If you didn’t know who N.C. A&T quarterback Lamar Raynard was before the 2017 season, chances are, you do now.
Before the 2017 football season started for the Aggies many people outside of Greensboro believed that this team wouldn’t be able to keep its dominance without their star running back Tarik Cohen (now playing for the Chicago Bears). But Raynard and the rest of his teammates had different plans for the doubters.
They capped of a historic season by doing something that had never been done before, win a second Celebration Bowl title in three years, and becoming the first team in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference since 1999, to finish a season undefeated.
Raynard became known in the MEAC after a breakout sophomore season in 2016, that was cut short after a season ending injury. Despite the injury, he still earned All-MEAC second team honors.
After a terrific 2017 campaign, Raynard is now considered one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, and in the process toppled several school records. He broke several single-season school records in passing yards (2,707), completions (186), touchdown passes (26), touchdowns responsible for (29) and total offense (2,875).
Nationally, Raynard was; third in passing efficiency (171.6), fourth in yards per pass attempt (9.50), 10th in passing yards per completion (14.55) and completion percentage, 11th in passing touchdowns and points responsible for per game (16.0), 15th in points responsible for (170), 18th in passing yards per game (246.1), 20th in passing yards and 21st in total offense per game (261.4).
He also lead the MEAC in completion percentage, passing efficiency, passing TDs, passing yards, passing yards per game, points responsible for, points responsible for per game and yards per passing attempt.
Most importantly Raynard is undefeated as a starter for N.C. A&T (26-0). The Aggies have won back to back years versus FBS opponents and have also won three MEAC titles in a span of four years.
Not only did he rack up on stats, he earned countless honors. At the end of the 2017 season, he was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award given to the best offensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision, earned All-MEAC first-team honors, won the MEAC Offensive Player of the Year and Sports Hero FCS National Offensive Player of the Year. Raynard was also a finalist for the Deacon Jones Award which is given by the Black College Football Hall of Fame to the best player in black college football.
Raynard will be returning for his redshirt Senior season and will look to lead the Aggies to another magical season as they open the season against East Carolina University, September 1st.
