Georgia Southern Eagles 2026 Season Preview

The rebuild starts under center with Max Johnson, a North Carolina transfer whose journey through big-time college football has been anything but smooth. Now well into his mid-20s and roughly his seventh year, Johnson has bounced from LSU to Texas A&M to North Carolina, absorbing about every setback the sport can throw at a passer. His high-water mark remains 2021, when he threw for 2,814 yards with 27 touchdowns and just six interceptions at LSU. Injuries have taken a toll since, most recently a broken femur that limited him to spot duty in 2025 and held him to only 367 pass attempts across the past four seasons. The staff is banking on health and a revival, and coaches around the conference still respect his arm, his decision-making and his competitiveness.

If Johnson falters or needs a breather, sophomore Weston Bryan offers intrigue after accounting for six touchdowns on just 49 snaps as a freshman.

The most encouraging development at the skill spots is the return of Josh Dallas, back from a hip injury and medical redshirt that wiped out nearly all of 2025. He was a genuine weapon the year before, catching 46 passes for 614 yards and a team-best six touchdowns in 2024, and he immediately becomes the go-to option. Around him, Georgia Southern spent much of its portal capital on a fleet of Power 4 wideouts who never quite lived up to their recruiting billing at prior stops, headlined by Illinois transfer Ashton Hollins and fellow newcomer Andre Greene Jr. Both bring size on the perimeter, and the staff needs at least one of them to become a steady producer. At tight end, senior River Helms provides an experienced target underneath.

The backfield loses OJ Arnold and the roughly 1,100 rushing yards he provided, a hole the Eagles plan to fill by committee with homegrown backs in at least their third year in the program. David Mbadinga steps to the front after a long apprenticeship behind Arnold, and the staff believes the senior is ready for a featured role. Terrance Gibbs adds veteran depth. Whether any single back can approach Arnold's production is one of the offense's bigger questions.

Up front, the Eagles bring back several linemen with game experience, though none was a full-time starter a year ago, so continuity will have to be built in a hurry. Senior Caelan Williams anchors the group at left tackle, with veteran center Ty Furnish making the calls in the middle. Mo Clipper Jr., Colin Alexander and Matthew Williams are among those competing for the remaining spots. Solid protection will be essential for a quarterback whose recent history has been defined by injuries.

Mutz inherits the most established talent on this side of the ball along the front. The headliner is All-Sun Belt edge rusher MJ Stroud, the defense's top pass-rushing threat and a player opposing offenses will have to account for. Inside, the Eagles return nose tackle Latrell Bullard, who started 11 games in 2024 before redshirting last season, and defensive tackle Caleb Moore, an 11-game starter in his own right. That trio gives the new coordinator a foundation to build on, with Anthony Bynum and Kebba Secka rounding out the rotation off the edge.

Brandon Tyson leads an experienced linebacker corps and sets the tone in the middle. He gets reinforcement from Rashon Myles Jr., an all-conference performer at Abilene Christian who followed the FCS pipeline into this rebuild. Many of the new arrivals come from that level, several of them players the coordinator either coached or coached against during a three-year run at Stephen F. Austin, and the group's overall depth should be improved.

The secondary has a chance to be the strength of the defense. Cornerback Tracy Hill Jr. is back after posting 48 tackles and seven pass breakups, and he is joined by Chance Gamble, a second-team All-Sun Belt pick in 2024 who returned from a medical redshirt. Safety Aaron Sears arrives as an all-conference selection from Stephen F. Austin and brings instant credibility on the back end, with Jakyri Jones adding another veteran presence. If the pass rush and the coverage work in concert, this group can lift a unit that had nowhere to go but up.

The kicking game returns both specialists. Placekicker Tripp Bryant was automatic inside 40 yards as a freshman, connecting on all 16 of his short attempts, but he was just 2-of-5 from beyond that range, so extending his reliability is the offseason task. Punter Alex Smith, a former Australian tennis pro, is back for a fourth year after averaging 42.8 yards per punt. The return game has some experience but little proven explosiveness.