The Virginia State University football team reported to preseason camp Thursday (Aug. 4) in preparation for the 2022 season.
 
Head Coach Henry Frazier, III, is entering his 1st  season at the helm of the Virginia State football program, will conduct the team's first preseason practice on Friday, August 4 beginning at 9:00 a.m. Prior to his arrival to VSU, Coach Frazier served as the Director of Leadership and Character Development for the University of Maryland (UMD) football program. His move to UMD kept him in the Maryland area footprint; a familiar community for him as a native of Washington, DC.  Serving on the football coaching staff at Bowie State University as an assistant from 2017-2019, Coach Frazier contributed to the Bulldogs success to include their 2018 and 2019 CIAA Championships and NCAA Playoff appearances.
 
As his first order of business as the VSU Head Football Coach, Frazier acquired a prestigious coaching staff comprised of: Lamar Manigo (Offensive Coordinator), Carlos Fields (Defensive Coordinator), John Pearce (Defensive Line/Special Teams Coordinator) and Lawrence Kershaw (Offensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator).
 
The Trojans were picked to finish fourth in the Northern Division and sixth in the CIAA Preseason Poll. The squad looks forward to capturing their first CIAA title for the first time since 2017.
 
Representing the Trojans on the All-CIAA Preseason Team is senior linebacker Zion Johnson (Woodbridge, VA). A season ago, Johnson played in every game, collecting 24 solo tackles, 46 assisted and a single sack for three yards. Johnson was essentially in on every play as his 46 assisted tackles made him the conference leader while 70 total tackles ranked Johnson 10^th in the conference. He made his presence felt against Elizabeth City State and Fayetteville State as he earned double-digit tackles in both contests.
 
On the offensive side of the ball, the team will be led by senior running back Darius Hagans (Chesapeake, VA). He led the team in rushing attempts (108) as well as yards (491) and tied for rushing touchdowns (3). Hagans found his stride later in the season rushing for 199 yards on 22 carries against Bowie State. While he was a bruising back in between the tackles, Hagans showed his versatility as a pass catcher as three receiving touchdowns ranked him second on the team. Against Chowan and Elizabeth City State, Hagans gained over 100 total yards on the ground and through the air and scored two or more touchdowns in both games.
 
In the 2021 season, four of six losses were by single digits while all three of their wins were by 20 or more points. While the Trojans maintained a winning record of 3-2 at home, the squad will look to earn their first road victory since the 28-21 road win over Chowan in 2019.
 
The VSU Football team will open their season on road against Lenoir-Rhyne Saturday, September 3 in Hickory, NC at 6:00 p.m. (EST).
 
Season tickets for Virginia State's five-game home slate remain available!
 
To improve the VSU game day experience, beginning September 3, 2022, Rogers Stadium will only accept cashless payments for parking. Credit cards, debit cards and contactless payments will be the only form of payment accepted for game day parking. For more ticket information, please contact Vincent Greene, Jr. at 804-524-5656 or visit the VSU Multipurpose Center (MPC) Box Office Monday-Friday from 10am-5pm.