VALDOSTA, Ga. – Valdosta State senior quarterback Sammy Edwards is one of 43 NCAA Division II football student-athletes who have been nominated for the 2024 Harlon Hill Trophy as the Division II College Football Player of the Year.
 
Among the nominees, there were 12 from Super Region Two, while there were nine from Super Region One and 11 each from Super Regions Three and Four. 
 
Central Missouri's Zach Zebrowski, the 2023 Hill recipient and a 2024 nominee from Super Region 3 could become the fifth repeat winner in award history. Slippery Rock quarterback Brayden Long, Valdosta State quarterback Sammy Edwards and Central Washington safety Tanner Volk return after reaching the finalist stage. Running back Jada Byers, a 2022 finalist from Virginia Union, also appears on the initial ballot.
 
The group of 43 candidates includes 16 quarterbacks, nine running backs, six wide receivers, four defensive linemen, three defensive backs, two linebackers, a fullback, a return specialist and a kicker.  The list features 24 seniors, 17 juniors and two sophomores.  The winner of the 2024 award will be announced on Friday, December 20.
 
The sports information directors at the 159 NCAA Division II football-playing institutions nominate and vote on the award. The 43 initial candidates will be placed on regional ballots and the top two players from each of the four NCAA regions will advance to the national ballot when regional voting concludes on Monday, December 2.

The sports information directors at their respective schools initially nominate candidates. The SIDs in those Super Regions vote for their top five candidates. The winner is then determined in a nationwide vote of the Division II sports information directors.

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.
 
Edwards finished third nationally last season in the Harlon Hill voting in his first season as a starter for the Blazers, helping lead the team to a 12-2 record and a share of the Gulf South Conference title.  VSU reached the quarterfinal round of the D2 playoffs last season. 
 
This year, the Saint Augustine, Fla., native, continued his outstanding success as he is 10-0 as a starter earning Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors and first team all-GSC this season.  He is 22-2 all-time as a starting quarterback in two seasons for the red and black and helped lead VSU to its 11^th GSC title in program history and the first outright title since 2019. 
 
Edwards 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.  He set the GSC record for consecutive pass attempts without an interception this season at 195.  He is fifth nationally in passing efficiency at a 179.36 clip, while he is 15^th in passing touchdowns (23) and 21^st in passing yards (2,449).   Edwards is seventh nationally yards per pass attempt at a 9.84 clip and he has thrown over 300 yards twice this season and registered a season-high five touchdown passes once.
 
As an offense, the Blazers are tenth nationally in total offense at 461.7 yards per game, while the passing offense is at a 259.5 clip for 17^th nationally and rushing is 17^th nationally at 202.2 yards per game. 
 
For his career, Edwards is sixth all-time in school history in passing yards (6,793), while he is seventh in career completions (503 of 754) and sixth in career touchdown passes (57).  He also is sixth in total offense at 7,278 yards.
 
Edwards and the top-ranked Blazers host No. 22 Miles College on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in the second round of the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs.  Click here to purchase tickets online for the game.