1. Lamar Raynard, NC A&T (2015-18)
There have been MEAC quarterbacks to throw for more yards and more touchdowns than Lamar Raynard. There have been MEAC quarterbacks who were more athletic than Lamar Raynard and more deadly in the pocket than Lamar Raynard. But you would be hard pressed to name a MEAC player with a better career than Lamar Raynard.
When he arrived in Greensboro in 2014, A&T was a ground and pound team, relying heavily on the shoulders of sophomore Tarik Cohen. Raynard was a part-time starter on the 2015 A&T team that won a share of the MEAC and the first-ever Celebration Bowl.
Raynard really began to make his mark as a sophomore, though, leading A&T to a win over Kent State for the program’s first-ever victory over an FBS team. It was still Cohen’s team, but Raynard showed his worth not only when he played but when he didn’t. A chest injury against Delaware State halted his sophomore campaign, and A&T would get blown out by Bell and the NCCU offense in the season finale before taking a pounding to Richmond in the FCS playoffs.
The 2017 season would belong to Raynard and A&T as he broke single-season school records in passing yards (2,932), passing TDs (27), touchdowns responsible for (31), completions (209) and attempts (328) while completing nearly 64 percent of his passes. He was named MEAC Offensive Player of The Year and led his team to a perfect 12-0 record while scoring the game-winning touchdown in the Celebration Bowl.
Raynard’s senior season wasn’t quite as dominant, but he led the Aggies to another 10-win season, another MEAC title, and another Celebration Bowl win to cap off his career.
His name is firmly etched across the conference record books, as he ranks third in passing touchdowns (68), eighth in pass completions (551) and ninth in passing yards (6,975). But clearly, the most important number in Raynard’s career is the 35-2 mark he left with as a starting quarterback.
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