CHICAGO – Stats Perform announced the finalists for the four FCS legacy awards Monday, with six Southern Conference student-athletes and one coach among the nominees for the national awards. League champion ETSU led the way with two of the league’s seven finalists.
 
ETSU running back Quay Holmes and Samford quarterback Liam Welch are among the 25 finalists for the Walter Payton Award, which honors the top offensive player in the FCS. Both were finalists last season, as well, with Welch finishing 10^th in the voting and Holmes 13^th.
 
Chattanooga defensive end Devonnsha Maxwell and VMI linebacker Stone Snyder are among the 25 finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the FCS defensive player of the year, Snyder finished third in voting for the award last season.
 
A pair of SoCon defensive backs are finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, which honors the FCS freshman of the year, as The Citadel cornerback Dominick Poole and Western Carolina safety Andreas Keaton are among the 23 players on the ballot. To be eligible for the award, a freshman can’t have surpassed four games played in the previous academic year – similar to the NCAA’s regular redshirt rule.
 
Randy Sanders, who led ETSU to its first outright SoCon title and its second overall since 2018, is among 17 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award, which honors the FCS coach of the year. VMI coach Scott Wachenheim is the reigning Eddie Robinson Award winner.
 
A 50-member national media panel will select the winners. The Rice Award winner will be announced on Dec. 13, followed by the Robinson Award winner on Dec. 14. The Payton and Buchanan award winners will be announced on Jan. 7, the eve of the FCS championship game.
 
For Stats Perform’s Walter Payton Award release, click here. For the Buck Buchanan Award release, click here; for the Jerry Rice Award release, click here; and for the Eddie Robinson Award release, click here.
 
SoCon finalists for Stats Perform legacy awards
Walter Payton Award
Quay Holmes, ETSU, R-Jr., RB
Liam Welch, Samford, Gr., QG
 
Buck Buchanan Award
Devonnsha Maxwell, Chattanooga, Jr., DE
Stone Snyder, VMI, Jr., LB
 
Jerry Rice Award
Dominick Poole, The Citadel, CB
Andreas Keaton, Western Carolina, S
 
Eddie Robinson Award
Randy Sanders, ETSU