An intriguing transfer from the University of Georgia could turn out to be an impactful acquisition for Georgia State, which officially announced its 2026 football signing class on Monday.
Georgia State’s focus for the transfer portal this spring was the secondary and offensive line, among them guard Kelton Smith, who last played at the University of Georgia in 2023.
Smith is working to return from multiple injuries that forced him to medically retire from football a month before the start of the 2024 season. Smith (6-4, 332 pounds) is a former four-star player from Carver High School in Columbus, where GSU coach Dell McGee was formerly a head coach. Smith was once ranked as high as the No. 8 interior offensive lineman in the country.
The Panthers, trying to bounce back from last year’s 1-11 season, announced the signing of 34 players from the portal — 16 on offense, 17 on defense and one specialist. There are seven offensive linemen and nine defensive backs who will report for spring practice.
The plum offensive signee may be running back Keith Adams Jr., son of Keith Adams, an All-America linebacker at Clemson, and grandson of Julius Adams, who played 16 seasons with the New England Patriots.
The younger Adams played 174 snaps over 32 career games at Clemson. He carried 58 times in his career for 274 yards and two touchdowns.
Adams is one of 10 transfers from Power Four schools. He joins offensive lineman Jordan Brown (Arizona), Deylin Hasert (Iowa State), Marcus Mascoll (Florida), Connor Jones (Michigan), Gage Stranaland (Oklahoma State) and Kelton Smith (Georgia), linebacker Jaydon Hood (Michigan), defensive lineman Kelze Howard (Oregon State), and wide receiver Isaiah Stone (LSU).
Among the most experienced players in that group is Hood, who played in 26 games and earned four letters at Michigan. Hood, the grandson of Alabama great E.J. Junior, had 26 career tackles. Jones, the other Wolverine, played nine games in 2025 but only one on the offensive line.
The only quarterback signed through the portal is Ayden Pereira, a transfer from Merrimack. He threw for 1,813 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for 853 yards and seven touchdowns.
Other key defensive acquisitions include safety Tre Mittman of North Carolina A&T, who had 75 tackles last season; inside linebacker Ryan Green, who had 82 tackles at Wingate; defensive tackle Mandjou Berte, who had 49 tackles, 12 ½ tackles for loss at Wingate; and outside linebacker Xavier Esquillen, who had 11 ½ sacks at Savannah State.
The Panthers also finalized their list of 16 high school signees, led by offensive lineman Maxwell Robinson of Derby, Kansas. The four-star recruit chose Georgia State over Penn State and Vanderbilt.
GSU also signed Lithonia running back Xavier Butler, who rushed for 1,016 yards and 17 touchdowns and caught 27 passes for the Bulldogs, and wide receiver Zach Stair of Riverwood, who finished his career with 111 receptions for 2,098 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Portal signees
Connor Jones, OL, 6-5, 308, Michigan
Gage Stranaland, OL, 6-3, 315, Oklahoma State
Marcus Mascoll, OL, 6-5, 310, Florida
Lanear McCrary, RB, 5-10, 197, Shorter
Isaiah Stone, WR, 5-10, 169, LSU
Andre Jocelyn, DB, 5-11, 180, Benedict
Darius Johnson, DB, 6-0, 180, Gardner Webb
Deuce Lee, DB, 5-11, 195, Monmouth
Tre Mittman, S, 5-11, 185, North Carolina A&T
Jordan Brown, OL, 6-4, 335, Arizona
Matt Baron, TE, 6-5, 225, Fordham
Owen Dupree, WR, 6-5, 195, West Georgia
Cade Dutton, DB, 6-2, 175, American River College
Savion Hart, RB, 5-10, 200, Georgetown
Deylin Hasert, OL, 6-4, 320, Iowa State
Jaydon Hood, LB, 6-1, 225, Michigan
Rodshaun Dorsey, WR, 6-5, 210, Erskine
Christian Teeter, P, 6-7, 218, North Carolina A&T
Kelton Smith, OL, 6-4, 332, Georgia
Donovan Faria, S, 6-0, 191, Gannon
Ayden Pereira, QB, 6-0, 200, Merrimack
Kelze Howard, DL, 6-3, 278, Oregon State
Keith Adams Jr., RB, 5-10, 230, Clemson
Chase Allen-Jackman, WR, 6-3, 183, Washburn
Toby Bolton, DB, 6-4, 175, Tennessee Tech
A.J. Vaughns, DST, 6-5, 310, Dodge County CC
Eric Butler Jr., ILB, 6-1, 238, Coffeyville CC
Braylon Alexander, DB, 5-9, 163, Washburn
Ryan Green, ILB, 5-10, 235, Wingate
Tyrese Cathey, DT, 6-2, 278, NE Mississippi CC
Jacorey Walker, DB, 5-9, 171, Georgia Military
Peter Diaz, OL, 6-2, 298, Shippensburg
Xavier Esquillen, OLB, 6-1, 256, Savannah State
Mandjou Berte, DT, 6-1, 304, Wingate
High school signees
Maxwell Robinson, OL, 6-5, 275, Derby, Kan.
Malique Harrell, DB, 5-11, 163, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Kadorian Benjamin, OL, 6-4, 325, Swainsboro
Kenneth Morgan III, TE, 6-6, 232, Bradenton, Fla.
Xavier Butler, RB, 5-9, 170, Lithonia
Jimyll Lundy, DT, 5-11, 285, Valdosta
Aaron Moore, DE, 6-3, 253, Mobile, Ala.
Balint Vorosmarty, PK, 5-6, 190, Roswell
Freddie Wilson, DT, 6-2, 255, Port Orange, Fla.
Zach Stair, WR, 6-1, 194, Atlanta (Riverwood)
Monterrius Echols, DB, 5-10, 164, Phenix City, Ala.
Josiah Pope, ILB, 6-1, 212, Hiram
Ry’sheed Fuller, DB, 5-9, 159, Moultrie
Timothy Daily, DE, 6-1, 265, Dallas (Paulding County)
Khalid Felix, OLB, 6-3, 230, Orlando
Zamar McGee, DT, 6-0, 317, Columbus (Carver)
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