Youngstown State junior quarterback Beau Brungard is among a group of highly-talented FCS offensive players who have been named finalists for the 2025 Walter Payton Award, Stats Perform announced on Tuesday, Nov. 25.

Brungard should be near the top of the list following the impressive season of accomplishments he's put forth in 2025. Besides an outstanding individual campaign, he helped the Guins reach the FCS playoffs as the No. 15 overall seed. YSU plays host to Yale on Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium at 2 p.m.

He is a two-time National Offensive Player of the Week and has been named Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week on three occasions.

Impressive Performances of Note:

At Illinois State – 328 yards passing, 200 yards rushing – first player in FCS history with 300/200 performance
Southern Illinois – 345 yards passing, 4 touchdowns
Robert Morris – 264 yards rushing (MVFC QB record)
South Dakota State – 275 yards passing, 130 rushing
Murray State – 2 passing, 2 rushing and 1 receiving TD
At UNI – 143 yards rushing, 3 TDs

15 rushing touchdowns in last five games
9 passing touchdowns in the last three games

Season Stats of Note:

290 Points Responsible For*
48 Total Touchdowns*
24.2 Points Per Game
593 Total Offensive Plays*
4,295 Total Offensive Yards*
357.9 Total Offensive Yards Per Game
254 Completions
368 Attempts
2,917 Passing Yards
23 Touchdowns
225 Carries
1,378 Rushing Yards
24 Rushing Touchdowns

*FCS Leader

The award, in its 39th season and affectionately known as the Heisman of the FCS, is named for legendary running back Walter Payton, who starred at Jackson State as part of his Hall of Fame career. Past recipients include Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Kupp, Taylor Heinicke and Trey Lance.

 All 13 FCS conferences are represented by a finalist. The winner, to be selected by a national voting panel, will be announced at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show on Jan. 3 in Nashville, Tenn.