Georgia State football is set to lose a talented safety to the transfer portal. The Panthers are coming off a tough first year under head coach Dell McGee, going 3-9 overall and 1-7 in the Sun Belt Conference. Georgia State recently qualified for a bowl game in five out of the last seven years under former head coach Shawn Elliot. Elliot departed the program this past offseason to join South Carolina as the tight ends coach and run game coordinator.

The Panthers are ultimately suffering a significant loss in the secondary. According to National College Football Reporter for CBS Sports and 247sports, Matt Zenitz, Jeremiah Johnson is entering the transfer portal. In his three-year career with the Panthers, the junior safety has recorded 164 tackles, two interceptions, and seven interceptions. Johnson was also named to All-Sun Belt Conference teams in 2023 and 2024. 

Jeremiah Johnson will draw interest from a ton of teams in the portal

Georgia State Panthers head coach Dell McGee on the sideline against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field.
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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Jeremiah Johnson will immediately be one of the top safeties available in the portal over these next few days. The winter transfer portal window officially closes on December 28. Should the junior not find a new team by then, he must wait for the spring window to open in April to join a program. Johnson had his best year with the Panthers in 2024. The standout stat for the Anguilla, Mississippi native was a career-high six passes defended.

This offseason, Georgia State made a unique decision, hiring strength coach Mike Sirignano as the interim head coach after Elliot's departure. Ultimately, this did not last long, and Sirignano eventually left to work with Rutgers University's strength program. The Panthers subsequently hired former Georgia running backs coach Dell McGee. While it's been a trying first season under its new head coach, growing pains were expected. This is McGee's first full-time head coaching job at the college level.

Still, Jeremiah Johnson is a massive loss to the Panthers' future on defense. With one year of eligibility remaining, “Power Four” FBS programs should come knocking to sign the junior. Meanwhile, Dell McGree must be aggressive in the transfer portal to fill this hole at the safety position. After a successful tenure under Shawn Elliot, the Panthers are rebuilding again. The program needs to do its best to add new talent and keep the talent it already has.