LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Valdosta State junior quarterback Sammy Edwards finished third in the Harlon Hill Award, announced Friday by the Little Rock Touchdown Club.  Central Missouri junior quarterback Zach Zebrowski won the Harlon Hill Award for 2023, while last year's winner, Colorado School of Mines' senior quarterback John Matocha, finished runner-up.
 
Edwards, a native of Saint Augustine, Fla., edged Central Washington junior safety Tanner Volk by one vote for third, while Slippery Rock junior quarterback Brayden Long finished fifth. Edwards is the fifth Harlon Hill finalist in program history as former Blazer Dusty Bonner won the honor twice in 2000 and 2001, while Chris Hatcher won the honor in 1994 and both Lance Funderburk and Rogan Wells were runner-up in 1996 and 2018, respectively, and Wells was a finalist in 2019.  
 
Division II Sports Information Directors act as the voting electorate for the award. A total of 94 SIDs participated in the final voting. The point system of three points for a first-place vote, two for second and one for third determined the point total.

Zebrowski became the first NCAA Division II quarterback - and just the sixth in all of college football - to throw for at least 60 touchdowns in a season with a record-breaking 61 TD passes. Additionally, he set the DII single-season records for total offense, 5,690 yards and touchdowns responsible for, with 63. He threw only five interceptions and finished the season ranked second in the country in passing efficiency. He registered nine games with at least five passing touchdowns. In the Mules' two postseason games, he completed 74.4 percent of his passes with 12 touchdowns. 
Central Missouri becomes the eighth Division II school with multiple Hill winners joining Colorado School of Mines, Ferris State, Valdosta State, Bloomsburg, North Alabama, North Dakota State and Pittsburg State.

The Hill Trophy is named for the late Harlon Hill - the former University of North Alabama standout - who excelled with the Lions from 1950-53 before going on to fame in the National Football League with the Chicago Bears.

This season, Edwards helped guide the Blazers to a 12-2 record overall, a berth in the NCAA Quarterfinals and a share of the program's tenth Gulf South Conference title under second year head coach Tremaine Jackson.  Edwards started all 14 games for the red and black and had not had a collegiate start prior to this season.  He was named D2CCA Super Region Two Offensive Player of the Year, first team all-region and earned All-Gulf South Conference second team honors.  
 
Edwards finished second nationally in passing yards this season, throwing for 4,223 yards for just three yards shy of tying the school-record for passing yards in a season set by Funderburk in 1996 with 4,226 yards.  Edwards finished the year going 327 of 494 passing for 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.  His 327 completions are good for a tie for sixth in program history with Buster Faulker (2002) and his 34 touchdown passes are good for third all-time in a single season.  His 592 plays are good for second all-time in a season and his 4,494 yards of total offense is the most all-time in school history in a season surpassing former Blazer quarterback Ivory Durham's 4,437 yards set in 2021.  The 4,223 yards passing is third-most all-time in GSC history for a season.  Edwards' 4,494 yards of total offense is second-most all-time in league history.  
 
Nationally speaking, Edwards finished 11^th nationally in completion percentage at a 66.2 clip to lead the GSC, while he was sixth in completions per game at a 23.36 clip.  He finished 20^th nationally in passing efficiency at a 156.3 clip for third in the GSC, while his 34 touchdown passes were sixth-most in Division II to lead the GSC and his 301.6 passing yards per game was fifth-most in the country for tops in the league.  Edwards finished fifth nationally in total offense at 321.0 yards per game for best in the GSC. 
 
With a strong nucleus returning for 2024, Edwards and the Blazers look to continue their quest for the program's fifth national title.