Tennessee football: Five Georgia State Panthers to watch for against Vols

Despite all the defensive names, the Georgia State Panthers will win games this season with high-powered offensive weapons. Shawn Elliott is a Steve Spurrier protege, and despite being an offensive line guru, his experience as an offensive coordinator makes him want to win games with firepower on that side of the ball.

This year, Georgia State has two running backs who could be elite in Seth Paige and Tra Barnett. But in a by-committee system, neither is crucial. Meanwhile, they lost their top receiver and returner, Penny Hart. So that leaves Cornelius McCoy, their No. 2 receiver, to pick up the slack. And he likely will take it to another level.

McCoy had 35 passes for 495 yards and a touchdown last year, and he was only a freshman. This year, at 5’11” 185 pounds, it’s clear that he’s going to be the major weapon Elliott relies on to help the Panthers take a major step forward. And he’s the guy Jeremy Pruitt will have to scheme for in open space.

Tennessee football already has a big of an issue here due to the suspension of Bryce Thompson. They now can’t put their best cornerback on McCoy, which makes things even more interesting. Combine that with the big leap the guy is expected to make as a sophomore, and quite honestly, the Vols may have a dangerous situation on their hands.