The Walter Payton Award goes to the FCS offensive player of the year and boasts a rich history of recipients. Youngstown State’s Beau Brungard is the 2025 recipient out of 30 finalists.
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.
2025 Walter Payton Award Voting
Following is a breakdown of the voting results. A first-place vote was worth five points, a second-place vote four points, a third-place vote three points, a fourth-place vote two points and a fifth-place vote one point. The final number is the combined point total.
1. Beau Brungard, QB, Youngstown State: 28-7-3-0-0-177 2. Taron Dickens, QB, Western Carolina: 10-12-8-6-4-138 3. Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota State: 6-10-4-4-4-94 4. Joshua Dye, RB, Southern Utah: 1-6-11-12-6-92 5. Braden Atkinson, QB, Mercer: 2-5-1-5-5-48 6. Rodney Nelson, RB, Monmouth: 1-4-2-6-5-44 7. Justin Lamson, QB, Montana State: 1-2-7-1-4-40 8. DJ Williams, QB, Southern Illinois: 1-2-4-4-1-34 9. Keali’I Ah Yat, QB, Montana: 0-1-6-2-4-30 10. Chris Parson, QB, Austin Peay: 1-2-1-2-3-23 11. Luke Yoder, RB, Lehigh: 1-0-4-2-0-21 12 Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State: 0-2-0-2-3-15 13. Kekoa Visperas, QB, Tennessee Tech: 2-0-1-0-1-14 14. Marquis Gillis, RB, Delaware State: 0-2-0-1-0-10 15. Kente Edwards, RB, Lafayette: 1-0-0-1-1-8 T16. Andrew Body, QB, Alabama State: 0-1-0-1-1-7 T16. L.J. Phillips Jr., RB, South Dakota: 0-0-1-1-2-7 T18. Joey Isabella, WR, Duquesne: 0-0-1-1-1-6 T18. Marquise Buchanan, WR, Rhode Island: 0-0-1-1-1-6 T18. Michael Wortham, WR, Montana: 0-0-0-2-2-6 T21. Collin Hurst, QB, Presbyterian: 0-0-1-0-2-5 T21. Walker Harris, QB, North Carolina Central: 1-0-0-0-0-5 T23. Devin Farrell, QB, Rhode Island: 0-0-0-1-1-3 T23. Jared Richardson, WR, Penn: 0-0-0-1-1-3 T25. Eddie Lee Marburger, QB, UT Rio Grande Valley: 0-0-0-0-1-1 T25. Jaden Craig, QB, Harvard: 0-0-0-0-1-1 T25. Josh Pitsenberger, RB, Yale: 0-0-0-0-1-1 T25. Victor Gabalis, QB, Tarleton State: 0-0-0-0-1-1 T29. Elijah Howard, RB, Central Connecticut State: 0-0-0-0-0-0 T29. Rodney Hammond Jr., RB, Sacramento State: 0-0-0-0-0-0For more FCS football coverage, follow on social media at X, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
Youngstown State’s Beau Brungard Receives 2025 Walter Payton Award as FCS Offensive Player of the Year Opta Analyst.
Hence then, the article about youngstown state s beau brungard receives 2025 walter payton award as fcs offensive player of the year was published today ( ) and is available on The Analyst ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Youngstown State’s Beau Brungard Receives 2025 Walter Payton Award as FCS Offensive Player of the Year )
Also on site :
- Fran Drescher Mourns Beloved 'The Nanny' Actor and Director
- Mickey Rourke Approves GoFundMe to Prevent Eviction (Exclusive)
- The 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards Red Carpet Has Arrived—See Every Look