Breaking Down the Georgia Southern QB Room

via @MaxJohnson14/Instagram

After becoming Georgia Southern’s all-time leading passer, two-year starter JC French quickly made the decision to transfer to Cincinnati.

The Eagles were left with a quarterback room that had combined for less than 50 pass attempts at the FBS level, forcing them to turn to the transfer portal to acquire a veteran to — at the bare minimum — foster some competition within the position group. That veteran ended up being Max Johnson, who began his career at LSU before stints at Texas A&M and North Carolina.

This article will break down the background of each quarterback currently on the Eagles’ roster and what each could bring to the program if they were to win the starting position. The order of this article is in no way a prediction of the depth chart, but instead will be ordered by seniority.

Max Johnson

Johnson — a former four-star recruit — began his career at LSU, throwing for 3,833 yards, 38 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Since then, the veteran quarterback has made stops at Texas A&M and North Carolina, where he has added another 2,472 yards, 16 total touchdowns and six interceptions.

Even before a number of severe leg injuries and subsequent surgeries, Johnson was not a very mobile quarterback. The lack of a run game is reminiscent of the program’s first two quarterbacks under Clay Helton, with the pair combining for negative rushing yards and just four touchdowns on the ground.

Despite his lack of mobility, Johnson still possesses the elite arm talent that earned him a top-250 ranking coming out of high school. Upon his arrival in Statesboro, he may already be the most polished passer to ever suit up for the Eagles.

While a handful of fellow quarterbacks will be breathing down his neck throughout the offseason, it has become hard to believe that the offensive staff would bring him in to simply serve as a backup.

Turner Helton

Although the bar is extremely (and I mean extremely) low, Helton currently boasts the second most experience of the quartbacks on Georgia Southern’s roster. Throughout his four-year career, Helton has completed 26 of his 38 pass attempts for 171 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Similarly to Johnson, the head coach’s son does not pose much of a threat with his legs.

He served as the Eagles’ backup in 2025, but was unable to find playing time outside of a few late-game blowout situations. While his experience — albeit limited — at the Division I level is more than likely what gave him a leg up as the team’s backup last season, its hard to say if this will extend into 2026 as a number of young quarterbacks continue to develop under Ryan Aplin.

Trey Townsend

In two years as an Eagle, Townsend has yet to see any game action and that will more than likely continue in 2026. He threw for over 2,200 yards and 26 touchdowns during his senior season at Calhoun, but that talent has yet to result in any playing time at the Division I level.

Weston Bryan

In just one year at Georgia Southern, Weston Bryan has become one of the hottest topics amongst fans of the program. The Lee County native first generated buzz after committing to the program as a four-star prospect, but his immediate contributions on the field only amplified the hype.

Serving mostly as a rushing threat, he carried the ball 31 times for 111 yards and three touchdowns. Througj the air, he completed seven of his nine passes for 84 yards and three more scores. He even accounted for a single tackle during his true freshman campaign.

There is no doubt that Bryan poses the biggest rushing threat of any quarterback on the Eagles’ roster, but an arm talent such as Johnson’s may be enough to keep him off the field for one more season. His play is deserving of at least a spot as a backup, but Clay Helton’s loyalty to his son could potentially shoce him down the depth chart again.

Charlie Johnston

Johnston came to Statesboro as a high three-star, but the emergence of Weston Bryan has cause his name to fall under the radar since his arrival. During his senior season at Moody (AL), he threw for 2,875 yards and 32 touchdowns en route to a state championship appearance.

His arm talent is as a good as any young quarterback at the Group of Six level, but he poses little threat as a runner. With another full season under his belt, Johnston could sneak up the depth chart and position himself for a potential quarterback competition a year from now. Until then, he will more than likely serve as the Eagles’ third or fourth-string option.

Harrison Faulkner

Imagine Colton Joseph but more polished as a passer and that’s the potential the Eagles have in Faulkner. His game is eerily similar to that of the quarterback that has accounted for seven touchdowns in two games against the Eagles.

He provides as much of a rushing threat as Bryan, but his lack of experience will more than likely keep him from truly playing a factor in the Eagles’ quarterback battle. If you want a name to watch out for in a year or two, Faulkner is your guy.