Spring is a time for new beginnings.
That’s something the Grambling State Tigers football team is looking to take advantage of with the Tigers looking to bounce back from a three-win season that ended with a loss against Southern in the Bayou Classic to close out their disappointing 2022 season.
GSU football is out on the field for spring workouts, looking to put 2022 behind them as they look for new sources of firepower and adding increased energy and new swagger to this 2023 season.
With the Tigers having two key seniors coming back it should give the Grambling defense a huge advantage during spring training, as it will be exciting for the Tigers this coming fall.
Those key returnees to the defensive side of the ball are LB Lewis Matthews and DE Sundiata Anderson who both earned Second team All-SWAC honors this past season.
Matthews finished the season with 103 tackles and 12 tackles for loss while Anderson racked up seven sacks on 12.5 tackles for losses with a total of 50 takedowns, so expectations are that they should be in for great senior campaigns to finish their collegiate career.
Offensively, new Coordinator Tony Hull, who was previously a coach at Louisiana-Monroe, said that GSU’s spring so far has been “amazing” and that he’s excited with his players as they have bought into what the mission is offensively.
Senior wideout Lyndon Rash, who finished last season with 32 receptions for 517 yards and five touchdowns, is one Tiger looking to make a serious splash this coming season.
Hull said that even with the losses of key players in Maurice Washington and Tyler Thomas, he is expecting a “fast-paced, high-tempo offense” so that the Tigers can control the pace of the game in their new offensive system.
Hull also feels the offense is “young but has experience.”
When asked about 2022 Starting Quarterback Julian Calvez, who finished his freshman campaign with 685 yards passing with nine total touchdowns with six interceptions in only six starts. Hull acknowledged that Calvez is a “fierce competitor,” but also quickly made it known that there is a heated quarterback position battle this spring between Calvez, Amani Gilmore, Quaterius Hawkins, and newly added Miles Crawley from the transfer portal.
That sets up what should be an exciting QB battle to watch at this year’s spring game as that will likely dictate who will be the starting quarterback for the G-Men in 2023.
GSU spring football practices will consist of 15 practice dates, including the 2023 Black & Gold game to be played at 2 p.m. on April 22 at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium.