VALDOSTA, Ga. – Valdosta State senior quarterback Sammy Edwards was named Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year, while head coach Tremaine Jackson was named Co-Coach of the Year and graduate defensive back Larry Elder was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year, highlighting 18 Blazer selections to the all-conference teams, the league office announced Thursday.
 
Edwards, a native of Saint Augustine, Fla., also earned first team all-league honors as he was a second team selection in 2023.  This season, he is 10-0 as a starter for the top-ranked Blazers and is 22-2 all-time as a starting quarterback in two seasons.   He is ninth nationally and tops in the GSC in completion percentage at a .697 clip on 169 of 249 passing for 2,449 yards and 23 touchdowns to just two interceptions.   Edwards set the GSC-record for consecutive pass attempts without an interception this season (195).  
 
This season, Edwards is fifth nationally in passing efficiency at 179.36 clip, while he is 15th in passing touchdowns (23) and 21st in passing yards (2,449).  He is 15^th nationally in passing yards per game at a 244.9 average and is 21st nationally in points responsible for (162).  He sits seventh nationally in yards per pass attempts at a 9.84 clip.
 
In 2024, Edwards has thrown for over 300 yards twice and registered a season-high five touchdown passes once.  He has helped lead VSU to the No. 10-ranked total offense in the country at 461.7 yards per game, while the passing offense is at a 259.5 clip for 17th nationally and the rushing offense is 17th nationally at 202.2 yards per game.  For his career, he is sixth all-time in school history in career passing yards (6,793), while he is seventh in career completions (503 of 754) and sixth in career touchdown passes (57), while he also is sixth in total offense at 7,278 yards.  
 
Jackson, who is 37-11 overall in five seasons of coaching at both Valdosta State and Colorado Mesa, while he is 27-8 and in his third season as head coach of the Blazers.  In 2024, he has guided the team to a 10-0 record and 6-0 mark in Gulf South Conference play this season winning the program's 11^th GSC title.  The 10-0 record marked the fifth time in program history the team has had an undefeated regular season and the first time since 2019.  
 
He became the fourth Blazer head coach to earn Region Coach of the Year honors as Hal Mumme earned the honor in 1996, while Chris Hatcher was awarded twice in 2001 and 2002 and David Dean in 2010.  Hatcher was named AFCA National Coach of the Year in 2004, while Dean earned national honors in 2007 and 2012.
 
Elder, a native of Richmond, Va., has had an outstanding season for the red and black as he has helped the team to an undefeated season, while leading the team in tackles with 69 and 37 solo stops also earning first team all-league honors.  Elder has 9.5 tackles for loss for 38 yards to lead the team, while he has 2.5 sacks for 12 yards.  He has one interception this season with three pass breakups, one fumble return and two forced fumbles.  He was named GSC Defensive Player of the Week three times, while registering double-digit tackles twice this season with a season-high 12 tackles at Delta State (11/09).  He is seventh in the GSC in solo tackles per game at a 3.6 clip, while he is eighth in the league in tackles for loss per game at 1.0, while he is fifth in the league in total tackles per game at 6.7.    
 
He has helped a defense that is third nationally in scoring defense at just 9.1 points allowed per game, while the team is eighth nationally in total defense allowing just 244.9 yards per game and fourth nationally in passing defense at just 125.0 yards allowed per contest.  The team is third in the league in rushing defense allowing just 119.9 yards per game for 53^rd nationally.  
 
Edwards became the sixth different Blazer to earn GSC Offensive Player of the Year honors in school history as Hatcher earned the honor in 1994, while Lance Funderburk in 1996, while Dusty Bonner earned it twice in 2000 and 2001, and Aaron Jenkins in 2002.  Rogan Wells won it most recently in back-to-back years in 2018 and 2019.  Elder is the first Blazer to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors since Larry Dean in 2010.  Elder joins, Dean, Jessie Tuggle (1986), Antonio Edwards (1992), Antonio Speed (1998 & 1999) and Dewayne Smith to become the sixth different Blazer to earn the honor.  
 
This marks VSU's eighth Coach of the Year honor in school history for second-most in league history overall, and the most among current institutions.  West Alabama is tied with Delta State for second behind the Blazers (among current members) with seven as UWA head coach Brett Gilliland shared the honor with Jackson this season, as he guided UWA to a 9-1 record overall and a 5-1 mark in GSC play and hosting duties this weekend in the first round of the NCAA playoffs.  Hatcher was named Coach of the Year three times, while David Dean and Gary Goff each have earned the honor twice, along with Hal Mumme (1996) and Kerwin Bell (2018).  
 
VSU had nine selections to the first team all-league team and seven on offense with Edwards, along with graduate running back Blake Hester, graduate all-purpose back Alfonso Franklin, senior wide receiver Rodney Bullard, graduate center Will Flowers, senior guard Kenley-Mary Asse and gradate tackle Jeremiah Mawali.  Along with Elder, junior linebacker Sterling Roberts earned first team honors.  
 
The Blazers had eight selections to the second team, including five on offense, two on defense and one on special teams.  Graduate tight end Noah Gillan earned second team honors for the second-straight season, while graduate wide receivers Tyler Ajiero and Graeson Malashevich each were second team honorees, along with senior guard James Robinson and tackle graduate Fred Norman.  On defense, senior defensive lineman J'Quan Hicks earned a spot along with junior defensive back Rance Conner and junior long snapper Reid Brass for special teams.  
 
VSU hosts the winner of No. 4-seed Miles College and Carson-Newman on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 1 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in the second round of the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs.  Tickets are on sale now in the VSU Athletic Ticket Office by calling 229-333-SEAT (7328) for more information.