Jerick McKinnon and Dominique Swope. Jelani Hewitt. Ben Morgan. MiMi DuBose.
    Heading into the 2013-14 season — Georgia Southern's last as a member of the Southern Conference — there are plenty of Eagles returning to the mix who are expected to have a big impact and put up some big numbers.
    Fortunately for the "big four" sports, there are some breakout players waiting in the wings to make their mark, too.
    Here's a look at players to watch throughout the next season of GSU athletics.

Football
    OK, he's not exactly an unknown commodity, but the table is set for Johnathan Bryant to have a breakout season in 2013.
    With McKinnon and Swope providing a one-two punch that accounted for a cool 3,063 rushing yards and 36 rushing touchdowns in 2012 it's easy to forget about, well, everybody else.
    Bryant can do a little bit of everything. The rising senior slotback runs, catches, blocks and returns kicks and punts.
    Last season, Bryant was third on the team in rushing, totaling 506 yards and two touchdowns, averaging an eye-popping 9.2 yards per carry.
    He was also third on the team in receiving with seven catches for 197 yards.
    Bryant will put up huge numbers in 2013, if for no other reason, because he's the new go-to guy. J.J. Wilcox won't be back to return kickoffs. Darreion Robonson won't be back to take a majority of the pitches in the running game.
    While receivers Zach Walker and Kentrellis Showers are the obvious targets in the passing game and there is still a good amount of depth in the running back department, Bryant's role will be bigger than it's ever been before.

Men's Basketball
    With C.J. Reed gone to graduation and Eric Ferguson expected to miss the 2013-14 season recovering from surgery, guard Jelani Hewitt is expected to be the biggest scoring threat for the Eagles under first-year coach Mark Byington in 2013-14.
    Hewitt can't do all the scoring, though.
    Obviously, Byington's recruits and transfers will be leaned on heavily, but there's untapped scoring potential hiding in plain sight. Marvin Baynham has long been a role player for the Eagles, but with GSU looking guard heavy in the upcoming season, somebody's got to step in and own the paint.
    Kameron Dunnican is a big, long shot blocker who takes what he gets when it comes to scoring. Baynham, on the other hand, has shown the ability to create scoring opportunities inside 15 feet.
    Look for Baynham to start averaging double digit points — especially if he starts making his free throws.

Women's Basketball
    MiMi DuBose has been GSU's go-to scorer for a long time, and that won't change much in 2013-14.
    But the Eagles, who took strides in every position from point guard to forward under first-year coach Chris Vozab in 2012-13, have another natural scorer with the potential to light up the bottom of the net next season.
    Anna Claire Knight jacked up a lot of shots last year, because, well, she had to.
    Next year, GSU will have point guard Alexis Sams back with experience, a solid front court of Danielle Spencer, Sierra Kirkland and (if they're healthy) Aishya Wofford and Brittany Benzio, so the pressure should be off the shooting guards — Vozab's bread and butter.
    That means Knight will have better looks, and if that happens — look out.

Baseball
    Ben Morgan has the best stat line returning for GSU in 2014, and Chase Griffin — who had what can only be described as a sophomore slump last season — will be back in the mix, too.
    It's Casey Kicklighter, though, who has the potentail to really come onto the scene.
    Kicklighter spent 2013 recovering from an elbow injury, but if 2012 was any indication, he'll tap his share over the fence in 2014.
    As a freshman in 2012, Kicklighter was used primarily as a pinch hitter. If his five homers in 81 at-bats were any indication, Kicklighter has the ability to change a game with one swing of the bat.
    He was kept off balance with the off-speed stuff in 2012, but if there's any positive to his injury last season, he had an extra year to get up to speed.

    Matt Yogus may be reached at (912) 489-9408.