STATESBORO - With spring practice in the books and summer workouts around the corner, GSEagles.com is sitting down with each of the three coordinators from the Georgia Southern football program to get their take on how things look after 15 practices. Up first is offensive coordinator Bryan Ellis.

Q: What about the quarterbacks as a whole stood out to you this spring? 
A: I think we progressed. You know, the biggest thing was you had two newcomers that we took in JC French and Davis Brin and trying to get ready to play in a game, which I think they both did a really nice job. Obviously, Davis, having played as long as he's played and as much experience as he has, has done a really good job. JC is an extremely talented kid, and we're excited about his long-term future. And then I thought Colton FitzGerald took a huge step forward from last fall to this spring to where he's at now. They all did a nice job. As much as I love Kyle Vantrease, the thing we really harped on was not turning the ball over. I think we kept the turnovers in the quarterback room by the guys that are going to play to a minimum, which was good.

Q: How do you feel about the running backs?
A: Jalen White didn't practice, but he's the best player in the entire team. It's not a secret. OJ Arnold and Terrance Gibbs were really good this spring. I think OJ took a huge step forward in the run game. He has always been lethal out of the backfield, but I thought he did a nice job commanding the offense and taking on all the starter's reps. I thought he did a really good job. Just to be able to see Terrance go out there and do what he did was awesome. I think Terranc e will be able to help us. 

Q: What about at tight end?
A: I'm really pleased with both Jjay Mcafee and Keaton Upshaw. I felt that Jjay took a huge step forward from where he ended last year. We just got to keep Jjay healthy. Keaton came in and learned the offense, and I think he also did some good things. Evan Lester Jr. is still learning the offense, and I think doing a good job in that regard, and Beau Johnson is a really steady player for us. We have some depth here. 

Q: Let's move to the inside receiver spots. What are you pleased with regarding that group?
A: One of the most challenging things to do when you have a ton of success, like Khaleb Hood, is going out there and getting better. Hood got better. I think Dalen Cobb gives us a similar skill set to what Amare Jones gave us. He's he's built like a running back. He's strong. He's smart. He's got excellent hands. I think he's going to be lethal in the perimeter screen game. So I'm excited about him. And then Jaylon Barden can really run. I think his speed will be huge for us. I think DeAndre Buchannon has a chance to be really special. And Joshua Thompson is going to have a package for us as well.

Q: What about the outside receivers?
A: It was nice to get Derwin Burgess Jr. back from his injury, and letting him get back out there and do some of the things he does was good. Anthony Queeley was a huge surprise. Sometimes, it's hard to learn what we do and how we play our offense, but I think he did a really good job of learning it. Pressing forward, he probably beat out Marcus Sanders Jr. just because he was there, and Marcus missed most of the spring with an injury. But Marcus is going to play a lot. He is a good player for us.

Q: Your line had to learn from another new coach. How did you feel they did?
A: You know, it's hard to beat seven sacks in the year. That's tough to beat. I think we lost two good players and Caleb Kelly and Logan Langemeier. So trying to replace them was a priority. I think Chandler Strong got a chance to be a really, really good player for us. The biggest thing was them to learn their new coach and continue to gel with one another, and I think they've done that. Experience, especially the O-Line position, is one of the greatest things you can have. You know those wars that go on during the game, you know, you really don't know what it's like to go in there until you've done. To have a guy like Brian Miller, who has played almost 3,000 collegiate snaps, and to have him at that left tackle spot is invaluable. And then Khalil Crowder, who has played well over 2,000 career snaps, makes most of our calls from the guard spot. Having him and Pichon Wimbley at the guard spots is comforting. They're both such smart kids that they get us in the right protections. And Bryson Broadway has played a lot of college snaps as well, just not here, so we're in good shape up front.

Our entire offense is predicated on keeping the quarterback upright. If the quarterback can get the ball off, we're probably going to get some people open. We've got some good skill players. So as long as we can get the ball thrown, good things will happen for us most of the time. People think "Air Raid," and we throw the ball a lot, and we're simple in pass protection ... we're not. What we do pass protection-wise, a lot goes into it. And to have guys that have been in there and done it and to be able to make the calls and gel gives me confidence in where we are.

Q: We talked last week that you guys get labeled as a pass-happy offense, but you scored 23 touchdowns on the ground against 28 in the air last year. Do you guys have the philosophy that the passing game opens up the running game? 
A: I think we will be better in the run game because we're bigger up front. As good as that group played, and man, they gave us everything they had, which was awesome, but we had some deficiencies up there, especially in run blocking and being able to move people.

I think the center's bigger. The right tackle is going to be bigger and has gotten bigger. Pichon and Khalil have both gotten bigger. I think being able to move some people off the line will do nothing but benefit us. And then, when you hand the ball to 25 (Jalen White), good things happen. 

Q: Let's talk superlatives. I know it's hard sometimes to narrow it down, but who are a few newcomers that really stood out?
A: Between Davis, AQ, and Broadway, I think that's a ton of experience. I know it hasn't been with us and Georgia Southern, but that's a ton of playing experience walking in here to learn how we do it. I think it will only make us better. Those three kids I got to chance to help us out. When you talk about the freshmen, I was really pleased with both DeAndre and Chandler Strong. Those two young guys are going to play for us this year, and one of them will probably start for us.

Q: Who are a couple of guys on the team last year but didn't play a lot that you were really pleased with the spring, and Eagle Nation needs to keep an eye on come this fall?
A: Getting Terrance back out there will be huge. He brings a physical style of play like Jalen White. When you get a six-foot, 210-pound back going downhill, there aren't many of those in our league. Having another guy for short-yardage situations is big. I think everybody saw last year when we lost Jalen how different of a team we were, and to have two of them now will help us.

Q: Finally, what are your overall thoughts on the offense as a whole after you leave spring going into the fall?
A: I think we got better in the spring. I think we had a really good spring. I don't think the Spring Game showed that. I think we had 14 really good days of practice. I've preached to them the whole time to keep the chip on the shoulder we had last year. We walked in here last year, and everybody told us we, including myself, wouldn't be any good. They said we got a bad coach and that we had a bunch of bad players. We all used that as motivation. We went out and showed who we all were. 

I think it's easier to be good when you're not supposed to be than it is to be good when you are supposed to be. That's going to be our challenge. Going out scoring 10 points against Marshall this year will not be acceptable. We want to score 35 points or more every night we walk out there, and that's a heck of a challenge, but I think we're up to it. 

Georgia Southern opens its 2023 season on Saturday, Sept. 2, at home against The Citadel. Season tickets are on sale through GSEagles.com/Tickets.

UPCOMING SPRING RECAPS:
Defense - Thursday, May 4
Special teams - Thursday, May 11