September 1st, 2025 1:00pm
Division II football is a tough breed for many programs to break through and make a name for themselves in terms of NCAA postseason success. The Great American Conference is a conference long-dominated by powerhouse programs such as Ouachita Baptist and of course Harding. Both schools certainly are no strangers to the DII playoffs with Harding arguably being one of the most explosive ground offensive teams in all of college football. However, the GAC consists of twelve teams and what happens to other programs when they have successful seasons?
The HSU Reddies always seem to be “ready” for another campaign in the GAC football trenches and statistically-speaking, the Reddies have been a successful program. Henderson State has finished in fourth place the last six consecutive years in the GAC and last year’s 8-3 record under head coach Greg Holsworth was the most ever wins for a first-year head coach in school history. The main problem with the Reddies is akin to being a very pretty young lady attending prom but without a date. The young lady looks beautiful, catches the eye of many young men in the room but nobody wants to dance with her. In the case of HSU, the last six seasons have produced winning records but no postseason bids and the 2025 regular season appears on the surface to be much of the same for the Reddies - wins will almost certainly come but can they break through the postseason drought?
The Reddies are loaded with offensive talent this season.
September 4th cannot come any sooner for Henderson State as they will get a chance to make a statement and claim a postseason bid and the end of the 2025 season. With a kickoff this Thursday against SNU, the Reddie offensive juggernaut will get its chance to prove that this program is truly “ready” to make the next step and battle for a playoff spot. On the offensive side of the ball, HSU appears to have many of the necessary weapons ready at their disposal to make good on any postseason claims.
QB: Redshirt senior Andrew Edwards will lead the Reddies for the fourth season this year and with a 156.90 QB rating, this program remains in capable hands in the huddle. With 2,779 total yards and 29 TD’s last season, Edwards earned three GAC Player of the Week awards. The Reddie QB room will be full this season with backups Zach Baker and Braxton Roberts awaiting the chance to get playing time as well. In addition, newcomer Austin Ledbetter rounds out a full QB roster but with modern college football being faster and even more physical, having a crowded QB room isn’t a luxury anymore but necessary to ensure a successful program.
RB: If both players can stay healthy, the RB tandem of Jeremiah Davis and Frederick O’Donald will provide depth in the ground game. Davis led the way for the Reddies last season with 706 yards on the ground and nine TD’s, while O’Donald fought the injury bug last year but should be healthy enough to provide additional ground & pound firepower. In addition, backup RB Dylan Jones also provided 171 additional yards and three more TD’s into the offensive mix. Having a healthy stable of running backs will be a key to the Reddie offense this season as fans and pundits alike should expect some ground yardage and TD’s by committee for the 2025 campaign.
WR: The Reddies will be in a bit of a rebuild mode this season at the WR position as last season’s top receiver Timeone Jackson has moved on. Will Elijah George step up and replace Jackson this season? George has turned into a bit of a red zone specialist with seven of his 32 receptions in 2024 going for TD’s. Also lining up at wideout will be both Micah Greene and Jody Easter who’s expanding from his traditional special teams duties to make more catches on the offensive side of the ball.
TE: HSU is blessed at the tight end position with All-American Cayden Davis again lining up to make an impact again this season. Davis was a first-team All-GAC as a TE as well and with 22 receptions, 430 all-purpose yards and six TD’s last season and he looks to add to his credentials this year as well. Could the NFL combine be calling Davis’ name and number next early spring? At any rate, Davis will stay on the Reddie sidelines this season and certainly will make a large contribution to the HSU offensive success.
OL: Any offense, from the high school level all the way to the NFL, always is predicated by a great O line and without large humans blocking and leading the way, offensive coordinators have been known to start looking for other jobs because all offensive schemes, whether pass or run game, are built on a solid O line. However, the Reddie O line will no doubt be the early question mark with only C Gabe Hernandez being the only starter returning from last season. A new O line always leaves room for doubt at the beginning of the season but if Hernandez can anchor the huddle and help build up the new starters, then the Reddie offensive could and should fire on all cylinders for the 2025 campaign.
Final Thoughts.
When all is said and done, college football is really a business and HSU must make prudent business decisions this season in order to break through the Harding-Ouachita Baptist stranglehold on the GAC. A winning season just won’t cut it for the Reddies; winning programs with neighboring conferences such as the MIAA and the LSC have a tendency to siphon away postseason bids. Combined with an equally-hungry SAU Mulerider program that lurks right around the corner to fight HSU for every inch of the GAC top tier, the Reddies have their work cut out for them in 2025. However, this is what football is all about. As an old high school coach, I can tell you from lots of experience that football doesn’t build character, it reveals it. If the Henderson State Reddies can mark their calendars for September 27th, October 18th and November 15th win a big W in the conference win-loss column, they may just have a shot at making that postseason dance this season.