• Complete Walter Payton Award Release and Voting Totals
In results of voting for the 2025 Walter Payton Award, given to the FCS National Offensive Player of the Year, Tennessee Tech quarterback
Kekoa Visperas finished 13th.
The Payton Award is named for legendary running back Walter Payton, who starred at Jackson State as part of his Hall of Fame career. Its past recipients include Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Taylor Heinicke, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Kupp and Trey Lance.
The finalists were announced as Quarterbacks Beau Brungard of Youngstown State, Taron Dickens of Western Carolina and Cole Payton of North Dakota State The trio have emerged from 30 finalists across 13 FCS conferences for the 39th annual Walter Payton Award, which is affectionately known as the Heisman of the FCS. The recipient, selected after the regular season by a 56-member voting panel, will be announced at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show on January 3 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Visperas set a new Tennessee Tech single-season record for touchdown passes (25 – a mark that ranked eighth nationally) in helping the Golden Eagles finish 11-1 overall and 8-0 in the OVC-Big South as they won their second-straight Association title and first outright Conference Championship since 1975. The transfer from Eastern Washington led the Association in total offense (247.5 yards/game) and total offensive touchdowns (28). In 12 regular season games he completed 212-of-323 passes (65.6%) for 2,486 yards and also rushed for 484 yards (third on the TTU team) and three additional scores.
He also ranked 19th nationally in points responsible for (168), 20th in passing efficiency (152.7), 23rd in total offense and 28th in completion percentage. A finalist for the Walter Payton Award, Visperas was named OVC-Big South Offensive Player of the Week three times and passed for a season-best 358 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 73 yards in a victory over Western Illinois on October 4.
In addition to the Walter Payton Award, the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS Defensive Player of the Year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS Freshman Player of the Year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS Coach of the Year), HBCU National Player of the Year and Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be presented at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show.
2025 Walter Payton Award Voting
Following is a breakdown of the voting results (top three to be announced on Jan. 3). A first-place vote was worth five points, a second-place vote four points, a third-place vote three points, a fourth-place vote two points and a fifth-place vote one point. The final number is the combined point total.
1, 2, 3 TBA (Jan. 3) between Beau Brungard, Taron Dickens and Cole Payton
4. Joshua Dye, Southern Utah: 1-6-11-12-6-92
5. Braden Atkinson, Mercer: 2-5-1-5-5-48
6. Rodney Nelson, Monmouth: 1-4-2-6-5-44
7. Justin Lamson, Montana State: 1-2-7-1-4-40
8. DJ Williams, Southern Illinois: 1-2-4-4-1-34
9. Keali’I Ah Yat, Montana: 0-1-6-2-4-30
10. Chris Parson, Austin Peay: 1-2-1-2-3-23
11. Luke Yoder, Lehigh: 1-0-4-2-0-21
12 Bryce Lance, North Dakota State: 0-2-0-2-3-15
13. Kekoa Visperas, Tennessee Tech: 2-0-1-0-1-14
14. Marquis Gillis, Delaware State: 0-2-0-1-0-10
15. Kente Edwards, Lafayette: 1-0-0-1-1-8
T16. Andrew Body, Alabama State: 0-1-0-1-1-7
T16. L.J. Phillips Jr. South Dakota: 0-0-1-1-2-7
T18. Joey Isabella, Duquesne: 0-0-1-1-1-6
T18. Marquise Buchanan, Rhode Island: 0-0-1-1-1-6
T18. Michael Wortham, Montana: 0-0-0-2-2-6
T21. Collin Hurst, Presbyterian: 0-0-1-0-2-5
T21. Walker Harris, North Carolina Central: 1-0-0-0-0-5
T23. Devin Farrell, Rhode Island: 0-0-0-1-1-3
T23. Jared Richardson, Penn: 0-0-0-1-1-3
T25. Eddie Lee Marburger, UT Rio Grande Valley: 0-0-0-0-1-1
T25. Jaden Craig, Harvard: 0-0-0-0-1-1
T25. Josh Pitsenberger, Yale: 0-0-0-0-1-1
T25. Victor Gabalis, Tarleton State: 0-0-0-0-1-1
T29. Elijah Howard, Central Connecticut State: 0-0-0-0-0-0
T29. Rodney Hammond Jr., Sacramento State: 0-0-0-0-0-0