records for rushing yards (3,141), rushing touchdowns (30), total offense (5,818), first downs (305), touchdowns (53) and points (406).

Four 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, who sat out last fall, and true freshman Mikele Colasurdo, a December signee who enrolled in January. That quartet got in six practices in March before the shutdown.

Ellington remains part of the program as an assistant coach, working with the offense. Georgia State also has two new assistant coaches on defense in inside linebackers coach Brian Landis and cornerbacks coach Cory Peoples.

Whoever wins the quarterback job will line up behind a talented offensive line that returns four starters, including All-Sun Belt returnees Shamarious Gilmore at left guard and Malik Sumter at center and 2019 Freshman All-America tackle Travis Glover. The lone starter to graduate was left tackle Hunter Atkinson, now in training camp with the Atlanta Falcons.

Although the Panthers graduated their top two offensive weapons in Ellington and career rushing leader Tra Barnett, plenty of playmakers return. 

Georgia State welcomes back its top two receivers in junior Cornelius McCoy (70 receptions, 757 yards, 5 TD) and sophomore Sam Pinckney (36-460-5) as well as All-Sun Belt tight ends Roger Carter (28-334-3) and Aubry Payne (13-204-6).

Expect the Panthers to continue to emphasize their running game after ranking No. 13 in FBS in rushing last fall. Two of the top three backs return in juniors Destin Coates (546 yards, 7 TD) and Seth Paige (405 yards, 54 TD). 

Defensively, Georgia State returns its top two tacklers in linebackers Trajan Stephens-McQueen (110 tackles) and Victor Heyward (70 tackles) as well as All-Sun Belt defensive linemen Dontae Wilson and Hardrick Willis. 

On special teams, GSU must replace punter-placekicker Brandon Wright, now with the Jacksonville Jaguars. A leading candidate is graduate transfer Noel Ruiz, an FCS All-America placekicker at North Carolina A&T.

Season tickets for the 2020 campaign are on sale now by calling 404-413-4020 during normal business hours or visiting GeorgiaStateSports.com/tix.