UIW's Scott, Illinois State's Vandenburgh Win Top FCS Honors

January 8, 2023 by Compiled by CollegeFootballPoll.com Staff

At the Stats Perform National Award banquet on Saturday night, University of the Incarnate Word quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr. was crowned the FCS Offensive Player of the Year, winning the Walter Payton Award.   Three student-athletes were invited to the award ceremony on the eve of the FCS National Championship. Two quarterbacks in Scott and Fordham's Tim DeMorat with running back Jaden Shirden from Monmouth rounding out the finalists.   Scott took home the Walter Payton Award following a stellar final season that saw numerous record breaks both in the UIW record book and in FCS records. He finished the season with 71 touchdowns, 60 through the air, and 11 on the ground. He also gained 4,686 yards passing on 454 attempts with a 70.93 percent completion percentage.   During the National Championship on Sunday, Scott will also be recognized as the 2022 FCS ADA Offensive Player of the Year.

Illinois State senior linebacker Zeke Vandenburgh received the 2022 Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in FCS football.

Vandenburgh won the award by receiving 30 first-place votes and had no votes lower than third place for a total of 187. William & Mary redshirt sophomore outside linebacker John Pius finished second in the voting (113) and Central Arkansas sophomore defensive end David Walker third (90) after a 54-member panel selected the 28th annual award – named for legendary defensive lineman Junious "Buck" Buchanan, who starred at Grambling State as part of his Hall of Fame career. 

The 2022 Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Vandenburgh saved some of his best football for last as he posted a career-high 17 tackles, 3.5 sacks and tied a career-best with 4.0 tackles-for-loss in the Redbirds' season finale against Western Illinois. It gave him 100 tackles (51 solos) in a 10-game stat line that also included 21 tackles-for-loss (120 yards) and an FCS-leading 14 sacks. A four-time MVFC Defensive Player of the Week honoree, Vandenburgh was also credited with one interception, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and four quarterback hurries in 2022. The Freeport, Illinois, native finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the FCS in sacks per game (1.40) and tackles-for-loss per game (2.1).

FCS Walter Payton Award winners (1987-2022):

FCS Buck Buchanan Award winners (1987-2022):