CHICAGO – Three Southern Conference student-athletes are on the initial watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, which was announced by Stats Perform on Thursday.
Linebackers Willie Eubanks III of The Citadel and Stone Snyder of VMI and Samford defensive back Chris Edmonds are among the 35 players on the initial watch list for award that honors the national defensive player of the year in the FCS. Snyder and Edmonds were finalists for the award last season, with Snyder finishing third in the voting and Edmonds 16th. Eubanks was a finalist in 2019, finishing 19th.
Snyder was the SoCon Co-Defensive Player of the Year last season and enters this season as the preseason pick for the award. Eubanks was the 2019 SoCon Defensive Player of the Year.
Eubanks, Edmonds and Snyder are all preseason All-SoCon first-team picks entering this season.
More players can join the watch list during the regular season, and a national media panel will select the winner following it. The SoCon claimed the first two Buchanan Awards, as App State’s Dexter Coakley won the inaugural Buchanan in 1995 and repeated a year later, but there hasn’t been a two-time recipient since, although other past winners such as Rashean Mathis, Jared Allen and Arthur Moats joined Coakley with excellent NFL careers.
Also this season, Stats Perform will present the Walter Payton Award (FCS offensive player of the year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year) and Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Stats Perform’s release
The Citadel’s release
Samford’s release
VMI’s release
Defensive Linemen
Jared Brinkman, Northern Iowa (2020-21 finalist)
Isaiah Chambers, McNeese (2020-21 finalist)
DJ Coleman, Jacksonville State
Mike Greene, James Madison (2020-21 finalist)
Malik Hamm, Lafayette
Jahari Kay, Sam Houston (2020-21 finalist)
Jordan Lewis, Southern (2020-21 recipient)
Shaundre Mims, Charleston Southern
Kobie Turner, Richmond
Linebackers
Troy Andersen, Montana State
Logan Backhaus, South Dakota State
Ryan Greenhagen, Fordham (2020-21 finalist)
Willie Eubanks III, The Citadel (2019 finalist)
Tre Jones, Central Connecticut State
James Kaczor, North Dakota State
La’akea Kaho’ohanohano-Davis, Southern Utah (2020-21 finalist)
Titus Leo, Wagner (2020-21 finalist)
Jace Lewis, Montana
Forrest Rhyne, Villanova
Stone Snyder, VMI (2020-21 finalist)
Jeremiah Tyler, Princeton
Tre Walker, Idaho (2020-21 finalist)
Tristan Wheeler, Richmond (2020-21 finalist)
Defensive Backs
Anthony Adams, Portland State (2019 finalist)
Markquese Bell, Florida A&M
Qua Brown, Southern Illinois
Anthony Budd, Monmouth
Decobie Durant, South Carolina State
Brandon Easterling, Dayton (2019 finalist)
Chris Edmonds, Samford (2020-21 finalist)
Marcis Floyd, Murray State
Nicario Harper, Jacksonville State (2020-21 finalist)
Kordell Jackson, Austin Peay (2019 and 2020-21 finalist)
Ferlando Jordan, Southeastern Louisiana
Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston