10 early-season Walter Payton Award candidates to watch in FCS football

FCS teams have been in action for four weeks (counting Week Zero) so technically speaking, a month of the season has been played. That said, a few players have begun to build their case for the Walter Payton Award, given each year to the most outstanding offensive player in FCS football.

Here’s a look at 10 players that have already impressed early this season.

RB Kente Edwards, Lafayette

No running back in the FCS has more rushing touchdowns than Kente Edwards’ seven, nor more rushing yards than his 409. While Edwards hasn’t contributed in the pass game much — just one catch for seven yards — he has dominated FCS competition on the ground. 

Against Georgetown, Edwards ran for 255 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries. Edwards is a big-play waiting to happen with touchdowns of 78 yards, 70 yards and 51 yards.

PAYTON AWARD: Complete history of the top FCS offensive honor

QB Derek Robertson, Monmouth

Derek Robertson finished sixth in Walter Payton voting last year and is the top returning finalist from 2024. Robertson leads the FCS in passing yards and passing touchdowns early in the season, helping Monmouth to the No. 3 total offense in the FCS and No. 5 scoring offense at 42 points per game.

QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State 

Cole Payton has shown off his dual-threat ability in his first season as the starter for North Dakota State, ranking No. 3 in the FCS in passing efficiency en route to 706 yards and six passing touchdowns. Payton also has 175 yards on the ground and a touchdown, with the Bison offense ranking No. 4 in both scoring offense and total offense.

Payton’s coming off the best game of his career so far after passing for 348 yards and four touchdowns, rushing for another score against Southeast Missouri State.

QB Collin Hurst, Presbyterian

Presbyterian landed two major upsets to start the year with wins over SoCon foes Mercer and Furman. Quarterback Collin Hurst threw for 303 yards and a touchdown against Mercer and 275 yards and five touchdowns against Furman. Hurst has been outstanding in big games to open the year, stepping up when his team needs him to.

MORE AWARDS: Buck Buchanan Award history | Jerry Rice Award history

RB L.J. Phillips Jr., South Dakota

South Dakota entered the year with a Walter Payton candidate at running back in Charles Pierre Jr. He’s now hurt.

In comes L.J. Phillips Jr. who didn’t disappoint in his first start in Week 3. Phillips ran for 301 yards and two touchdowns against Northern Colorado, helping South Dakota land its first win. It’s only one game, but it could be a sign of things to come.

RB Joshua Dye, Southern Utah

Last year, Southern Utah running back Targhee Lambson finished in the top-three of Walter Payton Award voting. In 2025, another Southern Utah running back in Joshua Dye is trying to do the same.

Dye has six rushing touchdowns (No. 2 in the FCS) and 383 rushing yards (No. 3 in the FCS). He’s coming off a 171-yard, four-touchdown performance against Northern Arizona in Week 3.

QB Victor Gabalis, Tarleton State

Victor Gabalis has helped lead Tarleton State to an FCS-over-FBS upset against Army and a top-three ranking in the FCS across the Coaches and STATS Perform polls. Gabalis has 776 passing yards and 11 passing touchdowns in four games — the passing touchdowns rank second in the FCS.

UPSETS: See every FCS-over-FBS upset all-time | Here's the FCS blueprint to beating a ranked FBS team

QB Kekoa Visperas, Tennessee Tech

Kekoa Visperas has completed 68 percent of his passes for 736 yards and eight touchdowns, adding another two scores on the ground. Visperas is leading the No. 1 scoring offense in the FCS at 60.7 points per game and he has helped Tennessee Tech start the season 3-0, dominating each opponent. 

QB Eddie Lee Marburger, UT Rio Grande Valley

UT Rio Grande Valley is in its first year of FCS play and off to a 3-0 start, albeit against just one FCS opponent. Quarterback Eddie Lee Marburger has been fantastic to open the season, completing 71 percent of his passes for 902 yards and nine touchdowns, ranking top four in the FCS in passing yardage and touchdowns. UTRGV has the No. 1 total offense in the FCS and No. 2 scoring offense in the FCS through three weeks of play.

QB Beau Brungard, Youngstown State

Beau Brungard plays quarterback for Youngstown State, but he leads the entire FCS with 426 rushing yards. Brungard’s six rushing touchdowns rank second nationally. 

Brungard’s best game of the season so far came against Robert Morris where he ran for 264 yards and four touchdowns while completing 12 of 16 passes for 122 yards and a score.