The FCS stars will shine Saturday night when the top individual awards in college football’s Division I subdivision are presented at the 2023 Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet.
The awards banquet, presented by FedEx Ground, will begin airing on 14 Bally Sports regional networks on Sunday, with two-time Super Bowl-winning linebacker Gary Reasons serving as the host. Over 155 airings are scheduled.
Highlighting the banquet are the announcements of the Walter Payton and Buck Buchanan awards for the national offensive and defensive players of the year, respectively.
The Payton Award, in its 37th season and often called the Heisman of the FCS, is down to quarterbacks Max Brosmer of New Hampshire and Mark Gronowski of South Dakota State and running back Jaden Shirden of Monmouth.
Defensive end Terrell Allen of Tennessee State and linebackers Dylan Kelly of UAlbany and Billy Shaeffer of Lafayette are up for the Buchanan Award, which is in its 29th season.
The winners of three other awards that will be presented at the banquet were announced previously: Montana running back Eli Gillman, 13th Jerry Rice Award for national freshman player of the year; South Dakota State’s Jimmy Rogers, 37th Eddie Robinson Award for national coach of the year; and Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott, ninth FedEx Ground Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award.