Youngstown State QB Beau Brungard wins Walter Payton Award as FCS offensive player of year

By Canadian Press on January 3, 2026.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard won the Walter Payton Award on Saturday night as the Football Championship Subdivision offensive player of the year.

Brungard edged fellow Western Carolina quarterback Taron Dickens and North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton in voting by a national panel.

The winner was announced two days before Montana State faces Illinois State in the FCS title game at Vanderbilt University. Former Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott won the award last year.

The first Youngstown State player to win the award that started in 1987, Brungard completed 277 of 403 passes for 3,230 yards and 26 touchdowns this season. He ran for 1,468 yards and 27 touchdowns on 242 carries. The Penguins finished 8-5, blowing a 35-7 halftime lead in a 43-42 first-round loss to Yale.

Mercer defensive tackle Andrew Zock won the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player. He’s in the transfer portal.

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The Associated Press