STATS announces FCS legacy awards finalists

By CRAIG HALEY

(STATS) - The finalists were announced and voting began Monday for the 2019 STATS FCS legacy awards, which honor the national players and coach of the year in college football's Division I subdivision.

Nominees were pared to finalists for 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 of the year) and Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year).

A national panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries will select the winners. Voting is based on the regular season.

All four awards and the STATS FCS Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be celebrated at the STATS FCS Awards Banquet and Presentation, scheduled for Jan. 10 in Frisco, Texas, on the eve of the national championship game.

---

2019 STATS FCS AWARDS FINALISTS

WALTER PAYTON AWARD

(FCS Offensive Player of the Year - 26 Finalists)

Kenji Bahar, QB, Monmouth

Eric Barriere, QB, Eastern Washington

Jordan Bentley, RB, Alabama A&M

Julius Chestnut, RB, Sacred Heart

Case Cookus, QB, Northern Arizona

Zerrick Cooper, QB, Jacksonville State

Domenic Cozier, RB, Holy Cross

Tom Flacco, QB, Towson

Pete Guerriero, RB, Monmouth

Felix Harper, QB, Alcorn State

Cade Johnson, WR, South Dakota State

Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

Jah-Maine Martin, RB, North Carolina A&T

Aaron Parker, WR, Rhode Island

Alex Ramsey, RB, VMI

Kurt Rawlings, QB, Yale

James Robinson, RB, Illinois State

Chris Rowland, WR/RS, Tennessee State

Reid Sinnett, QB, San Diego

Breylin Smith, QB, Central Arkansas

Daniel Smith, QB, Villanova

Ryan Stanley, QB, Florida A&M

Kevin Thomson, QB, Sacramento State

Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton

Aaron Winchester, QB, Central Connecticut State

Bailey Zappe, QB, Houston Baptist

---

BUCK BUCHANAN AWARD

(FCS Defensive Player of the Year - 26 Finalists)

Anthony Adams, S, Portland State

Bryson Armstrong, LB, Kennesaw State

Ron'Dell Carter, DE, James Madison

Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois

John Daka, DE, James Madison

Brandon Easterling, S, Dayton

Willie Eubanks Jr., LB, The Citadel

Cam Gill, LB, Wagner

Zach Hall, LB, Southeast Missouri

Kordell Jackson, DB, Austin Peay

Rico Kennedy, LB, Morgan State

Sully Laiche, DL, Nicholls

Da'Jon Lee, LB, Saint Francis

Greg Liggs Jr., CB, Elon

Eli Mencer, DE, UAlbany

Solomon Muhammad, LB, Alcorn State

Dante Olson, LB, Montana

Aaron Patrick, DL, Eastern Kentucky

Christian Rozeboom, LB, South Dakota State

Artevius Smith, DB, ETSU

Elerson Smith, DL, Northern Iowa

Bryce Sterk, LB, Montana State

Isiah Swann, DB, Dartmouth

Derrek Tuszka, DL, North Dakota State

Nick Wheeler, DL, Colgate

Keith Woetzel, LB, Lehigh

---

JERRY RICE AWARD

(FCS Freshman Player of the Year - 20 Finalists)

John Bachus III, QB, UT Martin

Omar Brown, DB, Northern Iowa

Tyrese Chambers, WR, Sacred Heart

Ian Corwin, QB, Drake

Jacob Dobbs, LB, Holy Cross

Nick Eaton, LB, UC Davis

Tra Fluellen, DB, Houston Baptist

Ailym Ford, RB, Chattanooga

Xavier Gipson, WR, Stephen F. Austin

Tyler Hudson, WR, Central Arkansas

Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim, WR, Alabama A&M

Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

Jalen Leary, RB, Stetson

Jacob Roberts, LB, North Carolina A&T

Keegan Shoemaker, QB, Lafayette

Jake Stebbins, LB, Cornell

Jeff Undercuffler, QB, UAlbany

Tristan Wheeler, LB, Richmond

Hajj-Malik Williams, QB, Campbell

Javon Williams Jr., RB, Southern Illinois

---

EDDIE ROBINSON AWARD

(FCS Coach of the Year - 15 Finalists)

Nathan Brown, Central Arkansas

Kevin Callahan, Monmouth

Bob Chesney, Holy Cross

Curt Cignetti, James Madison

Bernard Clark Jr., Robert Morris

Matt Entz, North Dakota State

Greg Gattuso, UAlbany

Mark Hudspeth, Austin Peay

Dale Lindsey, San Diego

Connell Maynor, Alabama A&M

Ryan McCarthy, Central Connecticut State

Buddy Pough, South Carolina State

Troy Taylor, Sacramento State

Buddy Teevens, Dartmouth

Scott Wachenheim, VMI

Updated November 25, 2019