Two Georgia State Defenders To Watch For When They Face Georgia Tech On Saturday

Some key Panthers defenders to keep your eyes on this Saturday in the home opener.

(Georgia State Media)

This Saturday's home opener is expected to have a loud home crowd, with the Georgia Tech faithful riding high off this past weekend's upset over the #10 Florida State Seminoles. Georgia Tech will be welcoming nearby Georgia State, which is under new leadership with Head Coach Dell McGee, formerly the running backs coach for the University of Georgia.

Unlike last week's matchup, Tech enters into week 1 with a W already in the win column; however, the cross-city rival Panthers will be seeking their first win of the season in McGee's first game as the head coach. For the Panthers, this season will be a live evaluation season for a team that lost a lot offensively and still has question marks surrounding the defense, which ranked last in pass defense in the Sunbelt last season. In contrast, the narrative for the Yellow Jackets will be if they can handle the national spotlight and remain focused by not playing down to competition in this Saturday night's matchup.

Heres a couple names to know on the Georgia State defense.

Players To Watch

1. SS Jeremiah Johnson

For a defense that struggled last year, it's going to take senior-led leadership and hard work to turn things around, and senior SS Jeremiah Johnson is a perfect candidate for that role. Last season Johnson was third in overall team tackles with 74 total, 1 sack, 1 FF, and 2 Int. In order for this defense to get any momentum early, look for Johnson to be in the box trying to cause havoc for the Yellow Jackets offense

2. LB Justin Abraham

Senior linebacker Justin Abraham is also a name to keep track of as Saturday's game looms. He's a four-year player for the Panthers, meaning he understands the magnitude of what it would mean to upset Georgia Tech. Abraham was second on the team in tackles with 82 and he also had 3.5 sacks, 1 FF, and 2 pass deflections. You can count on No. 48 in blue to be a hat around the ball and look for opportunities to sack Haynes King.