BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Samford senior wide receiver Kelvin McKnight has been added to the watch list for the Walter Payton Award, STATS announced Thursday morning.

The award goes to the top offensive player in all of FCS football. McKnight joins teammate quarterback Devlin Hodges, who was placed on the list in the preseason. Western Carolina quarterback Tyrie Adams was also on the preseason list. A national panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries will select the winner following the regular season.

This season, McKnight ranks second in the nation in total receiving yards with 880 through the first seven games of the season. He also ranks third nationally in receptions per game, averaging 9.0 catches per contest.

Through the first seven games of the season, McKnight has hauled in 63 passes for 880 yards and seven touchdowns. He has had at least 100 receiving yards in six of the team’s seven games so far, including a career-high 215 yards at Florida State.

For his career, McKnight is approaching a couple of school records. He has caught 276 career passes, just three away from the record of 279, set by Karel Hamilton from 2013 to 2016. He has also accumulated 3,571 receiving yards, 232 yards short of Hamilton’s current record of 3,803 yards.

McKnight and the Bulldogs will travel to Greenville, South Carolina, this weekend to take on the Furman Paladins. The game, which will air live on ESPN+, is scheduled for a 1 p.m. (CT) start from Paladin Stadium.