With their backs against the wall, the Georgia Southern football team pulled off a 24-19 win at Marshall Saturday to finish their regular season at 6-6 and become bowl eligible for the fourth-straight season.

The Eagles now will wait on the bowl committees to decide where they will go. Officially, that will be Sunday, but there are occasions when the bowl itself will reveal the teams before that date. Wherever they go, coach Clay Helton is just thankful for the opportunity.

"There are 25 guys in our locker room we fought for because we wanted to give them the opportunity to play in four straight bowl games,” Helton said. “Players like Dalen Cobb, OJ Arnold, Pichon Wimbley, Caleb Cook and Davion Rhodes are leaving a legacy now with this bowl bid. Earning the opportunity to play in a bowl game is something our team never takes for granted. It is a reflection of months of hard work, growth and belief in each other."

The Eagles have advanced to bowl games in each of the four seasons under Helton but have yet to come away with a win. Helton hopes to change that this year.

“Our players and staff are extremely excited for the chance to compete one more time together, represent Georgia Southern the right way and build momentum for the future,” Helton said.  “Bowl season is special, and we’re grateful to be a part of it."

Early recruiting class – 2026

Also, the Eagles unveiled their 2026 early recruiting class Wednesday. A balanced class has 10 players signed on offense and 10 on defense with 19 being high school seniors and one junior college transfer.

“It is always a great day when you get to welcome 20 new players to our Georgia Southern family,” Helton said. “This is a class I am very proud of and all the work our staff and recruiting team put into to getting these guys here. We have stuck to our blueprint of bringing in high school players from primarily the state of Georgia, as well as our surrounding states. We have 13 kids from the state of Georgia five are from Florida and two from South Carolina."

Among the players of note is quarterback Harrison Faulkner (6-0, 190 lbs.) whose father Buster is the current offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech. West Laurens running back Ty Cummings (5-8, 180 lbs.) set a Georgia high school record this season when he rushed for 615 yards on 19 carries and had eight touchdowns in a single game. Another familiar name to people in the Bulloch County area is the lone junior college recruit, running back Tyrese Woodget (5-10, 190 lbs.) from Georgia Military. He played at Coffee County in high school.

The Eagles will continue to add to their roster as the transfer portal will be open Jan 2-16 and there will be a second signing period in early February.

Georgia Southern Football Class of 2026 Early Signees

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. State High School/Last

Harrison Faulkner QB 6-0 190 GA North Oconee HS

Grady Howell OL 6-5 290 GA West Laurens HS

JQ Crosby TE 6-3 220 SC Stratford HS

Max Haertel DB 6-0 200 GA Forsyth Central HS

Kru Casey LB 6-1 225 F: Nease HS

Dariyon Gordon DB 6-1 170 FL Ocoee HS

Tylin Drakeford DB 5-10 180 SC Camden HS

Jayvon Perry OL 6-4 270 FL Mainland HS

Ty Cummings RB 5-8 180 GA West Laurens HS

Jaden Johnson OL 6-5 290 GA Lovejoy HS

Stephone Ross DL 6-4 270 GA Mainland HS

Liam Thompson OL 6-5 280 GA Harlem HS

Alec Upshaw DL 6-3 230 GA Calhoun HS

Zay Hilliard WR 6-3 205 FL University Christian School

Jayden Jackson DB 6-0 170 FL Fort White HS

DA Logan DL 6-3 240 GA Carrollton HS

RJ Isaac Jr. DB 5-10 175 GA Grayson HS

Jarvis Mathurin WR 5-7 160 GA Hebron Christian School

Tyrese Woodgett RB 5-10 190 GA Coffee HS (Ga. Military Coll.)

Xavier Brown LB 6-1 220 GA Camden County HS