The Buck Buchanan Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding defensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) of college football, and was first given in 1995 after the Walter Payton Award was designated solely for offensive players. Here are the 26 players named to the award.
BUCK BUCHANAN AWARD
(FCS Defensive Player of the Year – 26 Finalists)
- Anthony Adams, S, Portland State
- Bryson Armstrong, LB, Kennesaw State
- Ron’Dell Carter, DE, James Madison
- Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois
- John Daka, DE, James Madison
- Brandon Easterling, S, Dayton
- Willie Eubanks Jr., LB, The Citadel
- Cam Gill, LB, Wagner
- Zach Hall, LB, Southeast Missouri
- Kordell Jackson, DB, Austin Peay
- Rico Kennedy, LB, Morgan State
- Sully Laiche, DL, Nicholls
- Da’Jon Lee, LB, Saint Francis
- Greg Liggs Jr., CB, Elon
- Eli Mencer, DE, UAlbany
- Solomon Muhammad, LB, Alcorn State
- Dante Olson, LB, Montana
- Aaron Patrick, DL, Eastern Kentucky
- Christian Rozeboom, LB, South Dakota State
- Artevius Smith, DB, ETSU
- Elerson Smith, DL, Northern Iowa
- Bryce Sterk, LB, Montana State
- Isiah Swann, DB, Dartmouth
- Derrek Tuszka, DL, North Dakota State
- Nick Wheeler, DL, Colgate
- Keith Woetzel, LB, Lehigh
