CHICAGO – Aug. 5, 2021 – There’s been only one multiple-time winner of the Stats Perform FCS Buck Buchanan Award, but Southern University’s Jordan Lewis will be in a rush to match that feat this fall.
A pass rush, that is.
Lewis, who after the spring season was named the national defensive player of the year in college football’s Division I subdivision, headlined a preseason watch list of 35 players that Stats Perform announced for the 2021 season on Thursday.
The 6-foot-3 Lewis ranked No. 1 in the FCS in sacks and tackles for loss as well as lost yardage in both statistics. Thirteen other spring finalists, including third-place finisher Stone Snyder of VMI, were on the standout preseason watch list.
Four linebackers and one defensive back headline the Big Sky’s representatives on the Buck Buchanan Watch List, as STATS Perform continued its preseason honor announcements leading into the fall football campaign.
Linebackers Troy Andersen of Montana State, La’akea Kaho’ohanohano-Davis of Southern Utah, Jace Lewis of Montana and Tre Walker of Idaho made the cut, while defensive back Anthony Adams of Portland State rounded out the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List honorees for the Big Sky.
Four of the 14 linebackers on the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List hail from the Big Sky, as the league boasts the most linebackers on the list of any conference. Kaho’ohanohano-Davis and Walker were both finalists for the award in the 2021 spring slate, while Adams was a finalist back in 2019.
Andersen will play defense full time, at least initially. The multiple-time, multiple position All-Big Sky selection and a multiple time All-American. He enters his senior year with 2,263 yards and 33 touchdowns but will likely play (almost) exclusively at inside linebacker for the Bobcats.
Defensive Linemen
Jared Brinkman, Northern Iowa (2020-21 finalist)
Isaiah Chambers, McNeese (2020-21 finalist)
DJ Coleman, Jacksonville State
Mike Greene, James Madison (2020-21 finalist)
Malik Hamm, Lafayette
Jahari Kay, Sam Houston (2020-21 finalist)
Jordan Lewis, Southern (2020-21 recipient)
Shaundre Mims, Charleston Southern
Kobie Turner, Richmond
Linebackers
Troy Andersen, Montana State
Logan Backhaus, South Dakota State
Ryan Greenhagen, Fordham (2020-21 finalist)
Willie Eubanks III, The Citadel (2019 finalist)
Tre Jones, Central Connecticut State
James Kaczor, North Dakota State
La’akea Kaho’ohanohano-Davis, Southern Utah (2020-21 finalist)
Titus Leo, Wagner (2020-21 finalist)
Jace Lewis, Montana
Forrest Rhyne, Villanova
Stone Snyder, VMI (2020-21 finalist)
Jeremiah Tyler, Princeton
Tre Walker, Idaho (2020-21 finalist)
Tristan Wheeler, Richmond (2020-21 finalist)
Defensive Backs
Anthony Adams, Portland State (2019 finalist)
Markquese Bell, Florida A&M
Qua Brown, Southern Illinois
Anthony Budd, Monmouth
Decobie Durant, South Carolina State
Brandon Easterling, Dayton (2019 finalist)
Chris Edmonds, Samford (2020-21 finalist)
Marcis Floyd, Murray State
Nicario Harper, Jacksonville State (2020-21 finalist)
Kordell Jackson, Austin Peay (2019 and 2020-21 finalist)
Ferlando Jordan, Southeastern Louisiana
Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston
More players can join the watch list during the regular season, and a national media panel will select the winner following it. Dexter Coakley won the inaugural Buchanan in 1995 and repeated a year later, but there hasn’t been a two-time recipient since, although other past winners such as Rashean Mathis, Jared Allen and Arthur Moats joined Coakley with excellent NFL careers.
