The football winds up in quarterback hands on the majority of plays, and plenty in FCS football are taking advantage of that opportunity in the opening weeks of the 2026 season.
Quarterback being football’s most-important has reflected during the second half of the Walter Payton Award’s history.
Through 2003, running back had the upper hand on FCS offensive player of the year with nine recipients to just seven QBs and one wide receiver.
Since then, quarterbacks have claimed the award 21 times in the last 22 seasons, interrupted only by Eastern Washington wide receiver Cooper Kupp in 2015.
It’s not to say the Payton bust will wind up in the hands of a QB, like the ball does on the majority of plays, in this 40th anniversary season of the award, but some players at the position are off to banner starts.
Some were expected; others not necessarily.
Five Expected
Keali’I Ah Yat, Montana
Statistics: 67 of 103 (65.0%), 793 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT; 1 rushing TD
Overshadowed by running back Eli Gillman’s brilliant start is the consistency of last year’s only 4,000-yard passer in the FCS. Ah Yat’s mobility getting out of the pocket underscores how he’s been sacked only twice in three games. His 27 completions against Drake were just two shy of his career high, he’s passed for 247 or more yards in every game, and he’s up to 20-4 as a starter in his career.
Beau Brungard, Youngstown State
Statistics: 63 of 87 (72.4%), 765 yards, 10 TDs, 1 INT; 259 rushing yards, 4 TDs
The 2025 Walter Payton Award recipient dominated Duquesne with 401 yards of total offense and a career-high eight total touchdowns, and he only played through YSU’s first possession of the third quarter. He also accounted for 351 yards and five TDs against Mercyhurst, and managed 243 passing yards in a blowout loss to Kentucky.
#FCS Youngstown State QB Beau Brungard's eight total TDs (six passing, two rushing) in a 70-13 win over Duquesne today were the most in an FCS game since Presbyterian's Ren Hefley had eight against Valparaiso on Nov. 6, 2021.
— Craig Haley (@CraigHaley2025) September 12, 2026Jordan Cooke, Idaho State
Statistics: 51 of 88 (58.0%), 808 yards, 8 TDs, 1 INT; 1 rushing TD
Cooke didn’t put up monster numbers against Utah State, but the key was the Bengals grabbed their first FBS win since 2017. In FCS matchups, he averaged 18.1 yards per completion and passed for four touchdowns against VMI and 22.1 yards per completion with three TDs against San Diego.
Jerry Kaminski, North Dakota
Statistics (through Week 1): 40 of 50 (80.0%), 465 yards, 8 TDs, 1 INT, 206.9 passer rating
The redshirt sophomore is already ahead of last year’s pace, when he passed for 22 touchdowns in the first eight games. He threw a career-high five scoring passes against St. Thomas.
Justin Lamson, Montana State
Statistics (through Week 1): 37 of 50 (74.0%), 499 yards, 4 TDs; 2 rushing TDs
Lamson continues to run the defending FCS champion’s offense with precision. He had a 184.2 passer rating through two games, with two touchdown passes and a scoring run in each win..
Five Unexpected
Anthony Grigsby Jr., Cal Poly
Statistics (through Week 1): 41 of 62 (66.1%), 523 yards, 7 TDs; 96 rushing yards, 1 TD
The Week 0 Big Sky offensive player of the week was responsible for all five of the Mustangs’ touchdowns in a 35-34 upset of Idaho. His final score came on the ground with 9 seconds remaining.
Jax Leatherwood, Tennessee Tech
Statistics: 58 of 89 (65.2%), 679 yards, 8 TDs, 1 INT
At 6-foot-8, Leatherwood is surely one of the taller QBs in FCS history, and his play has risen this year following an injury-plagued season at Southeast Missouri last year. He was particularly big against Monmouth, going 24 of 35 for 289 yards and four touchdowns.
Austyn Modrzewski, South Dakota
Statistics: 46 of 66 (69.7%), 727 yards, 11 TDs, 1 INTs; 79 rushing yards, 1 TD
That the Coyotes needed to replace Aidan Bouman, their all-time winningest QB, was a concern to begin the season. But in his first career game, the 6-5, 215-pound Modrzewski dissected Central Connecticut State with a school-record six touchdown passes and a 68-yard rushing score, earning Stats Perform FCS National Freshman Player of the Week. He has an outstanding 214.2 pass efficiency rating.
Donovyn Omolo, Central Arkansas
Statistics: 52 of 73 (71.2%), 573 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs; 275 rushing yards, 2 TDs
The lefty Division II transfer surpassed 100 rushing yards in each of Central Arkansas’ first two games, including in a road upset at UT Martin (he finished with 341 yards of total offense and three TD passes, receiving United Athletic Conference offensive player of the week).
Kamden Sixkiller, Campbell
Statistics: 74 of 116, 800 yards, 4 TDs, 3 INTs; 104 rushing yards, 3 TDs
Week 0’s national offensive player of the week set a handful of career highs, including passing yards (343) and total offensive yards (438), when Campbell upset ETSU 49-37. He accounted for seven combined touchdowns in a 2-0 start before the Camels lost at Florida.
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