Two years ago, Quavian White became more than just another name of Georgia State’s two-deep roster.
The cornerback from Greer, S.C., stepped in front of a pass at the 2-yard line for the second interception of his career, a pick with one minute remaining that secured the Panthers’ 28-21 win over Army. That victory, combined with the historic season-opening win over Tennessee, helped that 2019 team win seven games and earn a spot in the Arizona Bowl.
Now a senior, White has continued to hone his skills to the point that he was a second-team All-Sun Belt selection in 2020 and named to the preseason all-conference team. White is one of nine returning defensive starters for Georgia State, which opens the season on Saturday against Army at Center Parc Stadium. Kickoff is at noon. The game will be televised on ESPNU and can be heard locally on WRAS-FM 88.5.
White said that game and that interception were memorable, but it wasn’t necessarily a pivotal moment for him. He just sees it as another step in becoming a better player.
“I had been starting since my freshman year, so I was always pretty confident,” White said. “Over the years I have gained more confidence.”
In four seasons, White has 129 total tackles, 99 of those solo stops, five tackles for loss and 23 passes defended. He had three interceptions last year, giving him six for his career – one shy of the school record held by Chandon Sullivan, now in his fourth season with the Green Bay Packers. The pick against Army and the one in 2020 against Georgia Southern both proved to be game-saving interceptions.
“Here’s a guy who came in and started as a true freshman and he was real green at that point,” Georgia State coach Shawn Elliott said. “But we needed production back there and we thought, given the chance to grow and develop, that over time he would benefit our football program and our defense and it certainly has.”
White, who had offers from Wisconsin and Appalachian State before choosing Georgia State, has witnessed his own development. He’s more of a complete player.
“I’ve grown a lot from learning different techniques and looking at situations and formations,” White said. “I’ve have more ideas about what they might be running and what they’re trying to do. It’s just kind of learning as you get older.”
Elliott said, “That first year he was just kind of, ‘Oh, I’m out here playing and I’ll make a mistake,’ to now he’s at the forefront of creating great turnovers. He’s very smart and savvy. He’s got techniques that’s really improved since three and four years ago and its really exciting to see.”
Georgia State will have three new starters on defense – Tre Moore, Justin Abraham and Jhi’Shawn Taylor. Moore moves in at defensive end, which allows Jontrey Hunter to move to outside linebacker. Abraham takes the inside linebacker spot vacated by the graduation of Trajan Stephens-McQueen. Taylor slides in at the other outside linebacker post, where he backed up Jordan Strachan, who transferred to South Carolina.
Moore (6-foot-4, 250 pounds) played in every game in 2019 but missed the entire 2020 regular season with a back injury. He returned for the bowl game and had a sack in the win over Western Kentucky.
“He plays with the mentality that I really have to slow him down,” Elliott said. “I can him ‘angry’ because it seems like no matter what type of tempo were playing, he’s got an angry mentality. He wants to tackle, he wants the ball, he wants to hit. He’s electric to watch and when I say he’s electric, he gets me fired up to watch him play.”
Abraham (6-1, 233) was named the team’s top defensive newcomer after spring practice. He played four games last year and retained his redshirt freshman status.
“He’s a big, strong physical linebacker with length in his arms,” Elliott said. “We weren’t able to knock people back there in the past. I think he’s got the frame and the strength, even though he’s still young, that he can push people around in the middle. That’s a good thing when you go against those big offensive lines.”
Taylor (6-3, 210) is a three-year letter winner who started 12 games in 2019, but shifted to a backup role when Strachan enjoyed a breakout 2020 season.
They will all be needed to slow an Army team that went 9-3 in 2020 and finished fifth in the nation with 264.7 yards per game. The Cadets lost four of five starters on the offensive line, but return a lot of experience in the backfield.
“I’ve got confidence in our staff and I’ve got confidence in our players that we’ll be ready and give it our best shot on Saturday,” Army coach Jeff Monken said.
A big crowd is expected. There were 21,720 who attended the Army game in 2019, the largest home crowd since the 2018 home opener against Kennesaw State. Not only is Army a national draw, the Cadets have 29 players from Georgia on the roster.
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