Georgia Southern QB Kevin Ellison suspended for two games

Georgia Southern will begin its defense of the Sun Belt title without its starting quarterback.

According to the Savannah Morning News, junior quarterback Kevin Ellison is suspended for the first two games of the season due to academics. GSU athletic director Tom Kleinlein announced the news Wednesday, saying that the NCAA has ruled Ellison academically ineligible.

Ellison will miss the Eagles’ games at West Virginia and the home opener against Western Michigan.

In Georgia Southern’s first season at the FBS level, Ellison led the Eagles to a 9-3 (8-0 Sun Belt) record and Sun Belt title. Ellison rushed for 1,096 yards and 12 touchdowns while throwing for 1,001 yards and five more scores.

With Ellison out, junior Favian Upshaw will likely fill in. Upshaw was second on the depth chart last year and rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns and had 285 yards and two touchdowns passing.

Georgia Southern was picked by the Sun Belt media to repeat as league champions.

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