Can JC French revive Georgia Southern’s dual-threat legacy?

If there is anything Georgia Southern football is notorious for, it’s their option offense and dual-threat quarterbacks. The great Tracy Ham cemented that legacy by being the first quarterback to throw for 5000 yards and rush for 3000 yards while leading the Eagles to back-to-back National Titles. This is the reason Ham is one of only two players to have their number retired in Georgia Southern history, and it’s well deserved. Georgia Southern has a historic identity with option offense and dual-threat quarterbacks, making redshirt junior JC French IV a perfect fit. 

Georgia Southern Football: Who is JC French?

James Charles (prefers to go by ‘JC’) French IV is a Georgia kid who graduated from Blessed Trinity Catholic in Roswell. He stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs 210 pounds.

French put up nearly 3,000 passing yards and 32 touchdowns as a sophomore in high school and would continue to elevate his game in his remaining two years. Although most of his stats were lost for his junior and senior seasons, French did enough to get ranked as the No. 21 quarterback in the nation and the No. 77 player in the state of Georgia.

French was given a three-star ranking and originally committed to the University of Memphis. French redshirted at Memphis but quickly transferred to Georgia Southern in January of 2023 once the football season ended. 

The Road to the Eagles

In 2023, JC French played in 10 games, yet was never the starter. French sat behind Davis Brin, who put up an impressive 3781 yards with a 65.0 completion percentage and started all 13 games. French only attempted 16 passes the entire year.

In 2024, French won the starting job in the spring. During a heated quarterback competition, French stood out with his consistency and poise in the pocket. He secured his starting job and would go on to put up 3000 total yards, averaging roughly 20 rushing yards a game.

This was a big jump from Brin, who was always good in the air but ended 2024 with -60 rushing yards due to his lack of mobility in the pocket and inability to scramble. French brought back the dual-threat element and was able to open up the offense. 

Great spot for the TD pass from JC French to @FrommTyler in the @GSAthletics_FB vs @JMUFootball game pic.twitter.com/ymA3wSKlcK

— Josh Aubrey (@thejoshaubrey) October 20, 2024

Entering 2025, French enters the year with the starting job as a redshirt junior. Coach Helton said he named French the starter because it “ultimately it came down to decision-making, execution, and protecting the football.”

These are qualities French has been able to learn in his time sitting behind Brin and put into practice this last season. With three young quarterbacks sitting behind him, French will have the opportunity to lead by example. And hopefully, they can learn as much from him as French learned from Brin. 

Bowl Game Struggles

While JC French had a great first season as the starter, it was tainted by a poor bowl game performance against Sam Houston. French threw for over 200 yards and rushed for 34, but the main story was his interceptions.

Although French had taken good care of the ball throwing seven interceptions all year, Sam Houston was able to get to him with continued pressure and disguised coverage. French threw one pick-six in the first quarter and would have another interception that set Sam Houston up to score. The interceptions ultimately was a 14-point swing against Georgia Southern.

The Eagles continued to fight until the end, and the game would finish at 26-31 for Sam Houston. While it was a hard loss for French and the Eagles, it showed their resilience and offered a great learning opportunity for French. 

Area of Improvement

It is no secret that to elevate his game, JC French will have to be more efficient rushing the ball. Although he’s averaging more yards per game than his predecessor, it can be improved.

French averaged almost 20 rushing yards per game on about 10 carries meaning his efficiency was not there. For reference, star running back Jalen White averaged about 12.5 rushes per game last season. Even though 10 carries per game is plenty, French’s usage should increase this year as the offense develops more around him and, hopefully, the efficiency will increase as well.   

As French enters the season with a new sense of leadership, fans will be eager to see if he can fully realize his potential. It he’s able to restore Georgia Southern’s dynamic-quarterback tradition, set in place by Tracy Ham, Eagles’ fans will have a lot to be excited about this season.