RB Kente Edwards, Lafayette

No running back in the FCS has more rushing touchdowns than Kente Edwards’ seven, nor more rushing yards than his 409. While Edwards hasn’t contributed in the pass game much — just one catch for seven yards — he has dominated FCS competition on the ground. 

Against Georgetown, Edwards ran for 255 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries. Edwards is a big-play waiting to happen with touchdowns of 78 yards, 70 yards and 51 yards.

PAYTON AWARD: Complete history of the top FCS offensive honor
QB Derek Robertson, Monmouth

Derek Robertson finished sixth in Walter Payton voting last year and is the top returning finalist from 2024. Robertson leads the FCS in passing yards and passing touchdowns early in the season, helping Monmouth to the No. 3 total offense in the FCS and No. 5 scoring offense at 42 points per game.
QB Cole Payton, North Dakota State 

Cole Payton has shown off his dual-threat ability in his first season as the starter for North Dakota State, ranking No. 3 in the FCS in passing efficiency en route to 706 yards and six passing touchdowns. Payton also has 175 yards on the ground and a touchdown, with the Bison offense ranking No. 4 in both scoring offense and total offense.

Payton’s coming off the best game of his career so far after passing for 348 yards and four touchdowns, rushing for another score against Southeast Missouri State.
QB Collin Hurst, Presbyterian

Presbyterian landed two major upsets to start the year with wins over SoCon foes Mercer and Furman. Quarterback Collin Hurst threw for 303 yards and a touchdown against Mercer and 275 yards and five touchdowns against Furman. Hurst has been outstanding in big games to open the year, stepping up when his team needs him to.
RB L.J. Phillips Jr., South Dakota

South Dakota entered the year with a Walter Payton candidate at running back in Charles Pierre Jr. He’s now hurt.

In comes L.J. Phillips Jr. who didn’t disappoint in his first start in Week 3. Phillips ran for 301 yards and two touchdowns against Northern Colorado, helping South Dakota land its first win. It’s only one game, but it could be a sign of things to come.
RB Joshua Dye, Southern Utah

Last year, Southern Utah running back Targhee Lambson finished in the top-three of Walter Payton Award voting. In 2025, another Southern Utah running back in Joshua Dye is trying to do the same.

Dye has six rushing touchdowns (No. 2 in the FCS) and 383 rushing yards (No. 3 in the FCS). He’s coming off a 171-yard, four-touchdown performance against Northern Arizona in Week 3.
QB Victor Gabalis, Tarleton State

Victor Gabalis has helped lead Tarleton State to an FCS-over-FBS upset against Army and a top-three ranking in the FCS across the Coaches and STATS Perform polls. Gabalis has 776 passing yards and 11 passing touchdowns in four games — the passing touchdowns rank second in the FCS.

Justin Fields will miss his first game with Gang Green.

New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn announced on Wednesday that Fields will be out for Week 3's game versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to a concussion. Tyrod Taylor will make his first start for the Jets.

Fields exited Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills after taking several big hits. The QB's head slammed into the turf on a Joey Bosa tackle in the fourth quarter, and Glenn announced after the game that Fields was in the league's concussion protocol.

Before his exit, Fields completed just 3 of 11 passes for 27 yards in three-plus quarters. Afterward, Taylor entered and had more success, completing 7 of 11 attempts for 56 yards and a touchdown.

Fields' disappointing play on Sunday was a stark drop from his dynamic Week 1 performance, during which he made accurate tosses and used his legs effectively. However, against Buffalo, nothing worked.

Injuries typified Fields' career in Chicago, where he never played a full slate of games over three seasons.

Taylor, a 15-year pro, provides a veteran presence for the Jets offense. He's not as dynamic with his legs as Fields, but he can get the ball out on time and keep the offense on schedule.

"There's an element within him that we also have in Justin that I like a lot," Glenn said of his backup QB on Wednesday. "The fact that he's been in this league for a long time, there's no coverage, there's no pressure that he hasn't seen. So that's why I have confidence in him. He's a very studious person, good athlete. Again, [he's] been around this league for a long time. There's no better player that you would want as your backup quarterback than him at this point in time."

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