VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State football team is 17^th in the preseason D2Football.com Top 25, announced Monday by the organization.  


 
In this poll, defending champion Ferris State leads the way, followed by Harding, Central Oklahoma, Minnesota State and Kutztown rounds out the top five.  Grand Valley State is sixth, followed by Colorado State-Pueblo, Western Colorado, Slippery Rock and Pittsburg State rounds out the top ten.
 
Gulf South Conference foe West Florida is 11^th, while VSU is 17^th and West Alabama is 23^rd  among GSC teams ranked in the poll.  Lenoir-Rhyne, who VSU hosts on Oct. 4 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium at 4 p.m., is 14^th.  Click here for the D2Football.com Preseason Top 25.
 
Last week, the Blazers were picked 12^th in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Preseason Top 25.  Blazer head coach Graham Craig begins his first season at the helm of the program in 2025 after being hired as the 12^th head coach in program history on Jan. 20, 2025.  Craig was the offensive coordinator for the red and black in 2024.
 
Last season, Craig's offense finished 11^th nationally and tops in the GSC at 448.6 yards per game, while it was eighth nationally in scoring offense at 40.1 points per game which was best in the league.  The Blazers led the nation turnovers lost for the season with just five.
 
VSU opens the 2025 season on Aug. 30, at 1:15 p.m. ET in Birmingham, Ala., at historic Legion Field versus Clark Atlanta in the Week Zero Labor Day Classic.
 
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