What You Need to Know
* Georgia State opens the 2016 season Friday Sept. 2 vs. Ball State at the Georgia Dome.
* The Panthers return 16 starters after earning their first bowl berth in 2015.
* Season tickets are on sale now by calling 404-413-4020 or visiting GeorgiaStateSports.com.
ATLANTA -- As Georgia State continues summer workouts, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter says his defensive unit is making the most of this opportunity to prepare for the upcoming season.
"First and foremost, the guys are working really hard. Coach [Scott] Holsopple does a great job in the weight room and on the field, of preparing them for training camp and the season," Minter said.
"We're trying to keep teaching the basics of the system, especially for the new guys who have just come in, and we're also trying to get a jump start on our first couple of opponents. It's a lot of individual work on the field, but in the film room, it's learning about the defense."
Minter's defense, the nation's most improved in 2015, returns nine starters and numerous key backups, who are blending with the new freshmen who reported in June.
"The older guys ... it's really their defense now, so they are a great asset to help teach the younger guys," Minter said.
One key "newcomer" on the defense was with the team last fall, but Andrew Everett sat out the 2015 season as a transfer. The senior from Lawrenceville, Ga., (Collins Hill High School) and Old Dominion transfer is expected to step into starting role at outside linebacker.
"It was a different kind of experience," Everett said of practicing with the team last fall but not playing. "It was humbling because I was on the exchange team, but I got to bond with a lot of the guys and be a part of a big turnaround."
Minter added, "Andrew, if he keeps working hard, is going to have a great season. He's played a lot of football in his career, and we expect big things out of him."
Georgia State will be looking to play in its second straight bowl game in 2016 after earning a trip to the 2015 AutoNation Cure Bowl for the first bowl berth in the program's six-year history. Head coach Trent Miles' squad welcomes back 16 starters, led by All-Sun Belt returnees Penny Hart, Robert Davis, Keith Rucker, Chandon Sullivan, Alonzo McGee, Shawanye Lawrence and Bobby Baker.
Season tickets for the 2016 season can be purchased by calling 404-413-4020 or visiting GeorgiaStateSports.com. The Panthers open Sept. 2 vs. Ball State at the Georgia Dome, and the home slate also features a Thursday night, nationally-televised game vs. defending Sun Belt champion Arkansas State (Nov. 3) and a visit from in-state rival Georgia Southern (Nov. 19).
