Anticipation is high for the 2021 football season as Georgia State returns 22 starters from last year's record-setting team and LendingTree Bowl champions.

Head coach Shawn Elliott's squad welcomes back 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.

Each week leading up to the 2021 season opener on Sept. 4 vs. Army at Center Parc Stadium, GeorgiaStateSports.com will feature one or more of the 22 returning starters.


NOEL RUIZ
Senior, Placekicker, Wilson, N.C.

Georgia State welcomes back 12 players who earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors last season, including first-team All-Sun Belt placekicker Noel Ruiz, a super senior who returns for an extra year of eligibility.

Ruiz made a huge impact in his first season with the Panthers as he led Sun Belt kickers with 1.44 field goals and 8.0 points per game. He hit 13 field goals (second-most in a season in program history) on 16 attempts and led the team with 72 points (No. 4 season total). He was good 33-of-35 extra points and also handled kickoffs.

Enjoying his best game of the season in the Panthers' rivalry win over Georgia Southern, Ruiz was 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 the 30-24 victory. His third field goal of the game, from 35 yards, gave Georgia State a six-point lead with two minutes left. Then he was honored as Special Teams Player of the Game in the LendingTree Bowl win over Western Kentucky with field goals of 45 and 29 yards and nine points in 39-21 victory.

Ruiz joined the GSU program in 2020 as a graduate transfer after three seasons at  North Carolina A&T, where he was an FCS All-American in 2019. He 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). He hit 23-of-27 field goals and 47-of-52 extra points for the Aggies in 2019.

The Wilson, N.C., native enters 2021 ranked third among all active FBS players with 322 career points. He is fifth in career PAT (172) and eighth with 50 field goals.