Wednesday, August 1, 2018
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations

CHICAGO – For a second consecutive season, San Diego quarterback Anthony Lawrence has been named to the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List.

Lawrence, the 2017 Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Year, was one of 25 players announced for the award which recognizes the FCS Offensive Player of the Year. A two-time First-Team All-PFL selection, Lawrence returns after finishing 2017 ranked among the FCS Top 10 in passing touchdowns (3rd, 33), passing efficiency (5th, 163.3) and completion percentage (8th, 65.5). In addition, he led San Diego to the second round of the FCS Playoffs for a second consecutive year.

The 2018 preseason watch list below 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.

• Tyrie Adams, Western Carolina, QB, Jr., 6-2, 180
• Bruce Anderson, North Dakota State, RB, Sr., 5-11, 216
• Dominick Bragalone, Lehigh, RB, Sr., 5-11, 230
• Chandler Burks, Kennesaw State, QB, Sr., 5-10, 187
• Taryn Christion, South Dakota State, QB, Sr., 6-2, 225
• Case Cookus, Northern Arizona, QB, Jr., 6-4, 200
• Davion Davis, Sam Houston State, WR, Sr., 5-11, 180
• Keelan Doss, UC Davis, WR, Sr., 6-3, 210
• Zane Dudek, Yale, RB, So., 5-9, 190
• Gage Gubrud, Eastern Washington, QB, Sr., 6-2, 205
• A.J. Hines, Duquesne, RB, Jr., 5-11, 225
• Devlin Hodges, Samford, QB, Sr., 6-1, 205
• Anthony Lawrence, San Diego, QB, Sr., 6-1, 195
• Kamron Lewis, Saint Francis, WR, Sr., 6-4, 195
• John Lovett, Princeton, QB, Sr., 6-3, 225
• Jake Maier, UC Davis, QB, Jr., 6-0, 200
• Brad Mayes, Lehigh, QB, Sr., 6-2, 220
• Tevin McCaster, Youngstown State, RB, Sr., 5-10, 195
• Neil O'Connor, New Hampshire, WR, Sr., 5-11, 190
• Lamar Raynard, North Carolina A&T, QB, Sr., 6-4, 200
• P.J. Simmons, Alcorn State, RB, Sr., 5-10, 190
• Daniel Smith, Campbell, QB, So., 6-0, 200
• Nathan Stewart, Sam Houston State, WR, Jr., 5-11, 175
• Easton Stick, North Dakota State, QB, Sr., 6-2, 221
• Marquis Terry, Southeast Missouri State, RB, Sr., 5-6, 179

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 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.