Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard, Western Carolina QB Taron Dickens, and NDSU QB Cole Payton have been voted as the Top 3 finalists for the 2025 FCS Walter Payton Award.
The winner will be announced at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show on Jan. 3 in Nashville.
In the regular season, Brungard went 254/368 (69.0%) for 2,917 yards, 23 TDs, and three interceptions while rushing for 1,378 yards and 24 scores. Dickens finished 271/365 (74.2%), for 3,508 yards, 38 TDs, and two interceptions, along with 321 rushing yards. And Payton finished 157/212 (74.1%) for 2,618 yards, 15 TDs, and four interceptions while rushing for 791 yards and 13 TDs.
Herder: Top 5 Vote For The Walter Payton Award
2025 Walter Payton Award Voting
Below is a breakdown of the voting results. A first-place vote is worth five points, a second-place vote is four points, a third-place vote is three points, a fourth-place vote is two points, and a fifth-place vote is one point. The final number is the combined point total.
1, 2, 3 TBA on Jan. 3 between Beau Brungard, Taron Dickens, and Cole Payton
4. Joshua Dye, Southern Utah: 1-6-11-12-6-92
5. Braden Atkinson, Mercer: 2-5-1-5-5-48
6. Rodney Nelson, Monmouth: 1-4-2-6-5-44
7. Justin Lamson, Montana State: 1-2-7-1-4-40
8. DJ Williams, Southern Illinois: 1-2-4-4-1-34
9. Keali’I Ah Yat, Montana: 0-1-6-2-4-30
10. Chris Parson, Austin Peay: 1-2-1-2-3-23
11. Luke Yoder, Lehigh: 1-0-4-2-0-21
12 Bryce Lance, North Dakota State: 0-2-0-2-3-15
13. Kekoa Visperas, Tennessee Tech: 2-0-1-0-1-14
14. Marquis Gillis, Delaware State: 0-2-0-1-0-10
15. Kente Edwards, Lafayette: 1-0-0-1-1-8
T16. Andrew Body, Alabama State: 0-1-0-1-1-7
T16. L.J. Phillips Jr. South Dakota: 0-0-1-1-2-7
T18. Joey Isabella, Duquesne: 0-0-1-1-1-6
T18. Marquise Buchanan, Rhode Island: 0-0-1-1-1-6
T18. Michael Wortham, Montana: 0-0-0-2-2-6
T21. Collin Hurst, Presbyterian: 0-0-1-0-2-5
T21. Walker Harris, North Carolina Central: 1-0-0-0-0-5
T23. Devin Farrell, Rhode Island: 0-0-0-1-1-3
T23. Jared Richardson, Penn: 0-0-0-1-1-3
T25. Eddie Lee Marburger, UT Rio Grande Valley: 0-0-0-0-1-1
T25. Jaden Craig, Harvard: 0-0-0-0-1-1
T25. Josh Pitsenberger, Yale: 0-0-0-0-1-1
T25. Victor Gabalis, Tarleton State: 0-0-0-0-1-1
T29. Elijah Howard, Central Connecticut State: 0-0-0-0-0-0
T29. Rodney Hammond Jr., Sacramento State: 0-0-0-0-0-0
