By Dionte Daniel, Spectator Staff Writer 

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Spring football isn’t about wins and losses. Spring football is about finding identity. 

VSU has found parts of who it wants to be. 

Head Coach Graham Craig said effort and competition were what stood out to him after the Blazers finished spring practice with their spring game. 

“I think this team really learned how to practice,” Craig said. “You know, there’s a lot of new guys. We practiced with great effort. It was very competitive, and you saw that out of our guys. I thought both sides played really hard the whole time.” 

Defining who they are in this season is important for the Blazers. 

VSU lost over 20 seniors from last year’s team, meaning they don’t just have holes to fill on the field, they need to rebuild the leadership core. Spring became about setting the tone. 

So far through spring, it appears Craig’s standards are being met. 

“Great effort, super competitive,” Craig said. “And I think with the amount of players we had go through spring, now it carries into fall camp. You’ve got that identity before fall camp starts.” 

Players showed that identity in moments during the spring game. How the offense bounced back after falling behind early was one example. 

The offense turned the ball over on one of its first few drives, looking a little lost early on. But instead of snowballing, the offense tightened up. 

“I thought we did a really good job coming back,” Craig said. “Got a lot of momentum.” 

Quarterback play was not the story of the spring game, but it was good to know where the Blazers are moving forward. Freshman Tyrieke Wade looked the part in the spring game, passing for a touchdown and showing confidence inside and outside the pocket. The local kid stood 6 feet, 190 pounds, and attended Valdosta High School. 

“He’s really developed this spring,” Craig said. “You’re seeing the growth, and we’re really excited about his future here.” 

For now, Craig is focused on how the team competes together. 

Whether its old guys stepping up to be leaders or young guys learning how to fill a role, the Blazers are answering questions about who they are long before fall practice kicks off. 

Because when you lose that many starters and leaders, who you are becomes crucial to having success. 

Who VSU wants to be could help them return to the Gulf South Conference championship game this season.