(STATS FCS) – The Heisman of the FCS, it’s a revered award that’s worth striking a pose over.
On Wednesday, the preseason watch list of 25 players was announced for the 2018 STATS FCS Walter Payton Award.
Alcorn State’s P.J. Simmons of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) was named to the list.
The senior running back looks to build on his impressive 2017 campaign where he averaged better than 8.5 yards per carry with 80 totes for 687 yards and seven touchdowns for a Braves squad that won its fourth consecutive SWAC Eastern Division Championship.
The compiled list includes at least one player from all 13 FCS conferences as well as 14 players who were nominees or finalists last season, when former Sam Houston State quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe became just the second two-time winner of the nation’s leading offensive player of the year award in the subdivision.
The Payton Award, first presented in 1987, has watched past winners such as Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, John Friesz, Brian Finneran, Jimmy Garoppolo and Cooper Kupp move on to the NFL.
The watch list will have updates during the season. A national panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries will select the winner following the regular season.
The players named to the preseason watch list include:
Tyrie Adams, Western Carolina, QB, Jr., 6-2, 180
2017: 189 of 305, 2,294 yards, 22 TDs, 8 INTs; 746 rushing yards, 2 TDs; All-SoCon second team
Bruce Anderson, North Dakota State, RB, Sr., 5-11, 216
2017: 234 carries, 1,216 yards, 12 TDs; 15 total TDs; All-Missouri Valley second team
Dominick Bragalone, Lehigh, RB, Sr., 5-11, 230
2017: 247 carries, 1,388 yards, 18 TDs; 22 total TDs; Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year; STATS FCS All- America first team
Chandler Burks, Kennesaw State, QB, Sr., 5-10, 187
2017: 1,103 rushing yards, 18 TDs; 76 of 155, 1,307 yards, 9 TDs, 3 INTs; Big South Offensive Player of the Year
Taryn Christion, South Dakota State, QB, Sr., 6-2, 225
2017: 249 of 428, 3,515 yards, 35 TDs, 14 INTs; 500 rushing yards, 9 TDs; All-Missouri Valley second team
Case Cookus, Northern Arizona, QB, Jr., 6-4, 200
2017: 275 of 474, 3,413 passing yards, 22 TDs, 6 INTs; All-Big Sky first team
Davion Davis, Sam Houston State, WR, Sr., 5-11, 180
2017: 78 receptions, 1,206 yards, 17 TDs; 21 total TDs; Southland Offensive Player of the Year; STATS FCS All- America second team
Keelan Doss, UC Davis, WR, Sr., 6-3, 210
2017: 115 receptions, 1,499 yards, 7 TDs; Big Sky Offensive Player of Year; Walter Payton Award third place; STATS FCS All-America first team
Zane Dudek, Yale, RB, So., 5-9, 190
2017: 159 carries, 1,133 yards, 15 TDs; 22 receptions, 179 yards, 1 TD; Ivy League Rookie of the Year and first team
Gage Gubrud, Eastern Washington, QB, Sr., 6-2, 205
2017: 261 of 422, 3,342 yards, 26 TDs, 12 INTs, 5 rushing TDs; All-Big Sky second team
A.J. Hines, Duquesne, RB, Jr., 5-11, 225
2017: 182 carries, 1,038 yards, 10 TDs; All-Northeast Conference first team
Devlin Hodges, Samford, QB, Sr., 6-1, 205
2017: 347 of 528, 3,983 yards, 31 TDs, 11 INTs; SoCon Offensive Player of the Year
Anthony Lawrence, San Diego, QB, Sr., 6-1, 195
2017: 245 of 374, 3,131 yards, 33 TDs, 3 INTs; Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Year
Kamron Lewis, Saint Francis, WR, Sr., 6-4, 195
2017: 65 receptions, 909 yards, 6 TDs; All-Northeast Conference first team
John Lovett, Princeton, QB, Sr., 6-3, 225
2017: Injured; 2016: 411 rushing yards, 20 TDs; 51 of 77, 582 yards, 10 TDs, 2 INTs; 26 receptions, 235 yards, 1 TD; Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year
Jake Maier, UC Davis, QB, Jr., 6-0, 200
2017: 306 of 446, 3,669 yards, 26 TDs, 10 INTs; All-Big Sky third team
Brad Mayes, Lehigh, QB, Sr., 6-2, 220
2017: 292 of 455, 3,886 yards, 31 TDs, 12 INT; All-Patriot League first team
Tevin McCaster, Youngstown State, RB, Sr., 5-10, 195
2017: 221 carries, 1,066 yards, 13 TDs; All-Missouri Valley second team
Neil O’Connor, New Hampshire, WR, Sr., 5-11, 190
2017: 97 receptions, 1,396 yards, 10 TDs; All-CAA first team; STATS FCS All-America second team
Lamar Raynard, North Carolina A&T, QB, Sr., 6-4, 200
2017: 209 of 328, 2,932, 27 TDs, 7 INTs, 161.7 passing efficiency; MEAC Offensive Player of the Year
P.J. Simmons, Alcorn State, RB, Sr., 5-10, 190
2017: 80 carries, 687 yards, 7 TDs
Daniel Smith, Campbell, QB, So., 6-0, 200
2017: 1,272 rushing yards, 12 TDs; 136 of 255, 1,889 yards, 18 TDs, 7 INTs; Pioneer Football League Offensive Freshman of the Year
Nathan Stewart, Sam Houston State, WR, Jr., 5-11, 175
2017: 72 receptions, 1,648 yards, 14 TDs; All-Southland first team
Easton Stick, North Dakota State, QB, Sr., 6-2, 221
2017: 164 of 264, 2,466 yards, 28 TDs, 8 INTs, 169.5 passing efficiency; 663 rushing yards, 12 TDs; MOP of 2017 FCS championship game
Marquis Terry, Southeast Missouri State, RB, Sr., 5-6, 179
2017: 239 carries, 1,076 yards, 7 TDs; 20 receptions, 109 yards; All-Ohio Valley Conference first team
The breakdown of the watch list by position: 13 quarterbacks, seven running backs and five wide receivers. The Big Sky and Missouri Valley conferences have the most preseason nominees with four each.
Also, this season, STATS will present the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year) and Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
(Courtesy: Alcorn State Sports Information and SWAC.org.)
