Beau Brungard Wins 2025 Walter Payton Award | FCS Offensive Player of the Year

Описание: When a defense tries to prevent Beau Brungard from passing, he runs all over it.

When it guards against the run, he throws over the top of it.

Try to stop a trick play that results in Brungard catching the ball? Yeah, forget about it.

The Youngstown State quarterback’s dual-threat ability and production were jaw-dropping during the 2025 season, and as a result Saturday night at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show in Nashville, Tennessee, he received the 39th annual Walter Payton Award as the national offensive player of the year in FCS college football.

Brungard outdistanced two other quarterbacks, runner-up Taron Dickens of Western Carolina and Cole Payton of North Dakota State, in voting for the Payton Award – affectionately known as the Heisman of the FCS. There were 30 finalists from all 13 conferences.

Brungard, a 6-foot, 215-pound junior from New Middletown, Ohio, led the FCS in total offensive yards (4,702) and total touchdowns (48) across Youngstown State’s 8-5 season. He was the third quarterback in FCS history to surpass 3,000 passing yards (3,234) and 1,000 rushing yards (1,378) in the same season, and both of his totals were higher than the previous pair. He threw only three interceptions in 403 attempts, and he was even on the receiving end of a pass that resulted in a 50-yard catch-and-run TD.

Brungard was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s offensive player of the year. He’s the ninth consecutive quarterback to win the Payton Award, with the overall breakdown at 28 quarterbacks, nine running backs and two wide receivers.

Dickens, a 5-11, 180-pound redshirt sophomore from Miami, ranks No. 1 in the FCS in passing yards per game (389.8), completion% (74.2), total offensive yards per game (425.4) and touchdown passes (38). He set an NCAA all-divisions record by completing 46 straight passes to begin a game against Wofford.

Payton, a 6-3, 233-pound senior from Omaha, Nebraska, helped North Dakota State to a 12-0 record in the regular season and finished the campaign with a 71.9 completion%, 193.8 passing efficiency and 268.9 total offense yards per game with 29 overall touchdowns.

All three standouts were named to the Stats Perform FCS All-America Team.

The Payton Award is named for legendary running back Walter Payton, who starred at Jackson State as part of his Hall of Fame career. Its past recipients include Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Taylor Heinicke, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Kupp and Trey Lance.

Eddie Payton, Walter’s older brother, presented the 2025 award to Brungard.