ATLANTA -- The Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference football team features 10 Georgia State Panthers, including five first-team selections, and the Panthers were picked third in the Sun Belt East Division preseason poll.
 
The Preseason All-Sun Belt team and poll were selected by a panel of the league head coaches and media members and announced Tuesday in advance of the Sun Belt Football Media Day, which takes place Thursday in New Orleans.
 
Coming off back-to-back bowl berths and a victory in the 2020 LendingTree Bowl, head coach Shawn Elliott's squad returns 22 of 24 starters. The Panthers, 6-4 in 2020, welcome back all 11 starters from an offensive unit that averaged a school-record 33.3 points per game in 2020, nine starters from a defense that ranked in the Top 10 in FBS in sacks and turnovers forced, and their punter and placekicker.
 
Leading the Georgia State contingent on the Preseason All-Sun Belt first team is Shamarious Gilmore, the "super senior" left guard who is already the only four-time all-conference player in program history and is back for a fifth season.
 
Leading rusher Destin Coates and top receiver Sam Pinckney also made the Preseason All-Sun Belt first team, along with placekicker Noel Ruiz, with tight end Roger Carter and receiver Cornelius McCoy on the second team.
 
The Georgia State defense features four Preseason All-Sun Belt honorees in defensive linemen Dontae Wilson and Hardick Willis, cornerback Quavian White and safety Antavious Lane, all second-team selections.
 
In the Sun Belt East Division, the Panthers were picked third behind Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State, which tied for first. Louisiana was picked to win the West Division.
 
Georgia State opens the 2020 season on Sept. 4, when the Panthers host Army at 12 noon in a nationally-televised game (ESPNU) at Centre Parc Stadium. Season tickets are on sale now by calling 404-413-4160 or visiting GeorgiaStateSports.com.

2021 Sun Belt Conference Football Preseason Coaches Poll
East Division
T1. Coastal Carolina (6) – 44
T1. App State (4) – 44
3. Georgia State – 24
4. Georgia Southern – 20
5. Troy – 18

West Division
1. Louisiana (9) – 49
2. Arkansas State (1) – 38
3. South Alabama – 27
4. Texas State – 25
5. ULM – 11
 
PRESEASON ALL-SUN BELT FIRST TEAM
 
DESTIN COATES
RB • 5-11, 198 • Senior • Tallahassee, Fla.
           
All-Sun Belt Conference running back who is the third-leading rusher in GSU history with 1,452 career rushing yards ... Second with 15 rushing TDs and tied for second with six 100-yard games ... Third-team All-Sun Belt selection in 2020 after finishing third in the league with 85.4 yards per game ... Rushed for 769 yards in nine games, the second-highest season total in program history ... Scored seven touchdowns ... Career-high 150 yards rushing on 34 carries (tied GSU record) vs. No. 19 Louisiana, for the sixth-highest single-game rushing total in school history. Added four catches for 21 yards ... Followed with 113 yards in win over East Carolina, including TD runs of 13 and 5 yards ... Third-straight 100-yard game with 115 yards in win at Troy ... Rushed for 102 yards on 20 carries and scored twice in 54-32 win over ULM ... Scored on a 4-yard run in Georgia State's fourth-quarter comeback vs. Georgia Southern ... Recorded his fifth 100-yard game in the LendingTree Bowl with 117 yards on 23 carries vs. WKU. Scored the Panthers' first TD on an 11-yard run ... GSU's third-leading rusher in 2019 with 560 yards on 82 carries for a team-leading 6.7-yard average and seven touchdowns.
 
SHAMARIOUS GILMORE
G • 6-3, 288 • R-Senior* • Riverdale, Ga.
           
The first four-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection in Georgia State history ... Four-year starter at left guard who started 47 straight games ... Key figure in the top three rushing seasons in program history in 2018, 2019 and 2020 ... Helped the Panthers average 221 yards rushing, 433 yards of total offense and 32 points per game over the last two years ... 2020 First-team All-Sun Belt Conference and team captain ... Top offensive lineman on a unit that averaged a school-record 33.3 points per game, along with 424.3 yards of total offense ... Helped Georgia State rank No. 13 in FBS in fewest sacks allowed ... Named to the Preseason Watch List for the Outland Trophy ... Named third-team All-Sun Belt in 2019 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 2018 ... Played every snap for the Panthers' first bowl-winning squad in 2017 .... 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.
 
NOEL RUIZ
PK • Senior* • 6-2, 220 • Wilson, N.C.
           
First-team All-Sun Belt Conference in 2020 ... Led Sun Belt kickers with 1.44 field goals and 8.0 points per game (second among all players) ... Second in the conference in field goal percentage at .812, also the second-best season in GSU history ... 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) ... Made 33-of-35 extra points ... Also handled kickoffs ... Enters 2021 ranked third among active FBS players in career points (322), fourth in PAT (172) and eight in field goals (50) ... 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 win over Georgia Southern. His third FG of the game, from 35 yards, gave Georgia State a six-point lead with two minutes left ... Shares the school record of seven PAT in a game (vs. East Carolina, Arkansas State and ULM) ...  ... 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 ... Joined the program in 2020 as a graduate transfer after three seasons at  North Carolina A&T, where he was an FCS All-American ... Named an FCS All-American by the American Football Coaches' Association in 2019.
 
SAM PINCKNEY
WR • R-Junior • 6-4, 210 • Greenwood, S.C.
           
2020 Second-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection and a member of the Biletnikoff Award Watch List ... Has 12 career touchdown receptions to rank fourth in school history. Also in the Top 10 in career receptions (86, 9th) and receiving yards (1,357, 7th) ... Over the last two seasons, he has 83 catches for 1,275 yards and 12 TDs in 19 games ... Team's leading receiver in 2020 with 47 catches for 815 yards and seven TD ... Fourth in Sun Belt with 81.5 receiving yards, fifth with 4.7 receptions per game and second with 17.3 yards per catch ... Caught seven passes for 134 yards and two TD in win over East Carolina, with TD receptions of 38 and 13 yards ... Followed with six catches for a then-career high 146 yards and three touchdowns vs. Arkansas State. Caught touchdowns of 21, 36 and 31 yards. Also had a 46-yard reception to set up another score ... Caught his sixth TD of the season on a 19-yard reception at App State ... Had 176 receiving yards on just five catches in win at South Alabama for the sixth-best single-game total in program history. Three catches for 147 yards--all highlight worthy, including one that made ESPN's "You Got Mossed" segment--in GSU's second half rally. Set up the tying score with a 65-yard reception to the 3-yard line ... Career-high 10 catches for 126 yards in win over Georgia Southern ... Caught a 26-yard TD pass in the LendingTree Bowl win over WKU ... Team's second-leading receiver in 2019 with 36 catches for 460 yards and five touchdowns, despite missing the final four games with a foot injury, and was named to the Midseason Watch List for the FWAA Freshman All-American Team.
 
PRESEASON SECOND-TEAM ALL-SUN BELT
 
ROGER CARTER
TE • 6-4, 250 • Senior* • Columbia, S.C.
 
Two-time All-Sun Belt Conference (2019 & 2020) ...Three-year starter and four-year letterwinner with 76 career receptions for 901 yards and 10 touchdowns in 44 games ... His 10 career TD receptions are tied for sixth in GSU history and tied for first, with Keith Rucker, among tight ends ... Outstanding receiver who is also a key component in Georgia State's strong running game ... Third-team All-Sun Belt in 2020 ... Team's third-leading receiver with 23 catches for 285 yards ... Second among Sun Belt tight ends with four TD receptions ... Caught touchdowns of four and 36 yards in win over Troy. Tied his career high with seven catches for 72 yards ... Hauled in a 4-yard scoring pass in win over ULM ... Had two catches in season opener vs. No. 19 Louisiana: a 28-yard TD and a 25-yard reception to the 4-yard line to set up another TD ... Had a key catch in the LendingTree Bowl win with a 26-yard reception down to the 8-yard line to set up the touchdown that gave GSU a 27-7 lead at the half ... Honorable mention All-Belt selection in 2019 ... Team's third-leading receiver with 28 catches for 334 yards and 3 TD.
 
ANTAVIOUS LANE
S • R-Sophomore • 5-9, 180 • West Palm Beach, Fla.
           
Emerged as a second-team All-Sun Belt safety as a redshirt freshman in 2020 ... Tied the GSU season record with four interceptions (in eight games) ... Led the Sun Belt and ranked No. 6 in FBS with 0.5 interceptions per game ... Also ranked second in the league and No. 13 in FBS with 1.2 passes defended per game ... GSU's third-leading tackler 55 stops, including two tackles for loss, along with six pass breakups and a forced fumble ... Named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week after returning an interception 34 yards for a touchdown vs. East Carolina. Also had five tackles and two pass breakups, helping hold ECU to 286 total yards, 50 yards rushing and no offensive touchdowns ... Got his second interception in win at Troy as he grabbed a tipped ball in the end zone and returned it 42 yards. Also had seven tackles and a pass breakup ... Opened the season with a career-high nine tackles, one tackle for loss and a forced fumble vs. Louisiana ... Grabbed his third interception at App State, along with nine tackles, to help hold the Mountaineers to a season-low 310 yards ... Missed final two regular-season games due to injury ... Named to the AP All-Bowl Team after the LendingTree Bowl victory over WKU. Made five tackles and an interception, the first pick thrown by WKU QB Tyrell Pigrome all season after 278 attempts. Helped the GSU defense allow just 284 total yards.
 
CORNELIUS McCOY
WR • 5-11, 185 • Senior • Deerfield Beach, Fla.
           
Has earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors his first three seasons ... Fourth in GSU history with 136 career receptions and 1,699 yards receiving yards, trailing only the NFL trio of Robert Davis, Penny Hart and Albert Wilson ... Tied for sixth with 10 touchdown catches ... Has caught at least one pass in every game he has played (32 straight games), including at least two receptions in his last 27 games ... 2020 All-Sun Belt (honorable mention) and the team's second-leading receiving with 31 catches for 447 yards and four TDs in seven games ... After missing three games due to injury, he returned with a big game vs. ULM. Caught a 57-yard pass on the first play of the game, and went on to finish with seven catches for 118 yards, including TD catches of 3 and 18 yards ... Caught five passes for 111 yards in win over Georgia Southern, including a 45-yard touchdown catch. Also had a 44-yard catch ... GSU's leading receiver in the LendingTree Bowl victory over WKU with five catches for 88 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown ... All-Sun Belt Conference (third team) in 2019 as GSU's leading receiver with 70 catches for 757 yards and five touchdowns ... Earned honorable mention all-conference recognition in 2018, when he started every game as a true freshman and was GSU's second-leading receiver with 35 catches for 495 yards ... Led all Sun Belt freshmen in receptions and receiving yards.
 
QUAVIAN WHITE
CB • 5-10, 185 • Senior • Greer, S.C.
           
All-Sun Belt Conference cornerback and three-year starter in the secondary ... Tied for second in GSU history with six career interceptions, including two late, game-saving interceptions vs. Army and Georgia Southern ... Third in GSU history with 23 career passes defended (interceptions + breakups) ... Second-team All-Sun Belt in 2020 ... Fifth in Sun Belt and No. 20 in FBS in passes defended (1.2 pg) with three interceptions and eight pass breakups ... Helped GSU rank No. 10 in FBS with 21 turnovers forced ... Finished with 49 tackles, including 37 solo stops ... Named to the Paul Hornung Award Weekly Honor Roll vs. No. 19 Louisiana. Grabbed an interception at GSU 15-yard line late in the first half, likely preventing a score. Also had seven solo tackles, two pass breakups, one kickoff return for 22 yards and two punt returns for 17 yards ... Had an interception, one pass breakup and four tackles, including 1.5 sacks, to help GSU hold ECU to 286 total yards, 50 yards rushing and zero offensive touchdowns in 49-29 win ... Six tackles and two pass breakups in win over ULM ... Career-high nine tackles as GSU held App State to a season-low 314 total yards ... His interception in the final two minutes sealed the 30-24 win over Georgia Southern ... Tied for the team lead with two interceptions while leading the squad with seven pass breakups in 2019, highlighted by his game-saving interception on fourth down at the 2-yard line with 1:00 left to seal the Panthers' 28-20 win over Army ... Earned a starting berth as a true freshman in 2018, when he collected 42 tackles, one interception, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
 
HARDRICK WILLIS
DE • 6-3, 244 • R-Senior • Jonesboro, Ga.
           
Three-year starter and two-time All-Sun Belt performer at defensive end ... Georgia State's career leader in sacks with 12.0 ... Ranks eighth with 18.0 tackles for loss ... Has 10.5 sacks 15.5 TFL over the last two seasons ... 2020 team captain and second-team All-Sun Belt selection ... Second on the team and third in the Sun Belt with 6.0 sacks  ... Key contributor on a GSU defense with a school-record 32 sacks (No. 7 in FBS)  ... Third on the team with 7.0 TFL, along with 25 tackles and a forced fumble ... Broke the GSU career sack record with 1.5 sacks in win at South Alabama as the Panthers tied the school record with seven sacks and allowed just 14 points and 324 yards ... Had 1.5 sacks, including one on which he stripped the QB and GSU recovered, in win over ULM ... Had a sack to help GSU hold App State to a season low 310 yards of offense ... Finished with a half-sack in the LendingTree Bowl win over WKU, in which GSU allowed just 284 total yards ... 2019 All-Sun Belt Conference (honorable mention), when he the team with 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles ... 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.
 
DONTAE WILSON
NG • 6-0, 275 • Senior* • Jefferson, Ga.
           
Three-year starter and two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection at noseguard ... Fourth in GSU history with 8.5 career sacks and sixth with 19.5 tackles for loss ... 2020 team captain and third-team All-Sun Belt Conference honoree ... Made 27 tackles with 3.5 TFL and a fumble recovery in eight games ... Opened the season with two tackles for loss vs. No. 19 Louisiana ... Keyed strong defensive effort vs. East Carolina, when GSU allowed just 50 yards rushing and 286 total yards ... Recovered a fumble in win vs. ULM ... Anchored a GSU defense that held four opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing, including season-low 40 yards in win over Troy ... Helped hold App State to season-low 310 yards .. Missed final two regular-season games due to injury ... All-Sun Belt Conference (honorable mention) 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 ... Two sacks in win over Furman ... 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.