CHICAGO – Aug. 4, 2021 – Reigning Walter Payton Award winner Cole Kelley of Southeastern Louisiana will face stiff competition this fall in the race for the Heisman of the FCS.
Kelley led a preseason watch list of 35 players that was announced on Wednesday for the 2021 Payton, which Stats Perform presents to the national offensive player of the year in college football’s Division I subdivision.
The 6-foot-7, 260-pound Kelley was at or near the top of the FCS in a number of statistical categories, including a No. 1 ranking in passing yards and total touchdowns, when he received the Payton following the FCS spring season.
Runner-up Eric Barriere of Eastern Washington and third-place finisher Julius Chestnut of Sacred Heart also were part of the impressive preseason watch list.
Barriere, Josh Davis of Weber State, Elijah Dotson of Sacramento State and Samuel Akem of Montana represented the Big Sky in Wednesday’s announcement.
Barriere was one of three finalists for the award last season, as the EWU quarterback earned All-America honors from six different publications following the spring season, along with being the FCS ADA and Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Barriere was named the Big Sky Preseason Offensive MVP at last week’s Football Kickoff in Spokane, Washington.
He’s thrown for 8,739 yards and 75 touchdowns in his decorated career.
All four players were named to the Big Sky preseason All-Conference Team as well by the league this past week.
Akem has earned second-team All-Big Sky honors two years in a row. He has caught 59 passes each of the last two seasons for 879 and 848 yards, respectively, while hauling in 18 total touchdowns.
Dotson, who rushed for career-highs of 234 yards and three touchdowns against Montana in 2018, has earned first-team all-league honors in 2018 and 2019. He led the Big Sky in rushing with 1,154 yards in 2018 before leading the league in yards from scrimmage with 1,445 (742 rushing, 702 receiving). He’s scored 27 touchdowns in his career.
Davis, the former Utah Gatorade Player of the Year, is a two-time All-American and three-time first-team All-Big Sky pick. He enters the 2021 fall season ranked fourth in Weber State history in career rushing yards with 2,884 yards and 21 touchdowns. He is also eighth in WSU history in career all-purpose yards with 3,711 yards.
More players can join the watch list during the regular season, and a national media panel will select the winner following it. First awarded in 1987, the Payton has watched past winners such as Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Kupp and Trey Lance move on to the NFL.
Walter Payton 2021 Watch List
Quarterbacks
Eric Barriere, Eastern Washington (2019 and 2020-21 finalist)
Juwan Carter, Norfolk State
Jack Cook, Dayton
Zerrick Cooper, Jacksonville State (2019 finalist)
Tim DeMorat, Fordham (2020-21 finalist)
Draylen Ellis, Austin Peay
Aqeel Glass, Alabama A&M (2020-21 finalist)
Felix Harper, Alcorn State (2019 finalist)
Cole Kelley, Southeastern Louisiana (2020-21 recipient)
E.J. Perry, Brown
Eric Schmid, Sam Houston
Breylin Smith, Central Arkansas
Daniel Smith, Villanova (2019 finalist)
Cameron Ward, UIW
Liam Welch, Samford (2020-21 finalist)
Running Backs
Percy Agyei-Obese, James Madison (2020-21 finalist)
Julius Chestnut, Sacred Heart (2019 and 2020-21 finalist)
Josh Davis, Weber State
Elijah Dotson, Sacramento State
Juwon Farri, Monmouth (2020-21 finalist)
Geno Hess, Southeast Missouri
Quay Holmes, ETSU (2020-21 finalist)
Dejoun Lee, Delaware (2020-21 finalist)
Jah-Maine Martin,North Carolina A&T (2019 finalist)
Karl Mofor, Albany
Pierre Strong Jr., South Dakota State (2020-21 finalist)
Otis Weah, North Dakota (2020-21 finalist)
Devin Wynn, Furman
Wide Receivers
Samuel Akem, Montana
Avante Cox, Southern Illinois
Dai’Jean Dixon, Nicholls
Jequez Ezzard, Sam Houston
Jakob Herres, VMI (2020-21 finalist)
Tyler Hudson, Central Arkansas (2020-21 finalist)
Christian Watson, North Dakota State
