CLINTON, S.C. – Reigning PFL Offensive Freshman of the Year and Phil Steele All-American quarterback Collin Hurst of the Presbyterian College football team has been selected as a top 30 finalist for the esteemed Walter Payton Award presented by Stats Perform.

Announced on Tuesday afternoon, the Walter Payton Award is bestowed upon the top offensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision. The award is named after Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, who starred at Jackson State.

Hurst is the only player from the Pioneer Football League to be included as a Walter Payton Award finalist. Last season, he ended as a top-five finalist for the Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award, presented to the FCS Freshman of the Year.

Currently in its 39th season, the Walter Payton Award was introduced in 1987 and is affectionately known as the Heisman of the FCS. Past recipients include NFL notables Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Kupp, Taylor Heinicke, and Trey Lance.

A national voting panel will announce the winner of this prestigious pool at the Stats Perform National Awards Show on January 3, held in Nashville, Tennessee.






 
IN HURST WE TRUST

 
- Posting a 16-5 record as Presbyterian's starting QB over the last two seasons, Hurst has flourished under Eddie Robinson Award finalist Steve Englehart, helping deliver the program's third-ever 10-win season and a ranking as high as #16 in the AFCA Coaches Poll.

- A native of Florida, Hurst took his already-impressive numbers from a year ago and improved on them: 197-for-289 (68 percent) for 2,684 yards and 26 passing touchdowns.

- That comes out to a 168.3 quarterback efficiency rating, the seventh-best at the FCS stage. His 26 touchdown tosses were the sixth-most in America despite missing one game.

- Dating back to last season, Hurst has thrown at least one TD in 13 consecutive games. He passed for a career-high five touchdowns in a come-from-behind overtime victory at Furman, and was named the PFL Offensive Player of the Week after hitting a season-high 343 yards against Erskine.

- Starting with the final five games of 2024 and stretching into the season-opener, Collin threw 135 passes in a row without an interception. He also went on a streak of 98 consecutive passes (four straight games) with zero picks this year.


 
TEN-WIN BLUE HOSE

 
- With Hurst commanding the offense, Presbyterian started the season with a 7-0 mark and a program-record 11-game winning streak dating back to the year prior.

- The season would ultimately end without the PFL's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs, although PC still managed to go undefeated at home in six attempts and accomplish the team's first 10-win season since 2005.

- Hurst has needed just two seasons to become the Presbyterian D-I leader in total passing yards (5,066) and passing touchdowns (43). His 384 completions since the start of last year rank second among all PC quarterbacks since 2007.


 
2025 Walter Payton Award Finalists

 
QUARTERBACKS

Keali'l Ah Yat – Montana

Braden Atkinson – Mercer

Andrew Body – Alabama State

Beau Brungard – Youngstown State

Jaden Craig – Harvard

Taron Dickens – Western Carolina

Devin Farrell – Rhode Island

Victor Gabalis – Tarleton State

Walker Harris – North Carolina Central

Collin Hurst – Presbyterian

Justin Lamson – Montana State

Eddie Lee Marburger – UT-Rio Grande Valley

Chris Parson – Austin Peay

Cole Payton – North Dakota State

Kekoa Visperas – Tennessee Tech

DJ Williams – Southern Illinois


 
RUNNING BACKS

Joshua Dye – Southern Utah

Kente Edwards – Lafayette

Marquis Gillis – Delaware State

Rodney Hammond, Jr. – Sacramento State

Elijah Howard – Central Connecticut State

Rodney Nelson – Monmouth

L.J. Phillips, Jr. – South Dakota

Josh Pitsenberger – Yale

Luke Yoder – Lehigh


 
WIDE RECEIVERS

Marquis Buchanan – Rhode Island

Joey Isabella – Duquesne

Bryce Lance – North Dakota State

Jared Richardson – Penn

Michael Wortham – Montana


 
Past Walter Payton Award Winners

2024: Tommy Mellott (QB) – Montana State

2023: Mark Gronowski (QB) – South Dakota State

2022: Lindsey Scott, Jr. (QB) – Incarnate Word

2021: Eric Barriere (QB) – Eastern Washington

2020: Cole Kelley (QB) – Southeastern Louisiana

2019: Trey Lance (QB) – North Dakota State

2018: Devlin Hodges (QB) – Samford

2017: Jeremiah Briscoe (QB) – Sam Houston State

2016: Jeremiah Briscoe (QB) – Sam Houston State

2015: Cooper Kupp (WR) – Eastern Washington

2014: John Robertson (QB) – Villanova

2013: Jimmy Garoppolo (QB) – Eastern Illinois

2012: Taylor Heinicke (QB) – Old Dominion

2011: Bo Levi Mitchell (QB) – Eastern Washington

2010: Jeremy Moses (QB) – Stephen F. Austin

2009: Armanti Edwards (QB) – Appalachian State

2008: Armanti Edwards (QB) – Appalachian State

2007: Jayson Foster (QB) – Georgia Southern

2006: Ricky Santos (QB) – New Hampshire

2005: Erik Meyer (QB) – Eastern Washington

2004: Lang Campbell (QB) – William & Mary

2003: Jamaal Branch (RB) – Colgate

2002: Tony Romo (QB) – Eastern Illinois

2001: Brian Westbrook (RB) – Villanova

2000: Louis Ivory (RB) – Furman

1999: Adrian Peterson (RB) – Georgia Southern

1998: Jerry Azumah (RB) – New Hampshire

1997: Brian Finneran (WR) – Villanova

1996: Archie Amerson (RB) – Northern Arizona

1995: Dave Dickenson (QB) – Montana

1994: Steve McNair (QB) – Alcorn State

1993: Doug Nussmeier (QB) – Idaho

1992: Michael Payton (QB) – Marshall

1991: Jamie Martin (QB) – Weber State

1990: Walter Dean (RB) – Grambling State

1989: John Friesz (QB) – Idaho

1988: Dave Meggett (RB) – Towson

1987: Kenny Gamble (RB) – Colgate