STATESBORO - Georgia Southern head football coach Chad Lunsford and several players met with the media Wednesday afternoon at Bishop Field House to discuss the Eagles' upcoming preseason camp. Media and interviewees were kept at a safe distance and all safety protocols were in place in an effort to protect everyone from the spread of COVID-19.

Here are a few of the top items to come from the gathering:

• While the full roster features close to 130 players, only 110 are allowed for preseason camp (plus injured players undergoing rehab) before classes begin and that's how many are expected to take the field on Friday. The Eagles will cross the bridge at Beautiful Eagle Creek on Friday morning for an 8:20 a.m. practice in helmets only, and that practice will last about two hours.

• Lunsford announced that junior quarterback Justin Tomlin will have to miss the first two games of the season due to academic reasons stemming from early in his collegiate career. He also announced that back-up Connor Cigelske will miss a significant amount of time due to a shoulder injury he sustained late in spring practice that required surgery. That leaves redshirt freshman Sam Kenerson, who played two snaps last season, and true freshman Cam Ransom seeing a lot of action on day one. The staff has also been impressed with Quincy Bonner, a true freshman who played at Army West Point Prep last season.

• Other injuries of note: Will Lovett Jr., Deonta Bembry and Gavin Adcock will not be on the field at the beginning of camp as they continue to rehab from off-season surgeries. Tight end D.J. Butler suffered an injury this summer and is out for the season.

• Defensive end Justin Ellis said that there is a lot more certainty this year in terms of the certainty of playing football. Last year at this time, games and schedules were changing by the hour due to COVID-19 and this year they know they'll be taking the field Friday. He also said it's been nice to be together doing workouts and team bonding as opposed to working in small groups like they did last year. He stressed everyone is still taking things seriously because no one wants to get sick, but going through what they did last year makes them know they can get through anything.

• Safety Anthony Wilson agreed with reporters that the secondary is a strength of the defense. He said they all have a good bond and grew last year as the season went along. Wilson is really looking forward to this year and seeing what the entire defense can do under coordinator Scot Sloan. Even though Derrick Canteen garners a lot of the headlines after tying for the national lead with six interceptions last season, Wilson said the entire secondary feeds off of each other and it's not about one guy. He said seeing everyone be successful is what they strive for. Wilson also wants to be vocal leader and said that inside the locker room, they believe in themselves and know what they have, but the preseason predictions add chips to their shoulders and they know what they can do.

• Offensive lineman Aaron Dowdell is excited about how many players are back on the line and he's excited to lead that group. This is his sixth and final year, and he wants to lead. When asked why he returned for one last season, he said he and the offense have a lot to prove. He also came for his brothers because he's going to miss it when he's gone and he wants to win a Sun Belt championship.

• Punter Anthony Beck II said it's weird to be the old guy of the specialist group as he was under Tyler Bass and Ryan Langan the past three years, but he likes the role and the young guys in his group. He said he's shown them the ropes and told them how things are done and expects things to run smoothly. Beck II also said he wants to be a coach when he's done playing and wants to use his knowledge of football to teach you guys at every position. When asked about having big crowds back in Paulson this fall, he said the specialists get to enjoy the game more than anybody and he's excited about seeing the Power of Paulson. When asked about Dexter Carer Jr. winning the "Best Hair" contest, he conceded that he's accepted the results, but vows to get it next year.

Georgia Southern opens the 2021 season on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. against Gardner-Webb. Season tickets, single-game tickets and mini plans are on sale through GSEagles.com/tickets