Mic'd Up with Chris Collins

Chris Collins enters his fifth season on the Georgia State defensive staff, coaching the Panther safeties and also serving as recruiting coordinator.

The Panthers are nearing the conclusion of spring practice, which wraps up with the April 16 Spring Game, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Center Parc Stadium. Admission is free.

Highlighting Collins' safeties room are returning starters Antavious Lane, coming off an all-conference season in 2020, and Chris Moore, the graduate transfer from Virginia who returns for a fifth season. He also has veterans like Keon Carter, Chris Bacon and Tyler Gore, who has moved from cornerback, along with younger safeties such as Jaquez Pennimon and Jalen Tate.

"This group is passionate about learning the game and investing in the process," Collins said. "They want to be good, they want to be coached, and that's exciting for me as a coach. Most importantly, they're good people, so it's been easy to build on the discipline that's already been instilled.

Consistency is a big theme this spring.

"The biggest thing we want to see is consistency in their fundamentals," Collins explained. "Consistency in their communication, consistency in using the right technique at the right time.

And of course, the entire defense wants to continue to force turnovers.

"We spend a lot of time on ball production - ball disruption, playing the hands, angles to the football, catching the football," Collins said.

"And we want to continue to build depth."

MORE ON GEORGIA STATE FOOTBALL

Head coach Shawn Elliott's squad returns 22 of 24 starters, including all 11 starters from an offensive unit that averaged a school-record 33.3 points per game, nine starters from a GSU defense that ranked No. 7 in FBS with a program-record 35 sacks, and their placekicker and punter.

The 2020 LendingTree Bowl champions welcome back 12 All-Sun Belt Conference players, led by first-team selections in left guard Shamarious Gilmore and placekicker Noel Ruiz, as well as the LendingTree Bowl Most Valuable Player in quarterback Cornelious Brown IV, along with numerous other playmakers on both sides of the ball.

GSU will enter the 2021 season on a three-game winning streak after ending 2020 with victories over South Alabama, Georgia Southern and Western Kentucky in the LendingTree Bowl.

The Panthers will face the most exciting and challenging schedule in program history with non-conference games against Army, North Carolina, Auburn and Charlotte along with a Sun Belt Conference slate that features three straight road games against rival Georgia Southern and 2020 co-champions Coastal Carolina and Louisiana.

GSU will play seven teams that played in bowl games, including six foes who won eight or more games in 2020.

Georgia State has earned back-to-back bowl berths and posted consecutive winning seasons for the first time in program history.

The Panthers have earned three bowl berths in the last four seasons.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Chris Bacon: S; 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior

#4 Cornelious Brown IV: QB; 6' 5"; Redshirt Freshman

#35 Keon Carter: S; 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior

#75 Shamarious Gilmore: G; 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior

#12 Tyler Gore: CB; 5' 10"; Junior

#34 Antavious Lane: S; 5' 9"; Redshirt Freshman

#8 Jaquez Pennimon: S; 6' 0"; Redshirt Freshman

#22 Jalen Tate: CB; 6' 0"; Freshman

#92 Noel Ruiz: PK; 5' 11"; Senior

#28 Chris Moore: S; 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

#3 Chris Bacon
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior
: S

#4 Cornelious Brown IV
: 6' 5"; Redshirt Freshman
: QB

#35 Keon Carter
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior
: S

#75 Shamarious Gilmore
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior
: G

#12 Tyler Gore
: 5' 10"; Junior
: CB

#34 Antavious Lane
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Freshman
: S

#8 Jaquez Pennimon
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Freshman
: S

#22 Jalen Tate
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: CB

#92 Noel Ruiz
: 5' 11"; Senior
: PK

#28 Chris Moore
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior
: S