VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State football team will have its first of two Saturday scrimmages on Saturday, Aug. 13, at 9 a.m., at the VSU Athletic Field House Practice Fields.  Saturday's scrimmage will be the eighth practice of the fall season.  
 
VSU Assistant Athletic Director Kit Strief sat down with first-year head coach Tremaine Jackson for a five question Q&A on how the first week of camp had gone, how Jackson has adjusted to South Georgia, Valdosta and Valdosta State and on what he expects from the scrimmage Saturday.
 
1) Through one week of fall camp, how has practice been so far overall?
We have a lot of depth in a lot of different areas and we have a lot of guys who played for us in the past who are now are back.  Some of them decided to opt out because of COVID and won a championship in 2018 and they still have it.  We also have a lot of newcomers and they are buying into the way we do things.  Now it's about putting it all together and I like where we are right now.

2) You have been on the job now for over eight months, how has the adjustment been for you to South Georgia, the job and VSU?
The South Georgia adjustment has been easy.  I am from Houston, Texas, it's hot there and hot here and the people are very similar in both places.  Here also reminds me of the neighborhood where I grew up in Houston, so that part has been seamless.  Being at a place like VSU has been an adjustment because football is really important and this is the type of school where I have wanted to coach.  I hadn't been at places like this throughout my career, so being able to talk to people in the grocery store or Wal-Mart about football and about what the team is doing and what we look like has been really fun.  Now I am just excited for the season based on the people we've talked to in the community.

3) Who has really impressed you during the first week of camp, both from a returning player perspective and a "new" player perspective?
From a returning player perspective on offense, Ivory Durham, Seth McGill, Jamar Thompkins and Jeremiah Campbell are as good as advertised as people recognize those names based on the preseason all-conference awards.  We have a really big receiving corps, with a lot of freshmen and transfer guys and I am really looking forward to seeing those guys work.  On defense, Jameon Gaskin, Javiontae Martin and an older name Ravarious Rivers is back this year and looking at those guys as returners and they have stepped up a lot.  On the D-Line, from a newcomer standpoint, we are much deeper than we have been in the past, and we have some new linebackers so I think the fans will be excited to see them play.

4) With wide receiver, offensive line and the defense losing a lot to graduation last year, who has impressed you thus far in those positions and at each level of the defense?
Council Allen is a wide receiver who has stepped up for us so far and Eddie Rox is an offensive lineman who also has been great in camp.  On D-Line, Javiontae (Tae) Martin was a rotational player last year and I think his role will be more expanded this season.  At linebacker, it's hard not to look at Phillip Starks and Akil Lampley who both are playing really good ball right now and were high school teammates.  On the back end, we brought some guys from Colorado Mesa, including a guy named Darrien Young who has played well, while returner Travis Cooper also has had a good camp so far.

5) With the first scrimmage scheduled for Saturday, what are you looking to see from the scrimmage?
I want to see the execution that we've been working on.  I want to see us perform situational football.  We've had some situational scrimmages and team periods, but now I want to see us put it all together in a game-like situation as much as we can.  I also want to see the kicking game, punting game and field goal unit perform as I am eager to see them execute when called upon.  Tomorrow should be our biggest execution day so we can get some things wrapped up before school starts and we have to pull back a little bit.

2022 VSU Blazer August Camp Schedule 
Aug. 13 – 8:45 a.m. (Scrum #1) (at Practice Fields)
Aug. 14 – 7 p.m. (Shells)
Aug. 15 – Off (First Day of School)
Aug. 16 – 8:20 a.m.
Aug. 17 – 8:20 a.m.
Aug. 18 – 8:20 a.m.
Aug. 19 – 8:20 a.m.
Aug. 20 – 9 a.m. (Scrum #2)
Aug. 21 – 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 22 – Off
Aug. 23 – 8:20 a.m.
Aug. 24 – 8:20 a.m.
Aug. 25 – 8:20 a.m.
Aug. 26 – 8:20 a.m.
Aug. 27 – Off
Aug. 28 – 8:20 a.m.
Aug. 29 – 8:20 a.m.
Aug. 30 – 8:20 a.m.
Aug. 31 – Walk-Thru
(Camp Schedule date/time subject to change without notice)