GEORGIA STATE (0-0, 0-0 SBC) vs NCA&T (0-0, 0-0 SBC)
Friday, Sept. 4 | 7:00 p.m. | Atlanta, Ga.
TV: ESPN+
RADIO: Georgia State Radio Network in Atlanta on WRAS-FM 88.5, in Gainesville on WGTJ-FM 97.5, GSU Athletics mobile app, www.LowCountryRadio.com
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ATLANTA-- Georgia State opens the season with a Friday-night showdown, hosting North Carolina A&T on Sept. 4 at 7:00 p.m. at Center Parc Credit Union Stadium.
Georgia State athletics will host its annual #FanFromDay1 tradition, welcoming fist-year students to join the team in the preseason run out. The athletics department will also host Friday night Fireworks, featuring the largest fireworks display in Atlanta.
The Panthers enter year three under the direction of head coach Dell McGee.
Georgia State returns 50 student athletes from the 2025 roster and added 67 newcomers, including 37 transfers and 24 freshmen.
SERIES HISTORY
Georgia State and North Carolina A&T are meeting for the first time in program history.
SEASON OPENERS
The 2026 season marks the first time since 2023, and the first time in the McGee era, that Georgia State hosts the season-opener.
Georgia State is 6-10 in season openers after falling to Ole Miss during the 2025 season.
With this season's home-opener, the Panthers have hosted 12 of the program's 16 total season-openers, including the first nine from 2010-18. The Panthers opened on the road for just the fourth time in 15 seasons of existence last season, including three in the last four seasons. The only other time that GSU has opened the season on the road was the 2019 upset against Tennessee (38-30).
Georgia State is opening on a Friday for the fifth time since the team's inception. The team opened on a weeknight for its first nine years of existence and then again during the 2023 season, including five Thursday games, four Fridays and one Wednesday.
2025 RECAP
In the Panthers' second season under head coach McGee, Georgia State finished 1-11 (0-8 SBC) on the season, with a 37-21 win over Murray State.
KEY RETURNERS
Senior Cameran Brown returns for year two as the Panthers' starting quarterback. Brown saw action in 10 games and started in four. He led the team through the air with 1,296 yards on 120 completions and 13 touchdowns... Limited his offensive game to only one interception throughout the entirety of the season.
The Panthers returned key offensive performers in running back DJ Murray, receivers DJ Riles, Kyle Washington and DJ Avery Jr. and tight ends Grant Hollier and Avion McBride. On the front line, Georgia State also returned veterans Donnovan Funsch, Thyler Williams and Deandre Duffus, who contributed to 2,586 yards in the air and 1,294 on the ground.
Defensively, the Panthers also returned defensive backs Deuce Walker, Derrick Maxey III and Tyson McCrary, as well as linebackers Kelan Butler Coby Owens. On the line, Georgia State returned defensive ends Jabriel Rhodes-Nelson and Richard Kramer.
FROM THE TRANSFER PORTAL
Beating last year's record for the biggest transfer class in program history, Georgia State brought in 37 transfers, including eight junior college student athletes.
Head coach McGee welcomed eight transfers from Power 4 conferences, including: Jordan Brown (Arizona), Deylin Hassert (Iowa State), Jaydon Hood (Michigan), Marcus Mascoll (Florida), Keenan Nelson (Ohio State), Kelton Smith (Georgia), Gage Stanaland (Oklahoma State), Isaiah Stone (LSU).
The Panthers also added G5 transfer Kelze Howard from Oregon State.
FRESHMEN FACES
Georgia State added 24 fresh faces from the high school class of 2026, adding depth on both sides of the ball.
Expected to see action on the offense is Quantavius Wiggins, an Atlanta native from Langston Hughes, who was one of the top rated running backs out of high school.
UP NEXT
Georgia State heads up I-75 to face Kennesaw State on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 7:00 p.m. in game one of the scheduled home-and-home.
