VALDOSTA, Ga. – Coming off the program's third trip to the national championship game in six years, Valdosta State football was honored with more postseason accolades as graduate student offensive lineman Will Flowers and graduate defensive back Larry Elder were named to the D2Football.com Elite 100 Second Team.  Blazer senior quarterback Sammy Edwards was named to the Elite 100 Squad Team, while Defensive Coordinator Brandon Andersen was named the top defensive coordinator for the season.
 
Flowers, who played center for the Blazers this season, helped lead the team to a 13-1 record overall, the program's eleventh Gulf South Conference title in 2024 and the seventh trip to the NCAA Division II national championship game.  A native of LaGrange, Ga., Flowers earned first team American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America honors and first team D2CCA All-America accolades this season and was named a first team All-GSC honoree. He finished with over 40 knockdown blocks for the season and graded out at 97 percent for the highest on the team. 
 
He started all 14 games and blocked for an offense that finished eighth nationally in scoring offense at 40.1 points per game, while the Blazers were 11^th nationally in total offense at 448.6 yards per game.  VSU was 23^rd nationally in passing yards per game at a 248.0 clip, while the team was 16^th nationally in rushing offense at 200.6 yards per contest with all leading the Gulf South Conference.  The Blazers allowed just 12 sacks all season for a 0.86 average per game for 12^th nationally, while the Blazers were sixth nationally in third down conversion (.518) and seventh nationally in fourth down conversion (.696).
 
Elder, a native of Richmond, Va., also earned First Team AFCA All-America honors and second team D2CCA All-America accolades.  Elder was named GSC Co-Defensive Player of the Year.  He finished his lone season as a Blazer leading the team with 107 total tackles and 59 solo stops for a 4.1 average per game for fourth in the GSC.  Elder averaged 7.5 tackles per game for second in the GSC.  He had a team-high 11 tackles for loss for 52 yards and finished with 3.5 sacks for 26 yards.  Elder had one interception with three pass breakups, one hurry, one fumble recovery and forced a team-high four fumbles for 15^th nationally in forced fumbles per game (0.29). 
 
Andersen finished his third season at the helm of the Blazers helping former head coach Tremaine Jackson to a 30-9 record, two GSC titles and two trips to the NCAA postseason with a national quarterfinal finish (2023) and the national runner-up finish this season.  Under Andersen's direction on defense, the Blazers posted a school-record three shutouts this season finishing ninth nationally in scoring defense at 13.7 points per game. The Blazer "D" was 17^th nationally in total defense allowing just 269.5 yards per game, while the team was eighth nationally in passing defense, allowing 137.4 yards per contest.  On the ground, VSU allowed 132.1 yards per game for third in the GSC.  VSU forced 22 turnovers for 22^nd nationally, while the team had a 1.21 turnover margin for eighth nationally and turned the ball over just five times this season to lead the nation. 
 
Edwards finished fourth in the prestigious Harlon Hill Award voting this season and finished third in 2023.  He was named GSC Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 and earned multiple All-America honors this season, earning D2CCA Second Team All-America honors and Second Team AP All-America.  He finished his career at 25-3 as a starter over the last two seasons with the national runner-up finish in 2024 and a quarterfinal appearance in 2023. 
 
He finished the season sixth nationally in passing efficiency at 171.7, while he was fourth nationally in passing touchdowns (32), fifth in passing yards (3,291) and 19^th in passing yards per game (235.1). Edwards was seventh nationally in points responsible for (216) and was 25^th nationally in total offense at 250.1 yards per game.  He finished tenth nationally in yards per pass attempt at 9.22.  This season, Edwards set the GSC and school records with 195 consecutive pass attempts without an interception. 
 
For his outstanding career, Edwards sits fourth in program history in career passing yards (7,635), while he is sixth in passing touchdowns (66) and fifth in completions on 569 of 862 passing with 13 interceptions.  He is fourth in total offense with 8,163 yards on 1,034 plays.