• Complete Walter Payton Award Watch List
A pair of Ohio Valley Conference football players are among the 35 players nationally named to the Walter Payton Award Watch List by Stats Perform. The selections included Austin Peay sophomore quarterback
Draylen Ellis and Southeast Missouri senior running back
Geno Hess.
Named for the legendary Chicago Bears running back, the award enters its 35th season and is presented to the national offensive player of the year in college football’s Division I subdivision. The Payton, first awarded in 1987, has served as a stepping-stone for such NFL players as Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Kupp and Trey Lance.
Also this season, Stats Perform 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.
Ellis, the Preseason OVC Offensive Player of the Year, was named OVC Co-Freshman of the Year a season ago after taking over the starting duties prior to the spring Conference season. He ranked 11th nationally in passing touchdowns (14) and 13th in points responsible for (96) in being named a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award. Ellis was named OVC Newcomer of the Week after his first start (where he had 214 yards of total offense and two touchdowns at Tennessee Tech) and would go on to win that award four times (in six total weeks he played) in addition to being named OVC Offensive Player of the Week twice. He was also named the Stats Perform National Freshman of the Week on March 16 after he threw for 262 yards and six touchdowns in a double overtime victory over Southeast Missouri. Overall Ellis tossed multiple touchdowns in three of his six starts.
Hess has previously been named to the Preseason All-OVC Team and a Preseason All-American by Stats Perform. He led the FCS with 12 rushing touchdowns a year ago. He ranked first in the OVC and eighth nationally with nine points per contest. Hess finished fourth among conference leaders and 15th in the FCS with 666 yards (82.1 ypg), as well. Additionally, he scored multiple rushing touchdowns three times and claimed First-Team All-OVC honors.
WALTER PAYTON AWARD WATCH LIST
Quarterbacks
Eric Barriere, Eastern Washington (2019 and 2020-21 finalist)
Juwan Carter, Norfolk State
Jack Cook, Dayton
Zerrick Cooper, Jacksonville State (2019 finalist)
Tim DeMorat, Fordham (2020-21 finalist)
Draylen Ellis, Austin Peay
Aqeel Glass, Alabama A&M (2020-21 finalist)
Felix Harper, Alcorn State (2019 finalist)
Cole Kelley, Southeastern Louisiana (2020-21 recipient)
E.J. Perry, Brown
Eric Schmid, Sam Houston
Breylin Smith, Central Arkansas
Daniel Smith, Villanova (2019 finalist)
Cameron Ward, UIW
Liam Welch, Samford (2020-21 finalist)
Running Backs
Percy Agyei-Obese, James Madison (2020-21 finalist)
Julius Chestnut, Sacred Heart (2019 and 2020-21 finalist)
Josh Davis, Weber State
Elijah Dotson, Sacramento State
Juwon Farri, Monmouth (2020-21 finalist)
Geno Hess, Southeast Missouri
Quay Holmes, ETSU (2020-21 finalist)
Dejoun Lee, Delaware (2020-21 finalist)
Jah-Maine Martin, North Carolina A&T (2019 finalist)
Karl Mofor, Albany
Pierre Strong Jr., South Dakota State (2020-21 finalist)
Otis Weah, North Dakota (2020-21 finalist)
Devin Wynn, Furman
Wide Receivers
Samuel Akem, Montana
Avante Cox, Southern Illinois
Dai’Jean Dixon, Nicholls
Jequez Ezzard, Sam Houston
Jakob Herres, VMI (2020-21 finalist)
Tyler Hudson, Central Arkansas (2020-21 finalist)
Christian Watson, North Dakota State