Draft Insiders' Digest Premier NFL Draft and Free Agency Publication
www.draftinsiders.com

Payton & Buchanan Award Watch Lists

Photo – Walter Payton – Bears

Frank Coyle and Draft Insiders prides itself on scouting small college talent and has a long history of ranking pro prospects from the lower level as top quality starting NFL players. QBs Joe Flacco and Tony Romo are two starting NFL passers that DraftInsiders.com ranked exceptionally high after little national publicity over their college careers. Flacco was on our Senior Bowl recommended list entering his senior season while at Delaware University. He was a prospect we scouted in person at many games and practices and said he had the best arm of the Class of 2007 that included top pick Matt Ryan. Romo was our top small college prospect coming out of Eastern Illinois in the NFL Draft 2003. We ranked him as a starting NFL passer and right behind top pick Rex Grossman. Other small college pro prospects we ranked very high entering the NFL recently are cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, wideout Vincent Jackson and tight end Kevin Boss. We annually publish dozens of small college scouting reports in our annual Yearbook and again with a special section in our Update Report related to the best small college future pro players.

The latest editions of the revised Walter Payton and Buck Buchanan Award watch lists have been announced. The Payton Award, now in its 23rd year, is given to the most outstanding player in the Football Championship Subdivision. Armanti Edwards of Appalachian St is again represented on the list after winning the 2008 Payton Award. The Buchanan Award is in its 15th year and is given to the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Payton Award Watch List.
The 20 players on the updated List include:

QB Pat Devlin - Delaware University
QB Armanti Edwards - Appalachian St
RB Chris Evans - Samford
RB William Ford - South Carolina St
QB Pat Grace - Northern Iowa
QB Cameron Higgins - Weber St
WR Terrell Hudgins - Elon
RB Deji Karim - Southern Illinois
QB Bryant Lee - Southern
RB David McCarty - Albany
RB Tony Nelson - Massachusetts
QB Matt Nichols - Eastern Washington
RB Todd Pendland - McNeese St
QB Ryan Perrilloux - Jacksonville St
QB Curtis Pulley - Florida A&M
QB Dominic Randolph - Holy Cross
RB Chase Reynolds - Montana
WR Andre Roberts - Citadel
RB David Sinisi - Monmouth University
RB Trevyn Smith - Weber St

Buck Buchanan Award Watch List

DE Christian Anthony - Grambling St
DE Danny Batten - South Dakota St
DE Dane Fletcher - Montana St
Safety Charles Graves - Delaware University
DE Larry Hart - Central Arkansas
LB Brandin Jordan - Southern Illinois
DE Tim Knicky - Stephen F. Austin
DE Austen Lane - Murray St
Safety Mark LeGree - Appalachian St
DE Jeremy Maddox - Alabama A&M
Safety Jeromy Miles - Massachusetts
DE Arthur Moats - James Madison
CB Josh Morris - Weber St
LB Osayi Osunde - Villanova
CB Justin Rogers - Richmond
DE James Ruffin - Northern Iowa
DT Mychal Savage - Youngstown St
LB J.C. Sherritt - Eastern Washington
DE Adrian Tracy - William & Mary
Safety Terrell Whitehead - Norfolk St

The watch list will be revised again in early November, and again before the final ballot is announced. The original list consisted of a total of 20 candidates that were announced earlier during the summer. Voting for these awards is from a panel of FCS sports information directors, writers, broadcasters and other football experts that will be conducted after the regular season ends. Three finalists will be announced on Nov. 30 and will be invited to the 23rd annual FCS Awards banquet on Dec. 17 in Chattanooga, TN., the night before the NCAA Division I championship title game. The Walter Payton Award, the Eddie Robinson Award (top FCS Coach) and Buck Buchanan Award (top FCS Defensive Player) will be presented that night.