US EditionYoungstown State QB Beau Brungard wins Walter Payton Award as FCS offensive player of year
- On Jan 3, 2026, Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard won the Walter Payton Award at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show in Nashville, naming him the FCS offensive player of the year.
- Brungard's dual‑threat season featured strong passing and unusually high rushing, making him the first Youngstown State Penguins player to win the Walter Payton Award .
- Brungard led voting with 177 points and 28 first-place votes from a national panel, edging Western Carolina quarterback Taron Dickens and North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton.
- With the ceremony, organizers also recognized Mercer defensive tackle Andrew Zock for the Buck Buchanan Award, announced two days before the FCS title game at Vanderbilt University.
- Despite Brungard's honor, Youngstown State Penguins finished 8-5 and suffered a first-round loss after blowing a 35-point halftime lead to Yale, while Tommy Mellott won the Walter Payton Award last year.
20 Articles
20 Articles
Associated Press News
Youngstown State QB Beau Brungard wins Walter Payton Award as FCS offensive player of year
Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard won the Walter Payton Award as the Football Championship Subdivision offensive player of the year Saturday night at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show.
Live at 6:30 p.m.: 2025 FCS National Awards Show
Join Dom Izzo and Kendra Sheehan as they emcee the 2025 FCS National Awards Show in Nashville, Tennessee. The ceremony will feature six total awards: the Walter Payton Award (FCS offensive player of the year) Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player), Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year and HBCU National Player of…
All-Time FCS National Awards Winners by School
The namesakes of the FCS national awards are legendary. Starting with the Walter Payton and the Eddie Robinson in 1987, the awards have grown to Buck Buchanan and Jerry Rice, and later, scholar-athlete and HBCU awards. Here’s an all-time list of winners by school. A breakdown of the Stats Perform FCS National Awards by school: Walter Payton Award FCS Offensive Player of the Year, first awarded in 1987 4 – Eastern Washington (Erik Meyer, Bo Levi …
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
