Georgia State's story is the opposite: Dell McGee is 4-20 through two seasons in Atlanta, and 2026 is unmistakably a make-or-break year. The lone bright spot has been quarterback Cameran Brown, who missed time last fall with an undisclosed injury but was terrific when healthy — 1,296 yards, 13 touchdowns and just 1 interception. He reportedly looked sharp again in the spring game, which matters plenty for a team that went winless against FBS competition in 2025.
The gap in returning production is stark. Kennesaw State brought back three all-conference performers on the offensive line and its top two tacklers on defense — Baron Hopson (138 stops) and Tywon Christopher — while landing 14 preseason all-CUSA selections, second-most in the league behind only one other team. Georgia State's optimism is more targeted: tight end Grant Hollier (21 catches) is trending toward all-conference honors, and three returning offensive line starters give Brown a foundation, but the roster-wide talent disparity is real.
None of that guarantees a laugher. Kennesaw State's offense torched Liberty 48-42 last season, so there's shootout upside if Collins settles in early, but new-quarterback rust is a real thing in a Week 2 spot. Georgia State, for its part, doesn't need to be great — it just needs Brown healthy and moving the chains against a Kennesaw State defense that, for all its returning talent, is still adjusting to a new starter under center on the other side of the ball too. This is a program-trajectory game as much as it is a Saturday matchup.