2026 Top FCS Playmakers

Offense

Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard enters the season carrying some of the highest expectations in the FCS. The reigning Walter Payton Award winner has proven he can elevate an entire offense with his dual-threat ability, leadership, and poise in critical moments. After accounting for 53 total touchdowns in 2025 (27 rushing, 26 passing), Brungard returns as arguably the most exciting quarterback in the FCS. Surrounded by one of the nation’s top offensive lines, he has the tools to lead the Penguins on a deep postseason run while further strengthening his status as one of the premier small-school NFL prospects.

At wide receiver, Taco Dowler gives Montana State one of the most dangerous vertical threats in the FCS. Dowler has developed into a reliable playmaker capable of stretching defenses while also providing impact as an electric return specialist. His route-running ability and production against top-tier competition have made him an intriguing senior prospect for NFL evaluators. Dowler has consistently elevated his game on the biggest stage, serving as a game-changing punt returner while delivering several standout playoff performances during the Bobcats’ FCS National Championship run.

Illinois State running back Victor Dawson quietly enters the season as one of the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s most productive offensive players. After a breakout 2025 campaign in which he rushed for 1,377 yards, Dawson emerged as the centerpiece of the Redbirds’ offense while helping lead the program to its most successful season in more than a decade. His physical running style, vision, and consistency against one of the nation’s toughest FCS schedules give NFL scouts another opportunity to evaluate a back capable of handling a featured workload.

Montana running back Eli Gillman enters the season as one of the FCS’s most accomplished offensive playmakers. The reigning 2025 Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year, Gillman rushed for 1,540 yards and 21 touchdowns, establishing himself as one of the conference’s most complete offensive weapons. Combining physicality between the tackles with the versatility to contribute as both a runner and receiver, Gillman has helped keep Montana among the FCS elite while showcasing the well-rounded skill set NFL teams increasingly seek from modern running backs.

Few receivers have done more to elevate their program’s national profile than Marquis Buchanan at Rhode Island. One of several Rams featured on the NFL Draft Diamonds watch list, Buchanan has become a dependable target capable of making plays at every level of the field. Already surpassing 3,000 career receiving yards, his sustained production reflects Rhode Island’s continued emergence as one of the CAA’s strongest pipelines to NFL talent. Another productive season could firmly establish Buchanan as one of the nation’s top senior receiver prospects.

Defense

Furman edge rusher Joshua Stoneking headlines the defensive group after earning recognition as one of the nation’s premier pass rushers. A 2025 Consensus First Team All-American and Buck Buchanan Award finalist, Stoneking finished last season with 23 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks, consistently disrupting opposing offenses with his relentless motor and explosiveness off the edge. NFL evaluators prioritize defenders who can consistently pressure quarterbacks, and Stoneking has demonstrated that ability throughout his collegiate career.

Yale safety Abu Kamara represents one of the Ivy League’s top NFL prospects and arguably one of the premier overall prospects in the FCS entering the season. An All-American with outstanding range, ball skills, and football intelligence, Kamara has established himself as one of the nation’s most complete defensive backs. His presence on multiple national award watch lists and the NFL Draft Diamonds watch list reflects the widespread respect he has earned from professional scouts regardless of conference affiliation.

At linebacker, Tye Niekamp has established himself as the unquestioned leader of Illinois State’s defense and one of the FCS’s most productive defensive players. The 2025 MVFC Defensive Player of the Year and a Consensus All-American, Niekamp has been a force at the second level, recording 346 total tackles, 36 tackles for loss, and 29 pass defenses throughout his career. Combining outstanding instincts, physicality, and tackling consistency with the football intelligence needed to excel in multiple defensive schemes, Niekamp has the ability to diagnose plays quickly, direct the defense, and consistently impact games against elite competition.

North Dakota’s Lance Rucker has developed into one of the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s most versatile defensive playmakers. A 2025 First Team All-MVFC selection and team captain, Rucker recorded 11.5 sacks while showcasing the positional flexibility modern NFL defenses covet. As a hybrid edge defender capable of lining up at defensive end or linebacker, he creates matchup problems as a pass rusher while also displaying the athleticism and instincts to contribute effectively in coverage.

UC Davis safety Rex Connors completes this defensive group as one of the Big Sky Conference’s premier defensive talents and one of the FCS’s most well-rounded safeties. Limited by a knee injury for much of the 2025 season, Connors returns with an opportunity to reestablish himself as a respected NFL prospect. A highly instinctive defender with outstanding football intelligence, he combines reliable tackling, strong fundamentals, and the physicality to excel near the line of scrimmage. As a cornerstone of the UC Davis defense, Connors brings the toughness and versatility NFL teams value in modern safeties.