ATLANTA -- The Georgia State football program welcomed 11 new student-athletes on Wednesday's National Signing Day, including seven high school prospects and four transfers.

This Signing Day took on a new twist with the Panthers already in Boise, Idaho, for Saturday's Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

"Eleven signees today with seven high school athletes and four transfers. A couple more could be added," head coach Shawn Elliott said while standing along the Boise River outside Georgia State's hotel in Boise.

The group includes two running backs, two wide receivers, three offensive linemen, and one defensive lineman, linebacker, defensive back and tight end, 

Both running backs come via the transfer portal: CJ Beasley from Coastal Carolina and Domonique Thomas from Clemson.

"Running back was certainly a critical need for us," Elliott said. "CJ Beasley from Coastal Carolina brings experience right away that we need. I've watched him play and I've had to defend him and I think he's going to be a nice addition to our football team, along with Domonique Thomas from Clemson."

The Panthers also added defensive end Victoine Brown, who transfers from Louisville but played locally at Grayson High School. 

On the offensive line, Monmouth transfer Kyrik Mason joins high school signees Jules Ney, a native of Germany who played at Rabun Gap-Nachoochee in north Georgia, and Dominic Johnson from Ocala, Fla.

Two signees are the sons of college coaches in wide receiver Deuce Walker from Salisbury, N.C., whose father is the head coach at Catawba, and Austin McGee from Athens Academy, the son of Georgia running backs coach Dell McGee.

"Deuce Walker, from North Carolina, is a really great athlete," Elliott said. "He set all kinds of records at the wide receiver position, but he made the Shrine Bowl as a defensive back. Austin McGee brings tremendous speed. And both bring a high football IQ."

The Panthers also signed linebacker Damaine Wilson (Coconut Creek High School, Pompano Beach, Fla.) and tight end Lane Wadle (Greenfield (Ind.) Central High School) from the high school ranks.

"I think we've added a dynamic tight end in Lane Wadle," Elliott said. "This is a young man who can come in and play right away; he almost looks like he's a transfer. That's a big get for us."

The Panthers expect to add additional signees.

"This process is just the beginning," Elliott said. "Didn't want to quote-unquote spend all our money in one day. There are a lot of different pieces we want to add to our football team in the months ahead, and we want to make sure we get the right group in.

"In this business, every position is a piece you need to add. You cannot rest because you think you've got your roster set and then all of a sudden, you don't. 

"I would love to be able to sign high school athletes for every scholarship that we have, but with the transfer portal, that's not the case," he continued. "You have to find experienced guys. We're going to look to add the very best players we can."

Back to this year's team, Elliott and the Panthers are preparing to face Utah State Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

"We had an excellent practice this morning with a lot of energy," Elliott said. "We've got a lot young guys who are going to be stepping into new roles. We could have as many as seven new starters in the game. It's not something they take lightly, It's not something they take lightly, so they are going to line up and play as hard and as well as they can. And that's what I want to see, guys go out there and lay it on the line to try to win this football game for Georgia State."

UPDATE: Georgia State announced the addition of transfer cornerback Jyron Gilmore on Dec. 22. Gilmore, from Citra, Fla., and North Marion High School, spent the last four seasons at Tennessee Tech.

 

Name	Pos.	Ht., Wt.	Hometown	Previous School
Victoine Brown	DE	6-4, 250	Loganville, Ga.	Grayson/Louisville
Austin McGee	CB	5-9, 155	Watkinsville, Ga.	Athens Academy
Kyrik Mason	OL	6-3, 290	Columbia, Md.	St. John's Catholic/Monmouth
CJ Beasley	RB	5-9, 212	Norfolk, Va.	Maury/Coastal Carolina
Domonique Thomas	RB	5-9, 202	Ohatchee, Ala.	Ohatchee/Clemson
Deuce Walker	WR	5-10, 185	Salisbury, N.C.	Salisbury, N.C.
Jules Ney	OL	6-3, 285	Wiesbaden, Germany	Rabun Gap-Nacoochee
Lane Wadle	TE	6-5, 245	Greenfield, Ind.	Greenfield-Central
Recordo Tarver	WR	5-11, 180	Warner Robins, Ga.	Houston County
Dominic Johnson	OL	6-1, 260	Ocala, Fla.	Trinity Catholic
Jyron Gilmore	CB	5-9, 180	Citra, Fla.	North Marion