Dustin Swedelson
Check YouTube. Type in Valdosta State. A video pops up twice, with well over 2,000 views. To the theme of Mike Jones’ “Mr. Jones” you can watch the Gulf South Conference’s Freshman of the Year last season’s highlight reel. Cedric Jones is a name that will become synonymous with Valdosta State football by the time his career ends as a Blazer, but that won’t come until the end of the 2009 season.

The Blazer offense returns players who will make impacts but none as significant as Cedric Jones. The freshman, who battled injuries toward the end of last season got national recognition, picked as a first team all southeast region receiver by Daktronics. Cedric showed the ability to take a screen 50 yards last year and the hunger to fight for ball near the endzone. Drawing double teams and help coverages last year, he was able to average over 90 yards a game averaging almost 14 yards a reception. He will be used plenty this season as
receivers in the past has been used at VSU. Instead of running the ball, Head Coach David Dean uses the wide receiver screen like a running play. Expect some type of All American honors and atop the Gulf South Conference leader board from the Waycross native.

The guy who will be slinging Cedric the ball may actually be a more important player in this offense. In the 4th quarter on opening night last season at Albany State, Willie Copeland became a Blazer. When Copeland hit Derrick Tharpe in the end zone with virtually no time remaining for a Ram comeback he established himself as a Blazer. That was the beginning of what the sports magazine Lindy believes will be a career finishing with a National Offensive Player of the Year Award. Copeland grew last season, it took a little while for him to get used to the shotgun offense coming over from Fort Valley State, where he ran the option. Depending on how comfortable he is this season he may even lineup under center. For Willie it will be about limiting his mistakes and managing his team. His leadership skills were recognized recently when he was named a captain, something Coach Dean has been looking for him to do. Most of Copeland’s 11 interceptions last season came late in blowout affairs, so limiting mistakes isn’t going to be an issue for him, but the biggest issue for him will be throwing on the run. It’s something that most quarterbacks don’t like for obvious reasons, but if Copeland can become consistent at throwing on the run, opponents will have to find a new way to defend against him.

Anchoring the Offensive line are two of just a handful of players left over from the 2004 National Championship team. Rooster Russell and Gerald Davis have been consistent performers throughout their careers in Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. Aside from a holding call on Russell at North Alabama last season, that most are still trying to find on that game tape, these guys’ names rarely get called out for penalties. Davis is consistent no matter where the coaches put him. He’s been shuffled around the line like a deck of cards in Las Vegas, but the reason you never hear his name, is because he is doing his job right.

One of two teams to beat the Blazers last season was North Alabama. A guy who has a lot of players whispering about his potential is junior transfer wide receiver Josh Rayam. He was impressive in the spring, and should be the guy to benefit from Cedric Jones’ double teams until teams find out about him. Returning to what is an incredibly deep receiving core is Derrick Tharpe. In the redzone, few are able to come down with the ball like Derrick Tharpe. His 10 touchdowns were best on the team last season, and you can bet on him benefiting from Rayam coming in as well. That’s three deep in elite receivers for VSU with captain Jeffrey Felton, P.J. Curbeam, Travis Taylor and R.J. Bastone adding to the depth with always reliable TE Zach Parker getting his balls too.

The unheralded running game at VSU should prove to be valuable once again this year. While the backs don’t get 35 carries a game they each bring something different to the table and seem to only add not take away from this offense. Coming back from an injury that kept him out all of 2006, sophomore Thomas Arnold should give this offense a boost. Splitting the carries with Arnold are two Americus guys, Rashawn Robinson and Michael Terry. Robinson brings a game different from the other two. He cuts quick and hard and has break-away speed. Terry is the type of back that keeps the chains moving. He isn’t afraid to take a hit, and his ability to keep his feet moving forward while taking them last year, led to a lot of extra yards of offense for the Blazers. Teaming with them in the backfield at fullback will be fan favorite Scott “Pain Train” Palmer and Donnie Powell will be more than serviceable when their numbers are called.

For those of you who worried about Chris Hatcher’s departure to Georgia Southern and the effect on the team, need not be worried. Head Coach David Dean has been calling the offensive plays for years. This may have been Hatcher’s offense, but Dean ran it and will continue to do so this year. Copeland and Jones might be important, but nobody will get more blame and less credit than Dean this year depending on how this offense does. Dean’s offense has put up Nationally recognized numbers, so if you expected the offense to take a step back, the “Dean Machine” is ready to prove they are as real as their latest AFCA poll has them ranked at 6.
The turnstiles at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium should probably have a sign hanging over it this Saturday for the Albany State game, reading: Welcome to the Machine.