Western Carolina’s Cole Gonzales, a first-team preseason All-Southern Conference selection and dubbed the league’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year, was today among 35 standouts nationwide to be listed on the preseason watch list for the 2024 Walter Payton Award by Stats Perform. The Payton Award is presented annually to the national offensive player of the year in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
A finalist on last year’s ballot, Gonzales finished 17th in the national vote, the highest finish by a Catamount football player in the history of the award. He is WCU’s fourth national finalist since 2015, joining QB Troy Mitchell (25th-place finish), RB Detrez Newsome (24th), and QB Tyrie Adams (19th-t).
Gonzales is one of three Southern Conference players to grace this year’s preseason list, joined by a pair of Chattanooga Mocs in quarterback Chase Artopoeus and wide receiver Javin Whatley. Including both of UTC’s offensive players and Montana WR Julian Bergen, three of WCU’s opponents are among the 35 on the watch list.
All 13 FCS conferences are represented on this year’s watch list, which includes 2023 Payton recipient Mark Gronowski of national champion South Dakota State as one of its 10 past finalists on this year’s preseason list. Only quarterbacks Armanti Edwards from Appalachian State (2008 and ’09) and Jeremiah Briscoe of Sam Houston State (2016 and ‘17) have won the award more than once.
Tagged as the preseason SoCon Offensive Player of the Year at last week’s SoCon Football Media Day at the Hotel Hartness in Greenville, S.C., Gonzales is the first Catamount to earn the top preseason offensive award since Adams was honored by the coaches ahead of the 2019 season. The reigning Roy M. “Legs” Hawley Offensive Player of the Year from 2023, Gonzales completed 204 passes for 2,803 passing yards and a school single-season record 28 touchdown passes last year.
A first-team All-SoCon selection in the postseason, the Ocala, Fla., product ranked third in the NCAA FCS with a 166.40 passer efficiency and was tied for 14th overall in passing yards per game at 254.8 yds/gm. Gonzales tossed a career-high five touchdown passes three times including five in the first half alone against Charleston Southern.
On Monday, Gonzales collected his second preseason All-America nod by being named third-team All-America by Stats Perform and was a second-team selection by FCS Football Central earlier this month.
The award, in its 38th 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, and Trey Lance.
The Walter Payton Award was first presented in 1987. More players can join the watch list before a national media panel selects the winner after the regular season from a group of finalists.
Also this season, 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), Urban Edge Network HBCU+ Player of the Year, and FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be presented at the Stats Perform national awards banquet on Jan. 5 in Frisco, Texas.
Opening the season on the Thursday before Labor Day weekend on the road at North Carolina State, Western Carolina's football student-athletes officially report for the 2024 preseason fall camp on Monday, July 29, with the first helmet-only practice set for Tuesday, July 30.
Season tickets for Western Carolina's 2024 five-game home schedule are on sale now through the WCU Athletics Ticket Office by phone at (828) 227-2401 and in person through the box office on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, or online at CatamountSports.com. Ticket options include general admission, reserved bleacher bench, and chairback seats, with a Family Zone four-pack in Section FF. A $10 transaction fee will be charged for all season ticket orders including credit card, cash, and check. Single-game ticket and game day parking sales for the home-opening "White Out Whitmire" game against instate foe Campbell on Sat., Sept. 7, are also on sale now through the WCU Athletics Ticket Office. Individual game ticket sales and parking for the remaining four home dates begin on Aug. 1. Parking for the 2024 season is $15 in advance and $20 on game day.
The 2024 Walter Payton Award preseason watch list:
Quarterbacks
Chase Artopoeus, Chattanooga, Sr., 6-2, 208 (SoCon)
Luke Bailey, Drake, R-Sr., 6-2, 190 (PFL)
Zach Calzada, UIW, Grad, 6-4, 200 (Southland)
Myles Crawley, Grambling State, R-Sr., 6-3, 185 (SWAC)
Paxton DeLaurent, Southeast Missouri, Sr., 6-5, 229 (Big South-OVC)
Cole Gonzales, Western Carolina, Jr., 6-0, 195 (SoCon) – 2023 Finalist
Mark Gronowski, South Dakota State, Sr., 6-3, 225 (MVFC) – 2023 Recipient
Pierce Holley, Eastern Illinois, Gr., 6-2, 215 (Big South-OVC)
Tommy Mellott, Montana State, Sr., 6-0, 209 (Big Sky) – 2022 Finalist
Cam Miller, North Dakota State, Sr., 6-1, 213 (MVFC) – 2023 Finalist
CJ Montes, Fordham, Jr., 6-2, 205 (Patriot) – 2023 Finalist
Darius Perrantes, Duquesne, Sr., 6-0, 220 (NEC) – 2023 Finalist
Connor Watkins, Villanova, Grad, 6-3, 225 (CAA)
Jake Willcox, Brown, Fifth Year, 6-2, 195 (Ivy) – 2023 Finalist
Running Backs
Mari Adams, Davidson, Jr., 5-10, 210 (PFL)
Kayvon Britten, Tarleton State, Sr., 5-7, 195 (UAC)
Jamar Curtis, Lafayette, Jr., 5-8, 164 (Patriot) – 2023 Finalist
Tyvon Edmonds Jr., Robert Morris, Sr., 5-8, 180 (NEC)
Jordan Fuller, Holy Cross, Sr., 6-0, 231 (Patriot)
Jarrett Hunter, Howard, R-Sr., 5-10, 205 (MEAC)
Mason King, Illinois State, Sr., 6-2, 215 (MVFC)
Lan Larison, UC Davis, Sr., 6-0, 195 (Big Sky) – 2023 Finalist
ShunDerrick Powell, Central Arkansas, Sr., 5-9, 180 (UAC) – 2022 Finalist
Jaylon Spears, Nicholls, Jr., 5-10, 200 (Southland)
Marcus Yarns, Delaware, Grad, 5-11, 183 (CAA)
Bronson Yoder, William & Mary, Sr., 5-11, 210 (CAA)
Wide Receivers
Junior Bergen, Montana, Sr., 5-11, 180 (Big Sky)
Efton Chism III, Eastern Washington, Sr., 5-11, 200 (Big Sky)
Nick DeGennaro, Richmond, R-Sr., 6-1, 190 (CAA)
Jared Richardson, Penn, Jr., 6-2, 215 (Ivy)
Donovan Wadley, Merrimack, Jr., 5-9, 180 (FCS Independent)
Javin Whatley, Chattanooga, Jr., 5-10, 170 (SoCon)
Offensive Linemen
Zack Gieg, Southeast Missouri, Sr., 6-1, 290 (Big South-OVC)
Charles Grant, William & Mary, Sr., 6-4, 280 (CAA)
Marcus Wehr, Montana State, Sr., 6-4, 292 (Big Sky)
Comments